10 Best Cat Trees: Your Buyer’s Guide

1. 1. BestPet 73 Inch Cat Play House Condo

   Price: $39.89

   Amazon Customer Reviews

   Shop at Amazon
   Pros:

   • Good value
   • Very tall for optimal perching
   • Room for multiple cats

   Cons:

   • Not the most robust of units
   • Especially destructive cats may require more durable upholstery
   • Some reviews complain of broken parts

   If you want to maximize height and don’t have a lot to spend, start here. For less than $60, you get 73 vertical inches for your cats to claim as their own. That includes two houses, two ramps, and a variety of ledges on which to survey their kingdom. This isn’t the best-looking nor the most durable unit on the market, but this is a great starter unit to see if your cat goes for the whole condo idea. Once they’ve had their fun with this one, you can move onto more expensive options on our list.

   Find more BestPet 73 Inch Cat Play House Condo information and reviews here.

2. 2. The Refined Feline Lotus Cat Tower

   Price: $681.87

   Amazon Customer Reviews

   Shop at Amazon
   Pros:

   • High-end look
   • Sisal scratch pad and berber carpet on platforms
   • All wearing parts are replaceable
   • Six feet high

   Cons:

   • Expensive
   • Shaky if not properly assembled
   • Holes are drilled slightly too large on some units

   The Vesper above isn’t the only modern cat condo designed to look like high-end furniture. This cat tower stands six feet tall and offers an elegant, understated place for your cat to lounge. Each of the three platforms are covered in berber carpet, which is augmented by a sisal scratch pad and a faux suede pillow. The large platform at the top is big enough for two cats to recline in, while a hideaway at the bottom offers another place to relax. Both finishes are dark wood tones. The company also makes a scratching post to match.

   Find more The Refined Feline Lotus Cat Tower information and reviews here.

3. 3. Go Pet Club Cat Tree

   Price: $58.31

   Amazon Customer Reviews

   Shop at Amazon
   Pros:

   • Excellent price (as of this writing)
   • Easy to assemble
   • Five scratching posts

   Cons:

   • Could be wobbly if improperly assembled
   • Not ideal for multiple cats
   • On the small side

   For a more conventional option, try this Go Pet Club tree. It’s 52 inches high with a 19 inch square base, so it uses less of your floor space without sacrificing much in the way of play area. This is a good option for a medium-sized cat, though if you have two, they’ll have to share the single house. The platforms are made of compressed wood, so it’ll be light enough to move around. The coverings are fake fur and sisal again.

   Find more Go Pet Club Cat Tree information and reviews here.

4. 4. America Phoenix Cat Condo

   Price: $29.99

   Amazon Customer Reviews

   Shop at Amazon
   Pros:

   • Good starter tree
   • Compact
   • Low Price

   Cons:

   • Small play area
   • House on the floor level
   • Sheds

   If those are too involved for you, try this very simple model. It won’t take up much floor space, but will still provide ample scratching area and a perch that’s off the ground and off your furniture. Ideal for training kittens not to claw the furniture. You can always upgrade to something larger later on if your cats love this one.

   Find more America Phoenix Cat Condo information and reviews here.

5. 5. Vesper Cat Furniture V-Base

   Price: $144.99

   Amazon Customer Reviews

   Shop at Amazon
   Pros:

   • Much better looking than normal cat trees
   • Memory foam sleeping pads
   • Color options
   • Solid MDF construction

   Cons:

   • Less cat-focused
   • Pieces may come chipped
   • Expensive
   • Odd smell when first opened

   If giving your cat somewhere to hang out and scratch cramps your sense of design too much, consider Vesper products. Admittedly more for the cat parents than the cats, these high-design cat condos feature posts that are entirely covered in rope for scratching. The sleeping pads are memory foam in case your cat needs that extra touch of luxury. For a bit more, you can get the V-Tower.

   Find more Vesper Cat Furniture V-Base information and reviews here.

6. 6. Armarkat 77 Inch Classic Cat Tree

   Price: $212.62

   Amazon Customer Reviews

   Shop at Amazon
   Pros:

   • Large enough for multiple cats
   • Lots of scratching space
   • Platforms made of plywood

   Cons:

   • Expensive
   • May dominate your room
   • Perch stands freely which makes it wobbly

   Rather not in the spirit of Vesper at all, this towering cat fort will appease even the pickiest cats. As one of the reviews notes, it’s great for Bengals, so if you have a cat that loves to jump and absolutely must have the highest vantage, go with this. With two homes and three high perches, this tree is plenty big enough for multiple cats. It also features fleeced lining and plenty of scratching post space. It’ll also dominate your living room, so you must be a cat person to your core.

   Find more Armarkat 77 Inch Classic Cat Tree information and reviews here.

7. 7. Furhaven Tiger Tough Cat Tree Furniture

   Price: $67.99

   Amazon Customer Reviews

   Shop at Amazon
   Pros:

   • Wide range of colors and configurations
   • Options at all price points
   • Some designs feature two houses for multiple cats
   • Easy assembly

   Cons:

   • Platform surfaces are fairly small
   • Larger cats may break some components
   • Some units may be missing minor hardware

   If you liked the options of the Vesper, but were looking for a more traditional cat tree design, Furhaven’s Tiger Tough line almost certainly has something for you. Sizes range from medium to floor-to-ceiling, with various options for hanging toys, sleeping spots, and platforms. Some feature ladders or sisal-covered columns, while others have foraging boxes attached to the base. You could buy a couple of these and put them together for the ultimate cat playroom. Colors include blue, gray, brown, and cream, the availability of which is dependent on the model you choose.

   Find more Furhaven Tiger Tough Cat Tree Furniture information and reviews here.

8. 8. FrontPet Customizable Modular Cat Condo

   Price: $49.99

   Amazon Customer Reviews

   Shop at Amazon
   Pros:

   • Totally modular framework lets you design a custom cat tree
   • Sturdy construction
   • Comes with cat hammock and scratcher pad
   • Toys can be attached to the corner joints

   Cons:

   • Toys not included
   • Cubes themselves not ideal for heavy scratchers
   • Setup may take longer to get exactly as you want it
   • Limited color options

   Available in two colors — blue and purple — this cat tower takes a completely different approach. Rather than using the standard column and platform construction, this uses a series of cubes that you can arrange any way you like. That gives you limitless options, which means you can reconfigure it every few months to keep your cat interested. Included in this package are the 109 pieces required to build it, as well as a cat hammock and a scratching pad. This isn’t necessarily useful as a dedicated scratching post, but it’s great as a place to lounge and play.

   Find more FrontPet Customizable Modular Cat Condo information and reviews here.

9. 9. Kitty City Steel Claw Castle Cat Furniture

   Price: $42.98

   Amazon Customer Reviews

   Shop at Amazon
   Pros:

   • Modular assembly is easy to build and expand
   • Lots of toys and textures
   • Heavy duty ABS construction

   Cons:

   • Thin fabric may not stand up to scratching
   • Poles may come loose (reviewers note that they could be glued)
   • No color options

   Building on the construction philosophy of the last pick, we first featured Kitty City in our interactive cat toys post because of the modular, expandable nature. Since all the fittings and pole pieces are the same, you can set this up however you like, which again lets you change it from time to time.

   Options for addition include an additional sleeper unit, starter kit, and fortress tower. There are sisal-covered columns and scratch mats, which is handy, because the fabric for the towers isn’t really made for scratching. That being said, this has all the bells and whistles the average cat tower does in a modular design.

   Find more Kitty City Steel Claw Castle Cat Furniture information and reviews here.

10. 10. Trixie Pet Products Miguel Fold and Store Cat Tower

    Price: $38.99

    Amazon Customer Reviews

    Shop at Amazon
    Pros:

    • Folds up for easy storage when not in use
    • Perfect for small spaces
    • Includes all the basic needs for a cat tower
    • Removable cushion can be machine washed

    Cons:

    • Not great for very large or multiple cats
    • Not a true cat tree in that it’s very short
    • Hammock prone to stretching
    • Cat hair clings to surfaces

    Most of these options are far too large for small spaces. If all you want is to give your cat some place safe to scratch and sleep, this ingenious solution should fit the bill. While it is fairly low to the ground, this tiny unit still offers hanging toys, a sisal scratch surface, a hammock, and a hideaway. When you don’t need it, it can be folded and stored in a closet easily. If you don’t require the folding part, you might consider the Trixie’s cylindrical tower.

    Find more Trixie Pet Products Miguel Fold and Store Cat Tower information and reviews here.

See Also:

• Best Interactive Cat Toys
• Best Cat Water Fountains
• Best Self Cleaning Litter Boxes
• Best Cat Litter