How to Decide What Cat Tree is Right for Your Cat
Indoor cats can live happy fulfilled lives with the right enrichment (and a loving guardian). One of the best ways to enrich your cat’s life is through furniture, like cat trees and scratching posts.
These pieces appeal to your cat’s natural instincts, promote an active lifestyle and help them feel safer in their environments.
Read on to learn how a cat tree can benefit your cat’s life and how to decide which cat tree is right for your home.
The Benefits of Cat Trees for Your Cat
Cat trees are more than just fun, decorative cat furniture for your home. They provide a lot of physical and mental benefits for your cat and help them live happier healthier lives.
Here are a few reasons your cat will love a cat tree.
Exercise and Energy Outlet
Cats need daily exercise and enrichment to stay healthy, just like we do. Without a proper outlet for their pent-up energy, your cat can become bored, lethargic and even destructive.
Physical activity also helps prevent obesity, which can lead to other health problems as your cat ages.
Comfort and Security
For cats that are stressed, shy, or just prefer to observe the world from afar, cat trees are the ultimate comfort. They allow your cat to climb, relax, and take in the world at their own pace from a safe distance.
If your cat prefers the safety of a covered cat condo, many cat trees also offer options with cubbies to keep your cat feeling safe and confident at all times.
Safety and Stress Management for Multi-Pet Households
If you have a dog or more than one cat in your house, stressful situations can happen quickly, especially if your cat doesn’t have an outlet to escape. Even if your pets get along well, it’s likely that they won’t want to be around each other 24/7.
A cat tree provides vertical space for your pets to separate from each other, but still coexist in the same room. This keeps all pets safe and relaxed.
Mental Enrichment
Not only does your cat get the physical benefits of climbing and jumping on the cat tree, but they provide mental health benefits as well.
Your cat can perch on their cat tree while they watch the birds out the window. This engages their natural hunting instincts and can keep them entertained for hours.
Not only that, but cat trees also double as scratching posts, and many have enrichment toys attached for even more ways to play and engage.
Space-Saving Designs
Humans tend to think in terms of “horizontal” space, so a 1-bedroom apartment can seem crowded and too small for a cat to feel happy in.
Cats, however, think “vertically.” Cat trees provide more vertical space for a cat to roam around on, making even a tiny apartment feel like a fun jungle to explore.
Six Factors to Consider When You Buy a Cat Tree
Not all cat trees are made equally, and there are a variety of sizes and styles to choose from. The type that you get will depend on what’s best for your cat, your home, and your budget.
Here are six factors to consider when choosing your cat tree.
Your Cat’s Age
Your cat’s age and physical abilities will play a large factor in which cat tree style you choose.
Younger, more active cats may prefer a taller cat tree with room to climb and jump, while an older cat may have trouble climbing multiple platforms. Consider a shorter cat tree with only one or two platforms if you have an older cat.
2. Your Cat’s Size
The bigger your cat is, the more space they’ll need to climb, sleep, or stretch out on their cat tree.
If you have a larger breed, like a Maine Coon, a bigger cat tree with wider cubby holes will be a better option for them to feel as comfortable as possible. Likewise, a petite cat may be happiest in a smaller, cozier cat tree.
3. Your Cat’s Personality
Some cats love to climb and prefer to watch the world from up high, while others prefer to lounge in cubby holes closer to the ground.
If your cat prefers to observe from the ground, shorter cat trees or ones with more cubbies to hide in would be the best option. If you have an adventurous cat with a passion for climbing, a tall, complex cat tree will be more exciting.
4. Your Space Availability
Your home’s space is always a factor in what type of cat tree you can purchase. If you have plenty of vertical space available, but your floor space is mostly maxed, a cat tree with a smaller base but tall platforms is a great option.
You may even consider cat shelves that can attach to the wall, taking up no floor space at all.
5. How Many Cats You Have
If you have a multi-cat household, a bigger cat tree with plenty of space for all of the cats to play is a must.
One of the great things about cat trees is that the varying platform heights let each kitty have their own little section of vertical space. Some cat trees provide both cubby holes and platforms, catering to different personality types in one furniture piece.
6. Your Cat’s Safety
Because your cat will be climbing and jumping all around their new cat tree, a stable, secure cat tree is a must for your cat’s safety. Always opt for a high-quality cat tree with a heavy-bottom foundation that you can trust.
At Purrniture Cat Furniture, we take your cat’s safety seriously, and you can always feel confident in the quality of our products.
Cat Furniture for Every Cat Personality
No matter the age, size, or personality of your cat, we provide fun, handcrafted cat furniture with your cat’s comfort in mind. We know what designs and materials cats love, and we’ve designed every piece of our furniture to give your cat the best experience possible.
Shop our selection of cat trees and other furniture and toys today!
