# Finally got my door-hanging cat condo



## tezster (Jun 4, 2013)

The K&H hanging cat condo I ordered finally arrived a couple of days ago... I put it together while both my cats looked on with interest (I was too excited to take too many pictures :crazy). The condo itself fit in a suprisingly small package - similar to what you would use for bed sheets. Putting it together was just a matter of sliding in a couple cardboard sheets to reinforce the side walls of the topmost condo cube, sliding the top and bottom door brackets in place, hanging the cat condo, then adjusting and securing it in place. 

_(don't mind the sofa, it's getting replaced shortly)_









The hardest part of the entire process is trying to keep curious pets from examining the new contraption before you've had a chance to properly secure it. Of course, nothing goes to waste... Newton has already laid claim to both the shipping box and packaging.










So here it is up on the door (which is the entrance to my quasi-cat-dedicated room)










Despite all the initial curiosity, neither of my cats were immediately drawn to it once it was put up  they just give it a few sniffs as they pass it by. I'm thinking it may take some time (and coaxing/bribing) for them to realize this is a new 'play' area.

Predictably, I've made some progress with Newton. He is, after all, the adventurous one. He has jumped onto the first level on his own, but hasn't quite figured out that he can climb up the levels. After a little bit of work, and strategic treat placement, I eventually got him to climb all the way up to the top cube, yay! He even launched himself right up to the 2nd level once.

Newt is another matter entirely... it took her two months before she started using the cat shelves, so she's slow to try out new things. Just a moment ago, as I was typing this, she did climb into the first level, which is a great sign for her. I can actually see her using this more than Newton, because even though both cats can fit in it, I think this condo is better suited for smaller cats, due to the size of the openings. Newt is under 10 pounds. I'm not sure how much Newton weighs, but he's almost 40-50% bigger than his mom. I bought the smaller version (16" wide) - if you have bigger cats, I would suggest looking at the larger version (which is about 23" wide I think).

As for the condo itself, it's surprisingly sturdy. I didn't think it would be, but structurally, I don't see a problem with it holding 2-3 cats at a time (just make sure the door is secure and the straps are tight).

Although the condo doesn't technically take up any floor space, it is pretty big, so make sure to keep this in mind. If you're putting it up on the outside of a door along a narrow hallway, people will need to squeeze by, because it's jutting out 16". Same thing when you swing a door open and you're entering a room with one of these installed. I know this thing is meant for small spaces, but I think it actually works even better in a larger home, because then, its bulk won't look so imposing.

The great thing, of course, is that you can just take it down and put it up whenever you need to. So if you have guests coming and need to reclaim some space, it's easy to do so.

I still haven't decided if I'll leave it up permanently. If both my cats take to it and start using it regularly, then absolutely. I'll leave it up for a couple of weeks at least and see how things turn out.


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## MowMow (Nov 6, 2010)

Thanks for this. will be interested to see if it holds up and if so, I'm IN!


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## spirite (Jul 31, 2012)

You've already made more progress than I've made with some of the cat furniture I've tried! So there are openings inside that they can crawl into to get up to the top?


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## gizmothecat (Jun 26, 2013)

HA! i had considered this myself....glad to see its being used!!!! 

i have those wood blinds.....love them!!!


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## Marcia (Dec 26, 2010)

the best cat furniture I own is me and my lap - currently occupied by Phoebe.


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## jking (Feb 22, 2014)

Tezter, your cats are beautiful! I love black cats! I've been thinking of adding some cat furniture here too.


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## tezster (Jun 4, 2013)

spirite said:


> You've already made more progress than I've made with some of the cat furniture I've tried! So there are openings inside that they can crawl into to get up to the top?


Yes, there are smaller openings on one corner of each section for the cats to get up and down, but they're a bit on the small side. Newton kind of has to squeeze through between floors. More often than not, he will simply jump out directly from whichever section he's on to the floor, instead of working his way down inside. 

My cats still use it sparingly - Newton definitely much more than his mom. Oftentimes, he simply likes to lounge on the very bottom section for some peace and quiet, so the upper floors don't get much use. Maybe I should just sprinkle catnip inside, ha!

For anyone wondering about the quality of the product itself, it's quite well made. Both cats have tried scratching the outside and inside, and so far, I haven't seen any visible marks on the fabric.

I still haven't decided whether I'll keep the condo up permanently, primarily due to space and aesthetic reasons. While it doesn't occupy any floor space, it's bulky and kind of in the way.


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## tezster (Jun 4, 2013)

gizmothecat said:


> i have those wood blinds.....love them!!!


Thanks! I put them in the first day I moved in - they've survived the adventures of 3 kittens, so I love they're durability as well


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## shonzi (Jun 11, 2014)

I love your cats! I have 2 black ones too - Sylvie & MiLu.....


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## 21Rouge (Jul 20, 2013)

*UPDATE:*

I just ordered via Amazon the same apparatus but the larger one.

Now that you have had it a month how would you rate it for play value?


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## tezster (Jun 4, 2013)

I ended up taking mine down after a couple of weeks. I would still rate the function and durability of the condo to be good, but it just didn't quite work in my space. My cats have enough other "stuff" to play and interact with, that the condo didn't get frequent use.


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