Cat Trees & Scratching Posts

Choosing the right size

Measure the room before you fall for a tower. A floor to ceiling cat tree braces between floor and ceiling and gives a climber the full height of the room without taking any floor space, while a tall cat tree suits a sloping ceiling better. Check the platforms too. Your cat should be able to lie down on one with her legs stretched out rather than balance on it. For a first tree, or for a cat who prefers to stay low, a short cat tree or a medium sized cat tree is usually the safer buy.

Save your sofa

Cats do not scratch to be difficult. They scratch to shed the worn outer layer of the claw, stretch the whole body and leave a scent mark where they feel safe, which is why they pick the sofa in the middle of the living room over the post hidden in the hallway. The fix is placement rather than punishment. Put a scratcher directly beside the spot she already uses, then shift it a few centimetres a week once she commits to it, and cover the damage meanwhile with a self adhesive scratching mat. Offer both directions as well, because most cats want to scratch upright and flat: a sisal scratching barrel covers the upright urge, and a cat tree with a grooming arch adds a self service brush at the same time.

Build up, not out

In a studio or a flat with no corner to spare, wall space is the cheapest floor space you own. A cat climbing wall with hammock puts a route and a nap spot above head height and leaves the floor clear, which also settles most of the tension in a two cat home, since they can pass each other vertically instead of meeting head on. Mount the lowest step around 40 cm off the ground so an older cat can still get up. If you would rather keep everything on the floor, a cat tree with a storage cabinet doubles as furniture and a cactus cat tree takes up about as much room as a plant pot.

Kittens and multi-cat homes

A kitten needs low platforms and short jumps far more than height, so start with a small cat tree and add height once she is confident. Older cats and heavier breeds want the opposite: wide platforms, a low entry point and a base that does not rock, which is what a solid wood cat tree gives you. In a multi-cat home, count sleeping spots rather than cats. Two cats sharing one perch will squabble over it, so a tree with a covered den such as the natural wood cat tree with basket and den or the cat tree with a woven cave gives the shy one somewhere to disappear.

Keeping indoor cats busy

A cat tree solves the climbing and the scratching, but an indoor cat still needs to run and to hunt. Rotate what is on offer rather than simply adding more of it: pair the tree with a few things from toys and enrichment, where you will also find cat exercise wheels for a young cat with energy to burn, and give her a separate soft place to crash from our cat beds and lounges, so the tree stays the place she plays rather than the only place she goes.

Petifo is a Swedish company and we ship across the EU with tracked delivery. Prices include VAT, with no extra customs fees on EU orders. If something is not right you can request a return within 30 days under our return policy, and our team is happy to help you choose before you buy.