Beds / Mats ON Cat Trees?

Hey folks,

About a week ago I posted a thread here asking about the molly and friends cat trees. I've decided to order one tomorrow (model 2323..not the one I really want, but it's in stock now and cheaper than my first choice) on Amazon.com.

My question to you guys, is do you put cat beds and /or mats on the platforms / beds on your cat trees?


I was considering ordering a couple kennel mats (faux fleece and faux fur ) for the "scoops" and possibly getting some fleece beds for the round beds on the tree.

I was thinking that this might protect the carpet on the beds/scoops and help absorb urin / odors should someone have an "accident" on the cat tree...The beds I'm looking at are truely washable...certainly more so than the carpet on the tree...

However, I DO want them to scratch on the tree...and perhaps having actual beds / mats on the perches would discourage this.

So what do you do? Mats / beds or none?
Do you think this would make the tree more attractive to the cats or deter them from using it properly (scratching)?
Do you think it would help the tree last longer and/or make cleaning easier?

Thanks folks for your input!

This is the first time I've bought a "big ticket" item for the cats and although I'm excited about it...I'm also nervous about them either not liking it or it getting destroyed far too quickly.

Art

I've been wondering the same thing....I'm thinking one of the beds on the cat tree would be a good spot for Luna's heated bed....
Does that work putting beds/mats on the beds on the trees?

As long as they aren't wobbly, I think cat-trees are nearly sure-fire purchases. I think this because I live in an apartment complex with lots of cats and apartments with fairly big windows, and while I've seen a large number of cat trees, I'm not entirely certain I've ever seen a cat tree without a cat on it, and I'm completely certain I've never seen a cat tree that I haven't seen a cat on sometimes. Since your cats like their current tree (even though it's too wobbly), I'd say they are certain to love a new tree if I wasn't worried that someone would say I jinxed you.

I strongly suspect that adding mats or beds could do nothing but improve the tree. For one thing, you can take them off if they seem to cause problems. Also, unless you get a tree with a sisal or other scratching-designed horizontal surface (which it doesn't look like you are planning to do), the horizontal and convex surfaces (all carpeted, it looks like, in your case) aren't really designed for scratching or, I suspect, scratched all that much.

All of that said, I haven't bought a cat tree (I made a very large scratching post, but that and the top of the kitchen cabinets and the top of the TV are all my cats have in cat-tree-like-things), so feel free to dismiss my advice.

I think adding a bed would be a good idea. I can't imagine it would interfere with scratching unless it blocked the scratching surfaces. I wonder if it would be a good idea to try attaching Velcro tabs to the bottom of the bed and to the tree for security?

They will love the tree! I put two soft fleece blankets inside the box on the 3rd floor of one of the tall cat trees and also a bed in the hammock

I guess I hadn't thought of putting extra cushioning on ours myself. The cat tree we bought is covered in faux fur already, all except the posts, which are covered in sisal...so the cats seem to be happy with that as they sleep atop the platforms throughout the day. The only potential problem I could see, with my own cats, at least, would be when they are playing on the tree...climbing and jumping around on it...Mine like to really use the tree as a tree! And in doing so, if there was a mat or bed on any of the platforms, they would certainly end up pulling it down on top of themselves in the process of trying to clamber up and down during play. But my babies are only 8 mos. old, so they are still really energetic. If your cats aren't going to be running up and down the tree, then I wouldn't worry about it.

Thanks for your input everyone!

The mats I'm looking at have rubber "nubs" on the bottom designed to grip slick surfaces...maybe they would help on a tree as well... The velcro is a good idea too.

My cats are pretty active...they run/jump onto the tree they have now... I haven't seen much pouncing / jumping between levels, but with only 3 levels...and a wobbly tree to boot...they might not feel safe playing between levels right now.

I've only seen them pick / scratch at the sides of the platforms on their current tree (i.e. hang the paws over and pick at it), so it's really the stain and washability factor (as well as comfort level) that I think the mats / beds would improve.

Although they do go on their tree now (and again this could be due to the wobblyness and small size of the platforms) they don't "hang out" for too long unless I'm in the room doing something (it is in a spare bedroom). I'm hoping that with increased sturdiness, height, and comfyness (I'm sure it'll have better carpet than their current tree) that they'll use it more often as a sleeping and watching perch during the day.

I think I'll split the difference and get a couple mats and see how it goes with them.... I haven't found a cheap round mat-like-bed for the nests yet. Petco has one, but reviews say it is much smaller than it's supposed to be....and all others I've found seem too big (vertically, and /or too puffy) and I'm afraid that the cats would have trouble getting into the beds considering that they'd have to jump up to get in them.

Thanks for your help!
Art

I put mats on some of my cat trees. It helps with the hair on the platforms. I also PM'd you for a possible source for mats.

I have one of these on one of our cat tree's perches. Nabu is found on it pretty much every day of the year.

I bought my second cat tree at a cat show from the same vendor.
It has 2 circle beds and 1 platform. Carpeted pillars.
I do put towels in the beds bottom. 1st day, she used the taller
post as a scratchy. Yikes, I was so upset with myself I did not buy the
sisal posts. I found out my two cat trees pillars were interchange so I moved
the sisal post from the other one which she didn't use a scatchy to the new
one, problem solved. I would think making a cat bed would not be to hard
to do yourself and put velcro on bottom. My cat loves faux fur and
any bedding is always appreciated.

Thanks for the source info!
I ordered the tree yesterday and ordered one (really cheap) microterry kennel mat to go in a scoop...It's the right size for their travel crate if it doesn't work out on the tree...

That's a really nice looking mat littleraven..I've never seen a "grey leopard" pattern before.

Ms. Blackie- So you have a molly and friends tree? That's good to know the posts are interchangable...I may do the same thing as you, since I've seen mine scratch the higher sisal post on their current tree, but never touch the lower one. On the tree I ordered, the lower post has 30" of sisal, while all the others are carpet.

Art

I have a faux fleece mat on one of the shelves of our cat tree. The girls love it and it helps to make a nice place for them to nap.

I don't exactly have a cat tree or a cat bed but I have a play tower thing I got from Target and a Boogie Mat (you can fill it with cat nip). I keep the Boogie mat on top of the the play tower since Seti likes both of them. He loves sleeping on it though I have to pick it up from time to time. I don't Velcro it down because sometimes he likes to sleep under it!

Hey folks,

The tree arrived on Friday and the cats LOVE it. Although they still don't spend as much time on it as I'd like...

The carpet is a higher-pile than I thought it would be, so they seem to enjoy scratching it and laying on it. I've also seen one scratch in the center of a bed and everyone has scratched on the sides / rims of beds and scoops, etc....So the jury is still out on putting beds on the tree...

I recieved the crate mat that I ordered off amazon yesterday and put it in a scoop on the tree. I haven't seen them use it yet (but maybe it smells funky from shipping). I'll probably wait a week or two to see if they start using it more before making a decision on adding additional bedding.

Thanks to everyone who helped and gave advice!
Art