What to look for in a cat tree: a guide to getting it right
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When it comes to what to look for in a cat tree, three things come first: your cat's build, the height, and where you're going to put it. Everything else — the number of platforms, the colour, the little dangling toys — makes no real difference. And the criterion nobody talks about enough is the one behind half of all disappointments: a perfect cat tree in the wrong spot is no use at all.
Start with your cat, not the catalogue
Three questions rule out the vast majority of models before you even look at a price.
How big is your cat?
A 3 kg cat and an 8 kg Maine Coon don't have the same needs. What matters is less the weight than the space they take up: the platforms need to be wide enough for them to lie fully stretched out, legs extended, with nothing hanging over the edge. A cat who has to curl up on a narrow shelf won't settle there a second time.
For a large cat, also check the diameter of the posts and the width of the base: that's where cheap models give way. If you have a Maine Coon or a Norwegian Forest Cat, treat stability as the first criterion, ahead of looks — we go through the measurements to check in our guide to cat trees for Maine Coons and large cats.
How old are they?
A kitten and an elderly cat have the same problem, for opposite reasons: they don't jump well. The kitten doesn't have the strength yet; the older cat no longer does. Either way, look for a gradual climb — a ladder, staggered levels, platforms set close together — rather than a stack of shelves 50 cm apart.
For a cat with arthritis or carrying extra weight, a low tree they can use from top to bottom is better than a tall model where they'll only ever use the bottom level. The criteria for each age are covered in cat trees for kittens and cat trees for senior cats.
How many cats live with you?
From two upwards, height becomes a peacekeeping tool. Feline hierarchy is settled largely through levels: being able to perch higher than the other cat heads off a lot of tension. A tree with several beds, at different heights and with different degrees of enclosure — a closed den, a hammock, an open platform — lets each cat choose without crossing paths. One caveat, though: with several cats, two high spots spread around the room often work better than one big tree.
Height: the criterion that decides everything
Indoors, a cat loses access to branches, low walls and rooftops. That lack of a high vantage point is a common cause of stress and of conflict between cats. A cat tree isn't a toy: it's what gives them back that vertical dimension.
The commonly accepted guidelines:
- Under 70 cm — for a kitten, an elderly cat or one with limited mobility.
- Around 1 m — the handy extra: it fits in a small space and is enough for plenty of home-loving cats.
- 1.30 m minimum for an active adult cat, 1.60 to 1.80 m if you really want to give them the commanding spot they're looking for.
A piece of advice that goes against the buying instinct: don't automatically go for the tallest. A 1.60 m tree in a 20 m² studio flat overwhelms the room, and you'll end up moving it into a bedroom — where your cat will stop using it. Measure the spot first, then choose the height. The breakdown by age and size, with how much clearance to leave below the ceiling, is in how tall a cat tree should be.
Materials: what holds up and what mats down
This is where the difference in quality shows after a year, not on delivery day.
- Sisal is still the benchmark for scratching surfaces: this natural fibre takes repeated clawing and generally lasts 12 to 18 months of heavy use, against 6 to 12 months for carpet. Check that it wraps the posts along their full height: a cat scratches while stretching upwards, so a 30 cm patch is no use to them. Lifespan isn't the only argument, either — here's why carpet causes a real training problem.
- Solid wood (pine, rubberwood) develops a patina instead of deteriorating. It's the choice for trees designed to stay in a living space without clashing with the decor.
- Woven rattan, as baskets or a nest, holds the cat in place with its raised edges — a cat curled up in a basket sleeps better than on a flat platform, where they slide.
- Plush is the softest to the touch and the cosiest, but it's also the one that mats in the spots where they sleep most. It's a deliberate trade-off, not a flaw.
Stability: the thing you only notice when it's too late
Nobody thinks about stability when buying, and everyone thinks about it at the first jump. The criterion isn't height alone but the ratio between footprint and height, plus the total weight. A 1.60 m tree weighing 8 kg sways; the same height at 23 kg on a wide base doesn't move.
Two habits that sort out almost everything:
- Push it up against a wall. No unsecured cat tree is perfectly still — the support of a wall removes the remaining wobble.
- Tighten the fixings after a few days. The wood settles after first assembly. A tree that creaks after three weeks is almost never faulty: it just needs a turn of the screwdriver.
Real height that doesn't sway
160 cm tall and 23 kg on a solid wood oval base: that weight is what makes such a height genuinely stable, with four spaces to sleep, hide and keep watch. Discover the tall rattan cat tree →
Where to put it — the number one reason it fails
This is the point comparison articles cover in one line, and it explains more abandoned cat trees than anything else. A cat doesn't want to withdraw from the world: they want to keep an eye on their world from a safe place.
- In the room where you spend your time, not in a hallway or a spare room. An isolated tree is useless.
- Near a window, ideally a sunny one: the street outside beats any dangling toy.
- Somewhere people pass through, not in the blind spot behind the sofa.
- Right next to the furniture they already scratch. That's where they want to mark their territory. Putting the scratcher somewhere else asks them to change their mind; putting it there offers them a better surface in the same spot.
Allow anything from a few days to several weeks for them to take to it, depending on the cat. Put a piece of fabric that carries their scent on it, place treats on the upper levels and, above all, never lift them onto a platform by force. A cat who's lifted up there comes to associate height with being forced. Good and bad spots, special cases included, are covered in detail in where to put a cat tree.
The three Pelux cat trees, and who they're for
| Model | Size | Best suited to |
|---|---|---|
| Wood with woven baskets | 60 × 40 × 100 cm | A living room you don't want to sacrifice, a cat of average build; the lowest in the range, so the easiest for a kitten or an elderly cat to use |
| Tall rattan model | 78 × 58 × 160 cm, 23 kg | A climber, or a home with several cats |
| With hammock and house | 55 × 38 × 132 cm | A sturdy cat: wide base, taut fabric beds |
What a cat tree that lasts really costs
On the French market, below €80 you're buying carpet stapled onto compressed cardboard: it lasts a year. Between €150 and €300, you get solid wood, sisal wrapped along the full height and a properly weighted base — that's the bracket with the best quality-to-lifespan ratio. Above €400, you're mainly paying for size and weight, not better materials.
In other words: if what you need is to give a cat a high spot and a proper scratching post, a €250 model does the job. The large size is worth it if you have several cats, or a climber who already lives on top of your wardrobes.
One last factor weighs on the real cost: what you do with it after you buy it. A tree that's vacuumed every week and has its fixings tightened twice a year lasts years longer — the full routine takes five minutes a week and is in how to clean a cat tree without damaging it.
Frequently asked questions
How tall should a cat tree be for an adult cat?
1.30 m is the minimum often recommended for an active adult, with real comfort between 1.60 and 1.80 m. But measure your space first: a tree too imposing for the room ends up banished, and a banished tree no longer gets used.
Sisal or carpet for the scratching post?
Sisal, without hesitation, for scratching surfaces: it lasts roughly twice as long. Carpet and plush still have their place on the beds, where softness matters, not durability.
My cat completely ignores their cat tree — what should I do?
In the vast majority of cases, the location is to blame, not the furniture. Move it closer to a window and a busy area, put a piece of fabric that smells of home on it, and place it next to whatever they already scratch. If they still don't use it after several weeks, go through the seven reasons a cat ignores their cat tree, ranked from most to least common.
Should a cat tree be fixed to the wall?
It isn't necessary when the base is wide and the whole thing is heavy. Simply standing it against a wall is enough to stop the wobble. If you want extra security on a large model, an anti-tip furniture strap does the job very well.
All our cat trees come with fixings and instructions, with free delivery, and you have 30 days to check at home that your cat takes to it. Explore the Home & rest range.