If you have a beautiful and regal cat as a pet, you know how important it is to give them a clear space they can call their own. This is why finding the best cat trees is so important. When there are so many options, though, how can you tell which one is best for your beautiful cat?
Why Cat Trees Are Important for Big Cats
If your feline family member is a large breed, like a Maine Coon or a Ragdoll, you are mindful that these giants have big needs. Helping them feel happy and secure in their home is an essential part of your role as their pet parent, ensuring their needs are met in full. This is why providing an equally large and durable cat tree is an opportunity to improve the quality of life for your large furball.
Let's take a look at the reasons why cat trees are essential for big cats:
Big Cats Need Vertical Space to Explore: Big cats are natural-born climbers, and high alertness means cat trees are designed with wide perches, ramps, and platforms for their personalities. Cat trees provide the perfect opportunity for your cat to climb and explore, which improves mental stimulation and gives your pet a reason to wag its tail and enjoy a healthy lifestyle.
Peaceful Perches for Purr-fect Comfort: Large cats prefer to relax and catch a few Zs. Cat trees come with the perk of perches, hammocks, and platforms where your furbaby can enjoy a peaceful nap and lounging in comfort. Having a designated cat tree space helps to keep them stress-free and relieved.
Scratching Outlets: Just like household cats, big cats have an instinct to scratch and groom their claws. Cat trees typically come with scratching posts or surfaces made of sisal rope for big cats to use in order to avoid having your couch or arm chair become the next de facto scratching post.
Territory Marking: Cats are territorial animals and cat trees provide your feline friends with a means to claim a space of their own and mark their territory by rubbing up against or scratching the tree. This will give your cats a sense of confidence and ease while inside their space.
Mental Stimulation: Just as we require mental stimulation to be happy, big cats need it too. Luckily, cat trees often feature other toys, hiding spots, and interactive elements for your cats to explore and enjoy. By providing your big cat with activity, they can stave off boredom and remain as mentally sharp as ever.
Factors to Consider When Buying a Cat Tree for Large Cats
There are some important things you should think about when you buy a cat tree for a big cat to make sure it is safe, relaxed, and happy. Among these factors are the following:
Size: A cat tree for a big cat needs to be strong enough to hold their weight without shaking or falling over. To meet this need, discover cat trees that are tall and wide, have a strong base, and are made to last. A stable cat tree keeps your big cat safe while they play and climb. It also keeps them from getting hurt.
Product Type and Durability: Pick a cat tree that is made of durable materials if you want it to last a long time and not break down quickly. Good fabrics, strong wood, and sisal rope are all good choices because they last a long time and can handle big cats digging, climbing, and jumping. Strong cat trees not only look good after a while, but they can also handle your cat's rough play.
Design and Features: The form and features of a cat tree have a big effect on how well it works and how much big cats like it. Look for cat trees with different levels, big perches, and places to hide so your cat can do natural things like relax, climb, and watch what's going on around them. The cat tree comes with built-in swings, scratching posts, and toys that will keep your cat busy and give them more experiences and things to learn.
Tips for Maintaining and Extending the Lifespan of a Cat Tree
It's important to make sure your cat tree lasts a long time and works well so your cat has a safe and fun place to hang out.
Regularly trim and replace worn-out scratching posts: Your cat will scratch the posts on a cat tree, which can wear them down over time. Check these posts often and trim off any parts that are frayed or broken. You might also want to get new scratching sticks if the old ones are really worn out. Adding new posts to the cat tree will protect it and give your cat a better place to scratch.
Clean the cat tree surfaces with pet-safe cleaners: Dust, dirt, and fur can gather on cat trees over time, making them look bad and posing health risks. Use pet-safe cleaners to clean the cat tree's bases, perches, and swings. Clean the cat tree often. It will look better and be better for your cat. It gets rid of germs and smells too when you clean it.
Rotate and rearrange platforms and toys to keep cats engaged: Cats need a lot of different things and things that keep them busy. From time to time, move the cat tree's stages and toys around to keep it interesting and keep the cat from getting bored. This will keep your cat interested in the cat tree, so it doesn't get bored and look for somewhere else to climb or scratch.
Inspect the cat tree for any signs of damage and repair as needed: Check the cat tree often for damage or signs of normal use. Check for screws that aren't tight enough, bases that aren't stable, and fabric that is broken. Take care of any damage right away to keep the cat tree safe and useful for your cat. Issues don't get worse if you fix them right away, and the cat tree lasts longer.
Conclusion
When choosing the best cat tree for big cats, you should think about its size, style, features, and how stable and strong it is. By investing in a suitable cat tree and following maintenance tips, cat owners can provide their large feline companions with a comfortable and stimulating environment.
For a wide range of high-quality cat trees that meet the needs of large cats, consider checking out Happy & Polly'scollection today!
