When you first raise a cat, you may not know what furniture or accessories to buy. If your budget is limited, the best item you can buy for single-cat and multi-cat households will be a cat tree. Why you should buy a tree, and how to choose a best cat tree, here is a complete guide for you.
What is a cat tree? If you have never raised a cat, and never looked for things needed to raise a cat, then you may be worried about the idea of buying a cat tree. Something like a tree may sound to be big and bulky. In fact, most well-made cat trees are completely safe for you, your cat, and even young children.
The cat tree is a kind of tree-shaped cat furniture. Its "trunk" is made of the material most suitable for your cat to scratch, and there are several "branches" with platforms on which your cat can perch and look at the house from above.
Why Cat Tree is the Best Cat furniture?
There are plenty of ways to entertain a cat, including flush toys, teaser wands, scratching board to cat trees. Why do you need a cat tree? In fact, a good cat tree can provide several benefits, not only for your cat’s health or wellbeing, also a comfortable place to sit.
First of all, a cat tree is a good place to stay. A cat tree is quite appealing and a wonderful addition to your cat’s life. Cat trees will provide your cat with a good viewpoint of the rest of the room. This will not only provide a good place for your cats to sleep, but it will keep your cats occupied as they look for a place to sit, sleep, relax, and to watch the world around the cat. Second, save your money. One of the biggest and most obvious benefits is that your cat has a lot of space for to scratch. This will dissuade it from going after your furniture, walls, and curtains. Even if it doesn’t immediately change your cat’s scratching habit, it will make it easier for you to deal with and train your cat to focus on scratching the cat tree instead.
Third, a cat tree is a good big toy. A cat tree is an excellent place to climb, play, and sleep. Its support posts pull double-duty as scratching posts. Cat trees usually have small toys attached to the perches. It’s a great way to add some entertainment.
How to Pick Out The Best Cat Tree?
Cat trees come in a lot of styles. Some have perches, shelves, little houses or “condos,” bowls, hammocks, ladders, and ramps. They can be made of wood or cardboard with sections covered in rope, carpeting, or just exposed wood. How to pick out a cat tree? There are many things that you need to consider.
Safe for cats is the most important.
This is the first thing you should consider about picking out a cat tree. When searching for a cat tree, you should choose a cat tree with a base that will keep the tree weighted down. If the base of the cat tree is not weighted enough, the whole tree might topple down when the cat sits on one of the perches.
The taller of a cat tree, the more important that weighted base becomes, and the more risk there is that your cat could send the entire tree crashing down. When choosing a tree, especially tall trees, pick up one with a heavier base.
Material matters.
Some cat trees may be made from a material that is dangerous for your cat to ingest. When choosing a tree, there are just some materials that should be excluded because they may be toxic for cats to eat or lick.
Here are some materials you should avoid in pet products: 1). Phthalates. They are commonly found in PVC products. PVC cat trees are not a good choice. 2). BPA. BPA is a chemical that is commonly found in hard plastics, such as cat bowls. 3). Lead. As we all know, lead is harmful. It has been linked to quite a bit of systemic damage throughout the cat’s body.
Formaldehyde should also be considered when choosing cat furniture. Exposure to formaldehyde can result in both respiratory and digestive issues in your cat, especially after long-term exposure.
Besides, you should pay attention to the cover of your trees. Cat trees with lower prices might be covered in carpeting. The material is not harmful, but your pet’s claw might get stuck. And if your pet swallows the fibers, it will also lead to health issues.
Durable.
This is easy to understand. Cats like jumping, climbing and scratching a lot. A well-built cat tree is able to last a longer time. That’s why most high-quality cat trees are usually made of wood and sisal.
Suit your cat’s taste.
After all, cats are the users of the tree. When choosing a tree, make sure it will meet your cat’s satisfaction. Cats like climbing and jumping. Tall trees are better than wide trees because tall trees give them more space. Cats like scratching, so a cat tree with sisal posts is better. Different levels of perches and platforms can also give them enough places to rest and play.
Fit into Existing Décor.
A tall cat tree is quite noticeable in your apartment. Make sure you choose one that you’re happy with as well. Choose a style and color that goes well with other furniture in the room.
Easy to Assemble.
This is not important if you are good at DIY. Make sure the cat tree comes with fully detailed instructions in text and video. This will help you save time.
If you still don’t know how to choose a cat tree, select one from Happy & Polly. You can find the best and safest cat trees here.