# quality of already made vs. to be assembled CAT TREES?



## 21Rouge (Jul 20, 2013)

It isnt unusual to see a 5 foot and higher _tree_ priced at more than $400. 

And yet there are also many on-line offerings that are significantly less expensive. What these lesser priced models seem to have in common are the fact that they arrive at your door _un_assembled. And maybe the quality of materials is lesser?

Anyways I see this one on kijiji:

Cat House 71.3" New - Markham / York Region Pet Accessories - Kijiji Markham / York Region Canada.

For those of you that have purchased a large indoor _tree_ unassembled what has been your experience with the final quality? Maybe one gets what one pays for?

And of course I would love to see a picture of your cat condo that has been loved by your cats.


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## AutumnRose74 (Oct 10, 2013)

Yeah, I need to buy some sort of cat tree. Shelly is turning out to be a climber, although it's taken her some time to really exhibit that tendency. When she found her way into my clothes dryer last night, the door of which is at my face level (I'm 5'9 tall), that was the true indication. 

If she was a male, I'd be re-naming her Tarzan.


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## BrittyBear (Feb 4, 2014)

We bought a cat tree that had to be assembled. Its a simple one, and only 3-4 ft tall. But my cats love it. They fight over the top area actually so i want to buy em another xD but i havent had any problems with it, and was relatively easy to assemble i suppose though i had a little trouble but that may have been because i was doing it alone and Mystery kept sitting on the pieces i needed xD my cats can be pretty destructive, yet it doesnt have any rips or holes in it as of yet. I simply couldnt afford one of the $400 ones lolz ours was around $100 and im quite happy with it

Sent from Petguide.com Free App


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## MowMow (Nov 6, 2010)

I would *LOVE* one made from a real tree. SOmething like this: Twisted Juniper Cat Tree – Part 1 – Base | Lax Cat Creations

I think this thing is so beautiful, I'd LOVE to have this in my house!
A co worker is an amateur carpenter, I might run this by him and see how much he'd charge for this kind of work....


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## Heather72754 (Nov 1, 2013)

Yeah, that's definitely as much art as it is cat tree - very nice.


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## CatMonkeys (Sep 27, 2012)

If you're talking about solid wood (or a real tree like the one MowMow posted), of course there is going to be a cost difference between that and the pressed wood most trees on Amazon are made of. Some of the build-it-yourself trees are pretty good (I have one myself), but they likely won't last the same as one made of better materials. And I imagine if cat tree companies used better materials, you'd be paying way more than $150 and you would need proper tools to build it (not just an Allen wrench).


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## Carmel (Nov 23, 2010)

They are far superior ... very sturdy and use real carpeting. That other stuff (can't think of its name) is very soft and easy for the cats to slip on.

I got a 500 dollar 8 foot high cat tree on Craigslist for 50 dollars... probably the best 50 dollars I ever spent. It weighs a TON so even though its completely vertical, it has a wide base and there's nothing flimsy about it... I can sit and stand on it without worry. Jasper climbs it like a tree and flys onto it... he loves finding his mouse when we hide it around the tree.


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## howsefrau32 (Mar 6, 2013)

I would love to have one of those real wood ones too, but I spend all of money on cat food, litter and vets......so, I have an Armarkat tree. I have a $150 model that I got on sale, for $80 through Amazon, shipping included. I have had it over a year and it has held up surprisingly well. My cat Stephano zips up and down that thing 100 times a day, and it takes a beating. Is it the bests made cat tree...no. But I have had FAR worse. Someone gave me a "go pet club" small tree once, and at least the one I had was the flimsiest piece of junk I've ever seen. If you read the reviews on Amazon or Wayfair, you can find one that is decent, like mine, or you can get a really good one for more. If I could afford it, I would buy a better one. I do have a pre-assembled one from Petsmart, it is definitely more sturdy than my Armarkat, but it was $140. I've had it for years though, and it's very strong. 

My cats love them though. There is one by several windows and there is always a cat perched atop one sunning themselves or looking at birds. And it gives a house cat some much needed exercise, running up and down them. I managed to get an Armarkat on Wayfair for $30 once, a few people on here got the same deal. It was a big tree, but I have not seen a deal like there since. My daughter's Armarkat tree takes more of a beating than mine does, her cat is a moose, almost 20 pounds, and he flies up and down that thing all day, and it has held up very well.


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## Marcia (Dec 26, 2010)

It's all about costs and convenience. The manufacturers make them in sections so they can be mass produced and shipped to stores and customer's homes more economically.

A completed cat tree would be hundreds more in shipping costs and take a truck - not UPS truck, to ship it. The cost would be prohibitive to the average shopper. A full cat tree made in a single piece would almost always have to be made locally by someone that is willing to deliver or provide for pick up locally. It's all about cost.


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## calypsocoin (Jan 20, 2014)

Have you considered buying a used one? I got one for Mac off Craiglist for $45. I don't think it's high dollar or anything, but it's got three shelves and is about five feet tall so I definitely saved money. Once I got it, I wiped it down with Nature's Miracle to get rid of the other cat's smell (and, unfortunately, cigarette smoke). Mac loves it and uses it all the time especially now that I've put it by the window.


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## Blumpy710 (Feb 24, 2014)

I built my own, my cats love it but its starting to come apart. I need a big one that looks nice and is affordable. Can't seem to find one.


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