If you have a cat tree, do your cats use it?

[Freedom]

I have cat climbers in every room AND one in the cellar (where their boxes are). They love the ones set up by a window!! Watching the world go by, catching a sunbeam, the night time outdoor animals (mostly mice, moles, voles, and the local coyotes), the birds in the trees -- I put bird feeders in the back yard in winter, as much for my cats' viewing pleasure as for the birds, lol!

So location is important!

Rub catnip on the tree to encourage them.

Spritz white vinegar (50% white vinegar, 50% water) on the furniture to deter them. This is mild enough that YOU won't smell it at all.

Bichons are very cat like and also use any cat perch they can get up and into.


I have a few L - O - N - G cats, so a small tree is no good for them; they want to be able to stretch out to the max!

That one you posted is great because it is quite tall, and the high perches have rims to prevent a sleeping cat from falling off.

Go for it!

[Barbara]

We have a ceiling high cat tree and all cats loved it. They can race up and sleep in the upper hammock which was a favorite place of a) Tigris, b) Filou and c) Orion
It is all wrapped in sisal rope and the lower end- up to cat stretching height has needed rewiring of the rope 3 times in the 15 years we have it.

[krazyaboutkatz]

I have many cat trees and condos and all of my cats love them. I also have scratching posts and even though I have two that are triangular shaped they're still able to crouch down and use them. They love the sisal rope on them.

Putting them in front of a window is a great idea so then they can watch birds or whatever else might be outside. The one you're thinking of buying looks wonderful and I'm sure they'll love it. You can also buy some catnip spray and spray it on the new cat tree to help entice them there. Good luck.

[lvpets2002]

Same here at my house too..

I have many cat trees and condos and all of my cats love them. I also have scratching posts and even though I have two that are triangular shaped they're still able to crouch down and use them. They love the sisal rope on them.

Putting them in front of a window is a great idea so then they can watch birds or whatever else might be outside. The one you're thinking of buying looks wonderful and I'm sure they'll love it. You can also buy some catnip spray and spray it on the new cat tree to help entice them there. Good luck.

[Cataholic]

That is lovely!!! I know my cats would love it.

My cats use the one we have, that just sits at the window's height. I want a taller one, and that price seems wonderful.

[Laura's Babies]

I have 2 and both are use daily. Each one has their "spot" for certian times of the day.

Whatever you do, make sure it has Sissal rope on it. They LOVE Sisssel rope! Mine do not sctratch the furniture, they much more preferr the Sissel rope. You could also just cover a 2X4 or a board of any size with Sissel or do several of them for them to sctatch on. Cheap and easy to do!

[sirrahbed]

Absolutely!! Ours is out in the Florida room and there is almost always somebody on it. Gotta have a cat tree

[katladyd]

I have a 6' cat tree in my living room and the boys have darn near wore it out. When I get some more money, I'm getting them a new one. Do they use it? Constantly!

[mruffruff]

I have 5 cat trees, one homemade. They are in three different rooms. The cats spend most of their time in one or another. I haven't had much trouble with scratched furniture because they use the trees.

Every cat NEEDS a tree!

[GILL]

We have 3, 2 home made 1 I made has 5 cubbies in it, the other home made was given to us as was the commercial one. All three are always full.

[aTailOf2Kitties]

I don't have a cat tree but I did add a platform to the top of one of my 30-inch scratching posts and put a table between the 2 posts. That way they can look out the window. As far as scratching goes, some cats are very picky about carpet types. The 2 posts I got came from online but my boys didn't like the type of carpet that was on them (cut pile or shag). I knew they loved the loopy type carpet so I covered both posts in this material and they use the posts exclusively now- no scratching on furniture. I have a wavy scratcher board that has some sisal on it, but they seem to like the carpet or cardboard types better.

I'm sure that your cats will like laying and playing on the tree, but the scratch-ability is kinda up to them. If it was me I'd get a few cheap scratching posts with different materials on them before I spent a big wad of money on a tree...if scratching is the main issue for its purchase. But that's just me... and I'm cheap, LOL

[mrspunkysmom]

Ditto on all above. Most important?

Location. Location. Location.

Mine ignored their first tree until I placed it so they were the center of attention. The other smaller trees are by windows and in the center hall.

I routinely scent the trees with nip. And the sisal rope saves the furniture.

Also mine seem to like the half-pipe better than the flat surface. It's more like a box.

[pomtzu]

My son's fuddy-duddy cats barely look at theirs, and it's a nice high one and by a window where they can see outside too. Once in a while one or the other will climb up to the top lounging area for a snooze, but not all that often. We've even sprayed it with catnip. My son was thinking of donating it to a local cat rescue.

[Medusa]

The Fur Posse have several, two of which are in front of windows in the enclosed patio but they don't get used much. It's almost always Yodie and Coco Puff who sleep in them during the day. There are others in the basement and they sleep in them at night but, honestly, they prefer spots that appear to be uncomfortable for sleeping. Coco sleeps on top of a bunch of catnip mice that are in their little toy box. It's lumpy but he seems to prefer it. Yodie sleeps on the shelf underneath the patio room TV. It's very small because the TV is very small but that's ok w/her. Who can understand why they do the things they do?