The 10 Best Cat Trees (Review)

Although cats have long been domesticated by humans and are among the most popular pets, many of their needs match with their wild ancestors’ needs, including the need to sharpen their claws, climb, and hunt. ^[1] Therefore, in addition to the choice of food, bowls, trays, and litter for the pet’s toilet, pet owners face another difficult task: the organization of leisure and the pet’s activity — the cat tree.

It is better to choose a product made of natural materials — it will not cause an allergy and it is a better choice for the environment. If the house smells of glue or paint, then before inviting a cat to it, you need to air it out for a couple of days on the balcony or outside. Cat trees vary in height and complexity, with most pets preferring features offering height over comfort, particularly if tall enough to allow a clear survey of their territory. ^[2]

Quick Look at Our TOP-3 Picks

The most natural and easy way to get rid of scratching problem is to train a cat from a young age to sharpen theirs claws on a specially designated object. Pet stores offer a wide range of both the simplest scratch boxes and entire game complexes for your furry pets. Here is ours TOP-3 choices:

The Best Rated Trees for Your Cat (Reviews)

We reviewed many pet trees to identify the greatest one. We choose 10 of the top-rated products. They provide towers, sleeping areas, and scratching posts to stop kitty from clawing your furniture hopefully — or worse, your legs.

1. Go Pet Club Cat Tree

We have designated the Go Cat Club Cat Tree as a great choice with lots of places for your pet to lie and hide. This model will allow your furry friend to have fun and climb as much as he wants. It will allow your pet to relax, feel safe, and stay healthy.

This model is made of durable plywood and soft faux fur and comes complete with simple instructions, as well as all the necessary tools for assembly. Although this tree takes up quite a lot of space, it is the greatest option and will ensure your pet is happy and healthy.

Beyond our creative and varied designs, these models are made with quality boards that are safe for your pets. Our trees are covered in high-quality faux fur which provides a soft yet safe structure for your cats. Each tree comes with multiple lined posts with natural sisal rope, which satisfies your pet’s instincts to scratch.

Key benefits:

• Easy to assemble with step-by-step instructions and tools included.
• Made with quality materials. 
• Created for safe your pets.
• Satisfies your pets instincts to scratch.   

2. Armarkat Classic Cat Tree

Armarkat is a good choice for your pet. This complex has holes, racks, and a toy in the form of a ball for play and fun. This model is available in various sizes.

According to reviews, this is easy to assemble with the included hex key. Pet owners rated how well the manufacturing materials withstood scratches over time.

Key benefits:

• Board material: pressed wood.
• Covering material: faux fur.

3. Go Pet Club Condo Furniture

This model will interest your friend for a long time. It is made of high-strength pressed wood and covered with high-quality faux fur trim to keep your pets warm and cozy. The tree has rooms, stairs, hanging toys, a tunnel, a basket, and an upper shelf to keep your pet active and entertained. Several claw posts are covered with natural sisal ropes, which are perfect for your pets to scratch, climb, play, and be active. It’s easy to assemble with the included tools and instructions.

Key benefits:

• Can be spot-treated for convenient cleaning.
• Has wide, sturdy base.
• The product is available in a choice of colors.

4. Frisco 72-in Faux Fur Cat Tree & Condo

Thanks to this product, pet owners can be sure that this model will not be easily toppled. In fact, this can be attached to the wall for extra stability. The pads are covered in an ultra-soft material, and there are many sisal-covered posts (as well as a slope) for all their scratching desires.

Pet owners commented on how stable this product was, even with several cats on it, and appreciated that the roosts were supplemented to provide their pets with extra comfort.

Key benefits:

• Two roomy condos offer a luxurious napping experience.
• Sisal-covered slope adds so much more fun for playtime.
• Three plush perches with raised edges allow your family friend to rest on its head while watching over the house. 

5. Armarkat 68-in Faux Fleece Cat Tree & Condo

This product is ideal for both quiet and active pets drawn to high places, dark rooms, or stairs for scratching. It is designed by professional pet product designers committed. This model is created to put your pets’ needs and preferences front and foremost while using environmentally friendly materials that are harmless to pet and pet owners.

Sharpen your claws, lie down, play, and hide — every pet will have their favorite activity on this model. Ideal for playing, scratching, climbing, sleeping, and exercising that cats go crazy for!

Key benefits:

• It has five high platforms that can accommodate several cats.
• The color is ivory and has ten places to sharpen claws. The material used to cover the structure is sisal rope and artificial fleece.
• It’s perfect for playing, scratching, climbing, sleeping, and exercise.

6. Go Pet Club 48-in Classic Sisal Posts Cat Tree Condo

Go Pet Cat Tree gives your pet a place to be alone. This tree has a scratching post, hanging toy, and stairs for games. It also has five places for sharpening claws, covered with natural sisal rope to fulfill natural instincts by scratching and climbing them. Your pet can relax on several levels of this product or be alone by hiding in a covered area. Easy to assemble and available in different colors, the model will match any decor. This tree from Go Pet Club is the perfect addition to any home with one or more pets.

Key benefits:

• Has several levels to accommodate your pet.
• The posts are covered with natural sisal rope to withstand scratching.
• It promotes physical exercise and works out the natural instincts to scratch and climb.

7. Frisco 28-in Modern Cat Tree & Condo

If your pet is looking for somewhere to hide or have fun, then this 28-inch, two-story modern model is right for you. No matter how your pet prefers to spend time — in a room or in an open area — there are so many places where he can relax, take a nap, and play.

If your pet likes to watch what is happening from one convenient place, very large window cutouts offer a good view of your apartment. There is a removable pillow with luxurious faux fur, and your pet will be able to curl up comfortably and take a nap. Created in a modern style from stylish white or gray wood, you will love this.

Key benefits:

• The modern design features sleek construction. 
• Includes a washable, removable cushion with soft, eyelash faux fur fabric.
• This model features extra-large cutout windows. 

8. Go Pet Club Climber with Ladder and Swing 

For more than 15 years, Go Pet Club has had a reputation for producing durable and reliable trees for daily use. The attractive scratching post is able to satisfy the natural needs of every pet. Protect your furniture from damage.

The manufacturer supplies all materials responsibly to ensure that they use the highest quality natural sisal and durable MDF boards that meet the requirements of CARB Phase.

Key benefits:

• Are available in a choice of colors.
• Climber is suitable for homes with multiple pets.
• It includes a hanging toy for playing.

9. Kitty Mansions Denver Cat Tree, 73″ H

Denver is the perfect tree for multiple pets. This product is good because it has enough space for them to rest. Including five platforms, three upper platforms, two houses, and a hanging hammock, this product has everything a pet and its owner would want.

This scratching post is collapsible, stable, made of high-quality material. Safe for your pets.

Key benefits:

• Lots of scratching surfaces to prevent pets from destroying furniture.
• Several platforms guarantee that even the most fastidious pets will be happy.
• The hanging hammock.
• It’s great for multiple pets.

10. The Refined Feline Lotus Tower Cat Tree in Espresso 

This is a beautifully designed, well-built cat tree from The Refined Feline. The model is made of thick plywood and covered with a high-quality varnish. It has an interesting non-standard shape, with three platforms and a surface for turning claws.

For cats who like to retire to rest, there is a cozy house. The house has a soft fabric surface on which your pet can sleep.

Key benefits:

• Stylish wood for cats gives a modern look to any interior.
• Includes three carpet platforms, a fabric-covered cushion platform, and a surface for turning claws.
• Has a sleek, organic design, offering a modern take on pet furniture.

Buying Guide

Do my cat need a Cat Tree or Condo?

Cat love to scratch. Wallpapers and furniture will be the first victims of your kitty’s sharp claws. The greatest way to cope with this mission is a game complex. In contrast to a simple scratching post, this construction has a slightly larger area and therefore is more stable, so it is often favored even by those cats who do not recognize ordinary scratching posts. In addition, even basic cat trees, as a rule, do a much better job of attracting the attention of your furry friend since they include not only a scratching post but also a sunbed or a house and often a toy.

The best representatives of the middle and premium classes are often equipped with a number of levels, several hammocks, and other friendly components for climbing and games that can keep your lovely feline busy for a long time and help domestic animals get everything they are most often deprived of. After all, this is the only way to make a pet really happy while protecting the pet’s furniture at the same time.

A cat that spends most of its life in an apartment needs such sports equipment for training. The game complex will distract from dangerous adventures that can end in property damage and health problems for the pet. Scratching provides a great full-body workout and stretches for cats. ^[4]

READ MORE: Adopting an Older Cat

Cat trees usually consist of several elements: a house/sunbed, vertical poles on which the cat can climb to the observation platform from above, and suspended toys for attracting attention. The more of these elements, the more interesting the complex will be for the pet. Separately, you can buy a tunnel in which some animals can spend several hours.

The cat condo construction must be stable, especially if it has high elements such as pillars or boxes on a high leg. If a pet jumps on a pole that is not attached to a heavy base or wall, it can fall and cause injury to the animal or break something in the house.

House/sunbeds are often made of textiles that are easy to wash and have a filler for softness. The upholstery is generally made of suede, faux leather, wool, fur, and nylon.

What Features to Look for?

When you provide a cat scratching post for your pet, they won’t always wander, looking for a rough place to scratch on. A game complex for a cat is expensive, so it is important to choose the right one so that the purchase does not disappoint you in the future. We have a few tips for choosing a gaming complex:

• Before buying, carefully measure the place where the game complex will stand and compare it with the size of the game complex base. Evaluate the game complex’s protruding parts to ensure that they will not interfere with anything and freely enter the space for placement.
• Do not pick gaming complexes with an artificial fur coating — it quickly wears out and accumulates static electricity, which can scare off the pet.
• Choose game complexes with a house or houses at the top. Firstly, pets like to sit at the top, and secondly, the house located at the bottom may well become a pet’s toilet.
• Choose complexes with wide pipes (with a diameter of 5 — 8 inches (20.32 cm)) connecting the game complex elements. This will make the complex more reliable and familiar to the cat (because the diameter is similar to a tree).
• Choose a durable fabric. The most common type of post consists of a wooden post, roughly 24 — 36 inches (0.91 m) tall, covered in rough fabric or sisal. Make sure the fabric is tightly wound and rough to the touch. Sisal fabric is a popular choice among owners, as its rough and durable texture pleases most indoor and outdoor pets. It is also very durable and less likely to look worn as quickly as other materials. ^[3]
• The complex must stand securely on the floor and not be high and narrow; otherwise, the cat can shake it and bring it down when jumping from a height. In the best case, this will end with the pet’s fear of the game complex and refusal to play on it. At its worst, it can cause injury to a pet or family member or property damage. If the complex still wobbles, do not take the risk. Additionally, attach it to the wall.
• If you foresee moving, two cat trees or a modular style may be a better option than a behemoth floor-to-ceiling tree. 
• Pay attention to the mounts’ metal elements — they must be hidden and inaccessible to the pet; otherwise, there is a possibility of damage to the claws.
• It is very good if the complex is treated with herbs or compounds that attract cats.

READ MORE: How To Keep a Kitten Entertained?

FAQ

Article Sources:

1. “Cat | Breeds & Facts.” Encyclopedia Britannica, britannica.com/animal/cat.
2. Cat Tree — Wikipedia. 10 Jan. 2021, en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cat_tree.
3. Scratching Post — Wikipedia. 22 Feb. 2020, en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scratching_post.
4. “STOMP out Problem Cat Scratching.” Cat Health, cathealth.com/scratching/scratching-alternatives/2355-stomp-out-problem-cat-scratching.