What to purchase next?

goldenkitty45

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IMO when looking for tree house the minimum height is 4 feet (that treehouse just makes it) - it's really better to go higher then the 4 feet. We'll be looking for a larger one in the spring.

When its time to trade, if anyone is interested in the one we have (will post pictures later) pm me and we'll figure out a deal on it. Its still in good shape, just that its not big enough now but fine for a little less active cat
Its got 2 shelves and the top is a round bed.

I'd prefer if it was someone here in MN so we could work out transportation by a truck and not worry about shipping.
 

laureen227

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Originally Posted by littleraven7726

For us, waiting and eventually making a homemade tree was so worth it. The cats like it, and I'm satisfied with the sturdiness of the tree. All of the ones we saw at the stores rocked, and Stimpy is 17 lbs. When he launches off a fort, the little ones can go flying. I didn't want a big one tipping over. Really the cats didn't mind the little forts while we waited. They still play on the little ones.
i attached my tall one to the wall to avoid that!

Originally Posted by artgecko

The auction closed and I got the cat tree (like the one in the link in my last post) for $30 including shipping, so not much of a loss if it doesn't work out.
i hope your shipping wasn't too high... my tree was only about $30-$40, but w/shipping it was about $70. my aunt, an eBay seller, says that sometimes people charge way more for the shipping, & not so much for the item, because eBay gets a percentage of the 'purchase' price... in other words, they're cheating eBay.
 

sharky

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Cat tree ...

I also found a major health issue via clean the box out and thus would never use a auto
 

robertm

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Originally Posted by laureen227

my aunt, an eBay seller, says that sometimes people charge way more for the shipping, & not so much for the item, because eBay gets a percentage of the 'purchase' price... in other words, they're cheating eBay.
Correct. eBay only imposes on sellers a final value fee that is a percentage of the final bid price. Shipping charges are excluded from the calculation. If you search for cat condos you will see plenty of listings where the condo is listed for $10 (or less), but the shipping charges are very, very high. So what seems like a good deal on the surface turns out to just be an OK one.

I don't so much care that they're "cheating" eBay. To me the bigger problem is that sellers like this almost never refund the shipping charge if you want to return the item --- only the winning bid amount. And eBay/PayPal usually take the same position if you were to file a dispute. So if you buy a condo for $1 and pay $75 for shipping, and the thing is poorly constructed and tips over easily, you're out $76, basically. Even putting aside the hassle of shipping it back to the seller, all you stand to be refunded is the $1.

Caveat Emptor, as they say.
 

tigerlord

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Originally Posted by RobertM

I voted for Neither or Something Else. I honestly can't understand the appeal of/need for an automatic litterbox. Maybe it's just me. I scoop out the boxes about 3-4 times a day and I don't mind doing it in the least.
That entitles you are actually at home or available to do it 3-4 times during the day... most work from 8h-16h, or like I do from time to time, study from 8h until 22h at earliest.

Having a litter robots gives my kittens clean litter all day long and don't have to suffer the consequences of peeing or pooping in a fealthy litter because daddy is too busy studying.
 

capt_jordi

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Why not buy a litter robot (or a cheaper option) and then get the supplies and make your own cat tree instead of paying so much for one? Many people on here have made them out of all sorts of materials, Everything from lumber to those plastic storage shelves. And plus if you make one then it can look however you want!
 
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artgecko

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Thanks for your advice everyone.
- I ended up paying only $30 including shipping (tree was only $6, with similar trees usually listed for $24 minimum, so it musn't be a complete piece of junk)...
Hopefully it will be adequate for now. I looked at some of the taller trees, but space is an issue, so I'd have to find more floor space for a larger tree. This one looked sturdier than some similarly sized ones...we'll see.

Hopefully, if the cheap tree works out, I'll be able to save up for a LR. I know that health problems can be found when scooping..but, because I have 3, and quite possibly 4 cats using the same box, it'd be hard to tell who's poo is who's anyway. I am concerned with, as the kittens grow, there being too much waste and someone deciding to go outside the box. Especially with me only being able to scoop the box twice a day. If I was at home, and the box was in a location that was more convenient, I'd scoop more often, but time is an issue right now.

Altough this is off topic- can anyone reccommend a good brand of regular (carpeted) cat trees? I saw many Armakat (sp?) trees and they look like a good choice, but I'm a newb to them, so what do I know? lol.

Art
 

laureen227

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2 of my trees are Armarkat, & i like them just fine. i have this one, which i actually bought on eBay, & this one, which i got directly from Armarkat. the 2nd one only comes up to about my waist - the first one goes almost to my ceiling.
 

robertm

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Originally Posted by TigerLord

That entitles you are actually at home or available to do it 3-4 times during the day... most work from 8h-16h, or like I do from time to time, study from 8h until 22h at earliest.
I'm gone at least 12 hours a day Monday through Friday for work, sleep for another 6, and spend time cooking, eating, grooming etc. The litterboxes are my responsibility exclusively; my wife doesn't help at all with that. Yet somehow I still manage to scoop out the litterboxes several times a day. And so do plenty of other very busy people.

I'm not here to play "top this" with you or anyone else when it comes to full schedules, and I'm also not here to derail this thread, which was about helping artgecko decide on a costly purchase. So this is the last post I'll be making in this thread. But please. It typically takes me 5 minutes at most to scoop out both litterboxes, and that's only if one of my cats eliminates along the insides or the bottom of the box, which makes it harder to clean. Otherwise it's much faster. That's about 15-20 minutes a day, max. I hardly think that's an inordinate amount of time to spend.
 

EnzoLeya

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I would get the automatic litter box and a cheap scratch tree for now! Cats don't care if there toy is worth $300 or $10, they are serve the same function "to be destroyed!!!!"
 
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artgecko

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Thanks again for the replies... I've been away to a conference the last three days, so haven't had time to check the forums.

Well, my $30 tree arrived today... I was somewhat skeptical, as I went to petsmart before it arrived and saw the ~ $130 - $170 trees there (of similar size to the one I got) that were quite unstable...

So, I get home to find a BIG box. It was easy to assemble (30 min at most). I was pleasently surprised by the size of the cat cubby on the bottom of the tree... The first and second levels are pretty sturdy, even if the 2nd and top are a little on the small side. The top level isn't very sturdy. The undersides of the shelves are also not carpeted (oh well). And, for anyone possibly interested in this tree, the tunnel is NOT big enough for a cat to get in (kitten maybe) but it will hold toys, etc.

The cat's weren't too keen on it at first, but then, with a little catnip and some toys, they climbed all over it. (although still not so keen on the top level).

The other folks in the house think it's hidious (and, I must admit it is very much a classic carpeted cat tree, so not the height of home decor), so it will be staying in my room for now.

It is also oddly shaped (with the two top levels being uneven with the bottom cubby) so putting it right in a corner (with wall contact to stabalize it on the bottom or top shelves) isn't an option. So, for now, it's in front of one of my windows.

Now, although it IS hidious, I must say that I enjoy watching the cats climb on it and, for a brief moment, I was considering getting on ebay and going for a larger/sturdier tree. But I think I'll have to wait until I have more space. Although I might get a corner-specific unit for the originally inteded place.

So, now I can begin putting a little money away for the LR and/or a better tree.

Thank you all for your help and if anyone has any more suggustions on cat trees, etc. I'd be more than happy to hear them! I'm still intersted in getting a "corner unit" so if anyone has any feedback on those models, please let me know.
Artgecko
 
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