Cat Trees That Do Not Wobble (the Only Ones Worth Buying)

A cat tree is furniture that cats climb, which means it has to satisfy two audiences. Humans want it to look acceptable in a living room; cats want height, stability and something to scratch. Most products compromise both.

We tested six trees over six months with eleven cats, including one that weighs seven kilos and tests every joint in a structure.

How we chose

Stability first. If a tree moves when a cat lands on the top platform, the cat will not go back up.

• No movement at the top platform when a heavy cat jumps on.
• Sisal on the surfaces cats actually scratch.
• Platforms big enough to lie down on, not just sit.
• Assembles in under an hour with the supplied tools.

What to look for

Base weight is the whole design

A wide, heavy base stops the wobble. Look at the base dimensions before anything else; most complaints about cat trees are really complaints about a small base.

Platform size

Cats lie down. A platform the size of a dinner plate is a perch; a platform the size of a cushion is a bed. Buy for lying down.

Sisal where it matters

Scratching happens on vertical posts at full stretch. Sisal on the post, carpet on the platforms.

The bottom line

Buy a floor-to-ceiling tension tree if you have the ceiling height and one steady wall, or a low, wide tree if you do not. Either way, check the base dimensions before the aesthetics.