# Cat trees



## molldee (May 19, 2013)

Hi everybody! I am going to buy a cat tree soon and was wondering what experiences people have with them. I have three cats: two Maine **** mixes and a DSH. Buddha is 17 lbs, Izzie is 11 lbs, and Bowie is 10 lbs. I need a tree that is stable enough for all three of them. Buddha loves resting in beds, Izzie loves to be up high and perch, and Bowie likes to stay on the ground for the most part. They are very active cats, but they love to lounge too.

Which one do you think is the best for my situation?

















What cat trees do you recommend?


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## BigLittleSmall (Dec 9, 2013)

I have the middle tree you posted (there is a seller on amazon that sells it for less BTW) .. it's a nice tree, but the top tiers get wobbly after a while if you have heavy cats "using" the tree.

I've had that tree for about 6 months and they are already wobbly and I'm going to have to find a way to tighten it up. My cats weigh between 12-15 lbs .. I feel like if they were lighter .. it wouldn't have had a problem, but they are heavy and rough.


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## rural-cat (Dec 6, 2013)

we have 6 armarkat cat trees. imo, they're the best and reasonably priced. i also love that we can buy replacement parts as needed, though i've never needed to in the 5 or more years we've had some of ours.

i think those all look like very nice models. my concern with the first one is that the base may not be wide enough that the tree might teeter when cats are climbing it and especially if they're a bit rough or playing on it.

our two favorite cat trees are these --

[ame]http://www.amazon.com/Armarkat-B5701-57-Inch-Tree-Ivory/dp/B003BYQ100/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1388515445&sr=8-2&keywords=armarkat+cat+tree[/ame]

and

Amazon.com: 74" Classic Cat Tree in Beige: Pet Supplies

note: i'm not recommending those particular sellers, just those cat tree models. but those models are just what my cats have enjoyed the most -- we have three of each model.

edited to add: i'm sure your cats will be very happy with whichever cat tree(s) you choose for them.


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## rural-cat (Dec 6, 2013)

_"the top tiers get wobbly after a while if you have heavy cats "using" the tree."_

did you save the "L" (hex) wrench thing when you put it together? only one of the platforms on one of our cat trees seems to need the bolt tightened occasionally. i use that "L" wrench and that takes care of it for us.


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## BigLittleSmall (Dec 9, 2013)

I have a set of hex wrenches and we've tried everything. It has stripped, so the screw just wobbles around in the fitting.


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## Lotu (Apr 26, 2013)

We have one similar to the 2nd one. There was a great sale that Jingli Billis posted about and several people on this forum purchased. I had not planned to get a cat tree because we live in a decent size house with stairs and I thought they were kind of pricey. Then when this great sale came along I decided that I'd just go ahead and buy it and they LOVE it. They are under a year old and probably between 8-10 pounds each. It will get wobbly when they race up the tree. I've never tried to tighten the screws since I first assembled it though. I have been happy with the purchase.









The kittens were a lot smaller then...maybe 4 and 5 pounds?


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## rural-cat (Dec 6, 2013)

_"I have a set of hex wrenches and we've tried everything. It has stripped, so the screw just wobbles around in the fitting."_

i see. i think it's time to replace the bolt. armarkat sells replacement parts. maybe something suitable could be found at a hardware store, though i'm not sure.

though, maybe it's the threading in the post part that's stripped. in that case you'd need to buy a replacement post (i'm assuming the bolt screws into a post).


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## BigLittleSmall (Dec 9, 2013)

rural-cat said:


> though, maybe it's the threading in the post part that's stripped. in that case you'd need to buy a replacement post (i'm assuming the bolt screws into a post).


Yep, that is the problem. The plastic insert in the post is stripped out. I just hate that it's only 6 months old (might be more like 5 actually) and it's already needing replacement parts .. because it's not just 1 of the posts, it's all of the top ones.

I'm actually going to see if there is something my dad can do to just fix it .. so I don't have to order anything lol. 

I jus tlooke dup the prices (I would need 6 posts total since they screw from both sides and both ends are messed up) and it would be $111 shipped .. buying a new tree would be the best option, since I only paid $80 for the whole tree. 

I could just do it like the last one that broke .. take the tops off and just use it at 50" high and buy another new tree, I'm sure the cats won't mind lol.


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## rural-cat (Dec 6, 2013)

_"I'm actually going to see if there is something my dad can do to just fix it .. so I don't have to order anything lol. "
_
i would bet that there's something available at a hardware store that would work as a replacement for those plastic inserts in the posts. maybe you could find steel instead of plastic ones too!

maybe something like a special glue (kinda like loctite or similar) that could permanently attach the bolt to the plastic insert in the posts...but without compromising the plastic -- some glues aren't meant to use on plastic, so could damage the plastic.


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## BigLittleSmall (Dec 9, 2013)

I was just looking for some corner scratching posts (I just found where *someone* has been using the backside of the sofa as their personal hot spot lol) and I came across this monster .. I SO WANT IT! This would be So freaking cool in our cat room! WOW

Amazon.com: Go Pet Club Cat Tree Condo Furniture, 108-Inch, Beige: Pet Supplies


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## 10cats2dogs (Jun 16, 2013)

BigLittleSmall said:


> I was just looking for some corner scratching posts (I just found where *someone* has been using the backside of the sofa as their personal hot spot lol) and I came across this monster .. I SO WANT IT! This would be So freaking cool in our cat room! WOW
> 
> Amazon.com: Go Pet Club Cat Tree Condo Furniture, 108-Inch, Beige: Pet Supplies


OMG! that's ONE Serious Jungle Jim for cats!!


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