furry v. carpeted trees

Are furry cat tree/gym/condos good for cats? I'm just wondering because I was looking for a cat tree but the one I want isn't available anymore. I'm disappointed in other styles compared to the one I wanted, but some of the furry ones (i.e. not carpeted, but covered with a plush faux fur material) are really big and have a lot of room to play, hide and climb.

But are the furry ones climbable? It seems like their claws wouldn't be able to get a good hold on it like they could on carpet. I'm still considering getting one or two because Cupid likes the feel of soft material like that, but I'm just worried if he can actually climb it or not. Is it safe?

If he wasn't able to get a grip it could potentially hurt him if he tried to hold on to it when falling. That's what I'm worried about.

They're also a lot cheaper, which I'm sure reflects the cheaper material, but is it also indicative of the craftsmanship in general?

What do you all think about them? Have one?

Do they make any with both materials?

I don't know. I haven't seen any like that.

I would go with carpet because it would be both a cat tree and a scratching post.

As far as that goes you could get the carpet, and then get you a few yards of material and just cover a few of the shelves over the carpet. You might could even make it where it's removable so it can be laundered if necessary, although I guess you wouldn't have much of a hair problem would you ?

Thanks for the replies. I found the one I originally wanted somewhere else, so I don't have to worry about it now. I'm going to put something furry, like a blanket, in the main cubby hole.

On the same route as RoseHawke's idea, you could get the cheaper one and go to lowes or someplace like it and get a bunch of sisal rope and wrap it around the "trunks" of the tree. Use a heavy duty staple gun to hold rope in place. I KNOW that cats can climb it no problem.

Moving this to Care & Grooming since it's about cat equipment.