I'm thinking about getting a cat tree for my girls, but all of them seem to be freakishly expensive for what they are.  Anything that seems to be relatively within my price range is not really worth buying- not many levels, not even taller than the arm of my sofa.  I'm also moving in May, so I would need something that is not a huge pain in the butt to assemble/disassemble and does not take up too much space when disassembled. 

I know that it may be a tough order to fill, but give me suggestions for cheap kitty furniture!  I'm open to all options, styles, etc, but it needs to be under $60 and would be relatively easy to disassemble and transport.  Does anyone have any suggestions, or am I just out of luck?

I have also been monitoring craigslist to see if someone is trying to offload one for cheap, but nothing has come up.

Did you check amazon? Or maybe building one yourself?  I'm thinking about asking my dad to help me do that in his work shop.

They ARE expensive. Talk about mark up!! 

Oh yea, There are also kitty shelves I have seen. They are expensive too, but that could be easy to do yourself as well, with good secure mounting & some kind of covering. There was a member on here a long time ago that showed hers going around the living room at different heights. It was pretty cool. A "cat walk" so to speak.  Maybe someone else will come along that will remember who that was, & post a link to that thread.

I don't remember, because I haven't seen her around sense.

You're not going to get much for $60. for that budget you might be better off seeing if you can re-arrange your furniture or buy some shelves you can screw into the wall so they can climb on it.

For about $100-$120 you can get a nice cat tree by Amarkat off Amazon. This is the one we got. We love it. Took me about an hour to assemble it.


Here's some pics of Aya in action on it:

http://www.thecatsite.com/t/254230/aya-enjoying-their-xmas-present-new-cat-tree

Here's another similar one for a little less:

I got one for 50% off at the petstore because it had a small rip in the carpet. Other than that it is perfect. Check around and you might find a deal like that.

I'm not sure I would get one used because it might be full of fleas.

I'm not sure I would get one used because it might be full of fleas.

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Or ringworm.

For about $100-$120 you can get a nice cat tree by Amarkat off Amazon.

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Amarkat has always struck me as the brand that will give you the most tree for your money.  For a tight budget I'd go with them.  I have read that they may need to go against a wall or in a corner for stability.  I needed something that would be stable free-standing so I went with a pricier brand known for being "untippable."  We had a cheaper one fall over when a cat took a flying leap onto it.

What think y'all about these two?  They are a bit over $60, but it looks like you get a lot for the price:


and


Thanks for the Armarkat suggestion- I see some that look quite promising in the $50-60 range, but these looked like quite a bit more tree for only a bit more cost. 

Alas, I can only do so much with my current furniture.  I have a fairly small living room that only has a couch, small end table, coffee table, tv stand, and a couple of bookshelves that my gecko and short tailed opossum live on.  I can't really move anything in such a way that makes  the couch and tv still face each other, and I don't want to encourage the cats to bother the small animals.
 

The cheaper the cat tree, the more likely they are to tip over.

Remember that even if your cat is small, when he/she jumps up on the tree his 'G' force is considerable.

Ritz said:

The cheaper the cat tree, the more likely they are to tip over.

Remember that even if your cat is small, when he/she jumps up on the tree his 'G' force is considerable.

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I've been utilizing my physics background and thinking about size of the base, center of gravity, leverage points, etc while looking at all of these cat trees.  I've also been looking at some of the reviews to see what people say about the stability.  If what I do get ends up being less stable it looks like it would be possible to simply nail a couple of pieces of wood to the base to make it larger and thus increase stability. 

I've had my cat tree for 6-7 years now and it is in great shape.  I got it on Ebay from Armarkat.  The shipping was expensive but with some smart bidding I was able to get the whole thing for around $80 I believe.  I did the same for my mother and got her one with 3 towers for even less.  Both have held up very well.  

Hi DuckDodgers

I've posted some of this info in another thread, but you might find it of use.

If a ready-made cat tree of substance and worth is too expensive, you might have a look at making one yourself.  And/or making a few small additions all around the room/house that can transform your existing structures and human furniture into places that fit into a 'cat highway'.  For example, Franklincatfurniture has little ramps that slot onto the shelves of your bookcase, creating 'upramps' to run up to different shelves/top of the bookshelf.  Sometimes it's a matter of repositioning your own storage so tops of cupboards/window ledges etc are accessible and then putting a 'bridge' or 'stepping jump pad' next to it.  Our cat now has a whole lap he can do without touching the floor (which he taught US)!

Just look at all the resources on the web to open your eyes to possibilities (like the Japanese Cat Houses and ikeahackers).  And then depending on your skills, make your own.  You can get off-cuts and scrap lumber and concrete forms (cardboard tubes) really cheap - maybe free.  People wrap the concrete forms in sisal for a great scratching pole (have seen them used as a column in a room from floor to ceiling!!), or in carpet as hideaways, or cut the tube in half and you have a nice curved resting spot - cover in carpet or something if you want it really plush.

Ikea can be a good place too - lots of stoleman pole systems around, and commercial companies that will do the whole thing; but if you have contacts/skills, you can easy make the pads yourself (had my first woodworking lesson from my Dad over Christmas - made one pad for $5, and 3 more brackets left for the next ones).  Here's some sites for these systems:

http://www.franklincatfurniture.com/PRICELIST_HFT.pdf

http://whiskerstudio.com/index.php/products/elevation-cat-trees

http://www.moderncat.net/2012/07/03...ting-the-revolving-door-for-olive-and-pepper/

DuckDodgers said:

What think y'all about these two?  They are a bit over $60, but it looks like you get a lot for the price:

http://www.amazon.com/Large-Tower-Condo-House-Scratcher/dp/B004GAAKIW/ref=sr_1_64?ie=UTF8&qid=1359663931&sr=8-64&keywords=armarkat

and

http://www.amazon.com/Beige-Cat-Tree-Pet-House/dp/B0033Q5IIW/ref=sr_1_15?ie=UTF8&qid=1359664249&sr=8-15&keywords=armarkat

Thanks for the Armarkat suggestion- I see some that look quite promising in the $50-60 range, but these looked like quite a bit more tree for only a bit more cost. 

Alas, I can only do so much with my current furniture.  I have a fairly small living room that only has a couch, small end table, coffee table, tv stand, and a couple of bookshelves that my gecko and short tailed opossum live on.  I can't really move anything in such a way that makes  the couch and tv still face each other, and I don't want to encourage the cats to bother the small animals.

 

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Look out for the shipping on those, it's going to put you in the hundred dollar range. I got a cat tree several years ago with free shipping. I don't remember for sure where I bought it. You have to do some shopping around. Sometimes the places that advertise free shipping also have higher prices on the product so it ends up being about the same.

Yeah, with shipping I think you're looking at $100 minimum. I don't think I've ever seen a fair-sized tree for less than that, but there are plenty to choose from in that price range. I have several different Armarkat/Go! Pet Club trees, and most of them aren't tippy at all. One thing to look for is at least 3 points to the floor. . .never get one with only 2 posts, LOL. A 4-post-to-the-floor tree is best, but 3 is OK.

DuckDodgers said:

I know that it may be a tough order to fill, but give me suggestions for cheap kitty furniture!  I'm open to all options, styles, etc, but it needs to be under $60 and would be relatively easy to disassemble and transport.  Does anyone have any suggestions, or am I just out of luck?

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I found one on E-Bay that had a stand, sisal pole and curved bed (comes up to my window) for $35 NEW. It cost $30 to ship. Keep looking, I am looking for a new one as I now have 2 cats, so if I see a cheap one I will let you know. Also, sisal is very inexpensive in WalMart compared to Home Depot, Dixieline, Lowes, etc. You can buy the lumber and make your own cat tree for half the cost of a new one. A good trick is to go to a carpet store and ask for remnants. You can get them for little or nothing and use them for your tree. You may not get the exact colors you want, but you can't beat the price.

DuckDodgers said:

I've been utilizing my physics background and thinking about size of the base, center of gravity, leverage points, etc while looking at all of these cat trees.  I've also been looking at some of the reviews to see what people say about the stability.  If what I do get ends up being less stable it looks like it would be possible to simply nail a couple of pieces of wood to the base to make it larger and thus increase stability. 

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Mine has a square base with three legs, and served my late Burmese and my very active Heinz 57 Tortie very well. My newer 10 lb Burmese flew off it last week in pursuit of the Tortie with such momentum she literally threw it into the wall and cracked it. The wall, not the cat tree. Cat tree was fine. The stability of a cat tree is in direct proportion to how strong the cat is.

Lei-Ann

DuckDodgers said:

I'm thinking about getting a cat tree for my girls, but all of them seem to be freakishly expensive for what they are.  Anything that seems to be relatively within my price range is not really worth buying- not many levels, not even taller than the arm of my sofa.  I'm also moving in May, so I would need something that is not a huge pain in the butt to assemble/disassemble and does not take up too much space when disassembled. 

I know that it may be a tough order to fill, but give me suggestions for cheap kitty furniture!  I'm open to all options, styles, etc, but it needs to be under $60 and would be relatively easy to disassemble and transport.  Does anyone have any suggestions, or am I just out of luck?

I have also been monitoring craigslist to see if someone is trying to offload one for cheap, but nothing has come up.

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  Walmart, $52 incld. shipping. Some of the cat trees on Walmart.com are free ship to store. This one is sherpa, and is about $45

Here is a very simple diy cat tree.  It's basically a shelf with some carpeting and holes cut in it.  It's way taller and sturdier than any cat tree I've seen, unless you want to spend hundreds of dollars (which you obviously don't, lol).  

If you look around the rest of the Jackson Galaxy "catification" site, you'll see that many people come up with very simple, inexpensive solutions which are often higher quality and much better looking than your typical carpeted cat tree.  For instance, I absolutely LOVE the idea of cat shelves.  What could be simpler than shelves?  Plus they get the cat really up high and are very sturdy.  I really like the idea of a rectangular sisal wall scratcher, too.  Check this out.  It's really attractive, and has the same functionality as a three-level cat tree.  Three ledges and a scratching surface, at a fraction of the price, and very sturdy.  

socksy said:

Here is a very simple diy cat tree.  It's basically a shelf with some carpeting and holes cut in it.  It's way taller and sturdier than any cat tree I've seen, unless you want to spend hundreds of dollars (which you obviously don't, lol).  

If you look around the rest of the Jackson Galaxy "catification" site, you'll see that many people come up with very simple, inexpensive solutions which are often higher quality and much better looking than your typical carpeted cat tree.  For instance, I absolutely LOVE the idea of cat shelves.  What could be simpler than shelves?  Plus they get the cat really up high and are very sturdy.  I really like the idea of a rectangular sisal wall scratcher, too.  Check this out.  It's really attractive, and has the same functionality as a three-level cat tree.  Three ledges and a scratching surface, at a fraction of the price, and very sturdy.  

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I love the idea of cat shelves too. Unfortunately, they don't well in a mobile home as the walls are 1/4" thick plywood. Window perches are also a problem for us, but I found one on Amazon for about $10 that works for mobile home windows. Would not recommend them for "regular" house windows as they actually hook into the window track.

Lei-Ann

Yes, that's true.  I lived in a mobile home for a while and if we wanted shelves, we had to use stand-alone bookshelves.  The first link I gave was along those lines.  You could also attach a shelf using adhesives or suction cups.  This is a product that uses suction cups that stick to windows.  It's pretty inexpensive itself, but it would probably be pretty easy to replicate.  Looks like a hammock made of pvc pipes, plus some very large suction cups.  If it sticks to windows, it would probably stick to a wall, too.  

That sisal block on the wall is wonderful. It would be costly though, that sisal fabric is very expensive.

I made a tower for my cats using a plain plastic 4 tier shelving unit, it is anchored to the wall. I put a hammock in the third shelf. They all use it and are very happy with it.

......

I also made some steps up to a perch using bookshelves against the wall in my bedroom (three of them, including the one in the wall and the tallest one, I made myself)

Those are great!  

As for sisal fabric, I actually hadn't looked into it.  I know there are sisal (and jute and hemp) doormats that could also be attached to a board and hung.  My plan was to simply use a board and wrap sisal across it back and forth (glued on or something).  Maybe framed over top with more boards.  Might not work.  I'll try it and show my results.  

A rug, another rug... another rug.  

Or just frame a piece of carpet.