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Opinions on kitty gym

post #1 of 31
5/26/08 at 5:50pm
Thread Starter 
I plan on getting one in about a month or so for a couple of siamese kittens I'll be getting in two weeks. I've seen some at local pet stores that feel poorly made, but I'm looking at this one (as well as others on the site). Does anyone have any experience with this manufacturer?

http://www.catsplay.com/cc3tseat.php3#

Thanks!
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post #2 of 31
5/26/08 at 5:56pm
Ive never been to that site before, the gym looks nice but that is a crazy price. You might try this site http://www.armarkat.com/
Theyre a very popular brand, I have one and my kitties love it, plus the prices are way better and I think they have free shipping too.
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post #3 of 31
5/26/08 at 6:08pm
Thread Starter 
Thanks for the link. How's the quality of the unit?

Thanks again!


Quote:
Originally Posted by MonaxLisa View Post
Ive never been to that site before, the gym looks nice but that is a crazy price. You might try this site http://www.armarkat.com/
Theyre a very popular brand, I have one and my kitties love it, plus the prices are way better and I think they have free shipping too.
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post #4 of 31
5/26/08 at 6:17pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by MonaxLisa View Post
Ive never been to that site before, the gym looks nice but that is a crazy price. You might try this site http://www.armarkat.com/
Theyre a very popular brand, I have one and my kitties love it, plus the prices are way better and I think they have free shipping too.
for me, it's not so much the price as the shipping! Armarkat does offer free shipping, btw - here're some trees similar in size to the one you were considering: http://www.armarkat.com/small.htm
i've been quite pleased w/my 2 Armarkat trees.
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post #5 of 31
5/26/08 at 7:24pm
Wow, Armarkat DOES have good prices. I have been shopping around for good prices on kitty trees/gyms for a while now.

THIS is the most elegant looking cat tree that I have ever seen! I was thinking about getting this one to put in my living room (it matches my furniture) and a more traditional looking taller one to put in my bedroom. I will probably buy an Armarkat one now that I have that link! Thanks!
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post #6 of 31
5/26/08 at 7:42pm
you think that one's elegant - look at this one!
Lotus Cat Tree
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post #7 of 31
5/26/08 at 7:43pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by rustypixel View Post
Thanks for the link. How's the quality of the unit?

Thanks again!
I like it, its plywood and not pressboard so the quality seems pretty good to me. The faux fur is holding up really well and the cats love it. They're all over 15 pounds except Munchkin so it takes a beating. Its a tiny bit wobbly so I keep it pushed up against the wall (its 6feet tall) and no problems with it so far
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post #8 of 31
5/26/08 at 9:39pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by laureen227 View Post
you think that one's elegant - look at this one!
Lotus Cat Tree
Haha! It is elegant. If it came in black, it would match my furniture, too. But I'll go for the one from Petco any day - It is $130 with free shipping to the $314.99 from the Refined Feline. And I don't think the Refined Feline tree is that much bigger, LOL.
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post #9 of 31
5/26/08 at 10:15pm
I don't know how the rest of the site is, but the one I bought is 10 bucks cheaper on the cattreestore site. it's the same one, even the same badge.

http://www.armarkat.com/a6501.htm <---- At Amarkat $125
http://www.cattreestore.com/A6501.htm <---- cat tree store $115.00

Same exact tree.

FYI, I just got mine last week. my cats LOVE LOVE LOVE this thing. They compete for the top platform to sleep on hehe. Actually today I caught them both sleeping on the top. not sure how they fit but they managed.

FYI 2. The hammock is a waste. THey've never used it. I don't know if they'll use the blue tent, but they have slept in it some. I'm going to replace the hammock with one of their favorite cat beds.

FYI 3. Assembly is super simple. Will take about 20 minutes, and that's if you take your time. it's not heavy and the instructions show you exactly where everything goes.

Great construction and good quality wood and covering.

Man, this will be a great purchase for your cat (any of them). they will love it.
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post #10 of 31
5/26/08 at 11:01pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by fastnoc View Post
I don't know how the rest of the site is, but the one I bought is 10 bucks cheaper on the cattreestore site. it's the same one, even the same badge.

http://www.armarkat.com/a6501.htm <---- At Amarkat $125
http://www.cattreestore.com/A6501.htm <---- cat tree store $115.00

Same exact tree.
is shipping also free at the cattreestore?
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post #11 of 31
5/26/08 at 11:03pm
yeah. I think it says it on the page if you look. it's a jumbled description page and not well laid out though. But it's definitely free shipping. Well, not 'free' it's in the price
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post #12 of 31
5/27/08 at 6:34am
Quote:
Originally Posted by laureen227 View Post
you think that one's elegant - look at this one!
Lotus Cat Tree
I have one and it looks great with my furniture. I am in the market for something for the kittens now. I will look at that link above.

I had a hammock once too and the cats never once used it either.
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post #13 of 31
5/27/08 at 9:59am
IMO its a little overpriced for the size (4 1/2 feet tall). We got our 4 foot tall treehouse for less then $100 at Petco. DH will build a 2nd treehouse and connect it to the first one. The 2nd treehouse will be about 7 foot tall.

For that price you can get a good 6-7 foot tall treehouse and it would have multi levels on it. Personally, I'm not impressed with the one you have picked.
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post #14 of 31
5/27/08 at 10:04am
I'd be interested in seeing a 4' tree at petco that costs anywhere near 115.00. Petco was the first place I looked and their prices were ridiculous

http://petco.com/Shop/SearchResults.aspx?Ntt=tree&

Around 200 + shipping and they aren't comparable.

http://petco.com/Shop/Product.aspx?s...44#description

that one is 216.88 with shipping.

This one is still not nearly as nice and it's $241.68 shipped

http://petco.com/Shop/Product.aspx?sku=1052152
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post #15 of 31
5/27/08 at 10:37am
We paid $89 for ours - its nice but not big enough now Maybe it was on sale at the time - I don't remember.
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post #16 of 31
5/27/08 at 10:39am
yeah size was a concern for me too. Actually I wanted a bigger one. i've got 10 foot ceilings and I thought it'd be nice to get one 6ft or bigger. But the price just didn't make sense to make that jump.

I feel bad for my little girl, since I got this thing the boy sleeps primarily on the top level. it's not really big enough for 2 cats. Though she's tried. So she has to sleep somewhere else now, whereas before the tree they always slept together.
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post #17 of 31
5/27/08 at 10:40am
Quote:
Originally Posted by fastnoc View Post
I'd be interested in seeing a 4' tree at petco that costs anywhere near 115.00. Petco was the first place I looked and their prices were ridiculous

http://petco.com/Shop/SearchResults.aspx?Ntt=tree&

Around 200 + shipping and they aren't comparable.

http://petco.com/Shop/Product.aspx?s...44#description

that one is 216.88 with shipping.

This one is still not nearly as nice and it's $241.68 shipped

http://petco.com/Shop/Product.aspx?sku=1052152

This tree is from Petco. It is 49" high, really attractive to look at, and always on sale for $120-130. Petco.com regularly has free shipping promotions, too. I realize that this tree is currently out of stock, but they have a feature to notify you when it is in stock again. I have used it before, because I want to buy this cat tree (it matches my living room furniture), but I still haven't.

Those other prices are ridiculous. I would buy an Armarkat tree over those in a heartbeat!
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post #18 of 31
5/28/08 at 6:09am
If you can attend a close by cat show, many times they have cat tree vendors there. Their treehouses are pretty reasonable and most times cheaper then Petsmart/Petco. I've gotten most of my treehouses thru the shows.

My best ones and longest lasting ones were made from real tree trunks with the shelves attached
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post #19 of 31
5/28/08 at 7:20am
Quote:
Originally Posted by GoldenKitty45 View Post
If you can attend a close by cat show, many times they have cat tree vendors there. Their treehouses are pretty reasonable and most times cheaper then Petsmart/Petco. I've gotten most of my treehouses thru the shows.

My best ones and longest lasting ones were made from real tree trunks with the shelves attached
Just for future reference, where might I find out the locations of nearby cat shows? I am sure I would enjoy them. Plus I might find good deals on cat furniture and other accessories, and meet breeders of different purebred cats in this part of the midwest.

I used to go to horse shows all the time with my family when I was young and those were a blast. I got to give out the ribbons to the winners one year, I was about 8 years old. I remember because I was wearing a funny turquoise dress with white cowboy boots. LOL!
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post #20 of 31
5/28/08 at 9:25am
You are in a good area for shows

Here's the website - just look on the show calendars for info. If you are not sure where a show is located, they have a contact person (show manager or show entry clerk).


CFA: http://www.cfa.org/exhibitors/show-schedule.html

ACFA: http://www.acfacats.com/show_schedule.htm

TICA: http://ticamembers.org/calendar/
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post #21 of 31
5/28/08 at 1:58pm
Are the cat shows for many different breeds, or for one breed only?

Just curious. I know this is kind of off topic - not really about cat trees anymore!
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post #22 of 31
5/28/08 at 2:53pm
Cat shows are for all breeds and mixed breed household pets. You'll find a wide variety from purebreds to mixed breeds....in other words you will go crazy with all the cool cats there
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post #23 of 31
5/28/08 at 3:05pm
You might also check out this site - the link is to the one we just bought:
http://www.felinefanatics.com/deluxe_cat_tree.htm

I very much like that this is a small USA business and that they use solid wood in their cat trees.
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post #24 of 31
5/28/08 at 5:35pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by GoldenKitty45 View Post
Cat shows are for all breeds and mixed breed household pets. You'll find a wide variety from purebreds to mixed breeds....in other words you will go crazy with all the cool cats there
LOL Yes, I think I probably will. Maybe I can make it to one one day. There are lots of places nearby that have cat shows!
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post #25 of 31
5/28/08 at 11:57pm
I bought this one on ebay:

http://www.armarkat.com/b7301.htm

My winning bid? $3.25. Shipping was $70, so that brought the grand total up to $73.25. I've had it for a couple of years now, and even with Sabina throwing herself all over it, it's holding up well. I think eventually the top tier will need to come off if the wood cracks (I wish it was held up by four posts instead of one), but still no complaints!
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post #26 of 31
5/29/08 at 12:06am
i got one of mine on eBay, too - i think my winning bid was $21, shipping was $50, so total $71. i have 4 that use all the levels, & i've had it for 3 years, now - nothing's broken yet!
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post #27 of 31
6/8/08 at 1:58pm
I've seen some nice looking ones on eBay, but I'd rather get one that had lower/free shipping even if I end paying a little more for the total price. It's goofy, I know, but it irks me that there's buyers out there trying to get around ebay fees by having the "shipping" price high and the selling price low.
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post #28 of 31
6/8/08 at 2:15pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Lorina View Post
I've seen some nice looking ones on eBay, but I'd rather get one that had lower/free shipping even if I end paying a little more for the total price. It's goofy, I know, but it irks me that there's buyers out there trying to get around ebay fees by having the "shipping" price high and the selling price low.
Armarkat offers free shipping. i have 2 of their trees - the tall navy one & a shorter light blue one.
the 1st i bought on eBay, but the 2nd i got directly from Armarkat.
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post #29 of 31
6/8/08 at 2:45pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by laureen227 View Post
Armarkat offers free shipping. i have 2 of their trees - the tall navy one & a shorter light blue one.
the 1st i bought on eBay, but the 2nd i got directly from Armarkat.
We just bought the light blue one directly from them (free shipping)...however, I just saw they have dropped the price $17 in under 10 days since we bought ours...grumble. So...great price on that one currently folks!!
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post #30 of 31
6/8/08 at 3:39pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Pat & Alix View Post
We just bought the light blue one directly from them (free shipping)...however, I just saw they have dropped the price $17 in under 10 days since we bought ours...grumble. So...great price on that one currently folks!!
i really like that one. i have it by the living room window.
if Frankie Jean were still here it would match her eyes!
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