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- Verified Buyer
I like that it's wood and doesn't tip over as easily as some do. I wish the carpet was more plush. I didn't like how it arrived in the box. Everything was put together except the top level. A big wood screw was sticking up in the top bed. I have carpal tunnel and did not have power tools to screw that part in. I paid a neighbor to screw it in for me.The seller was understanding and partially refunded me for my trouble with it.I would buy another only if it was assembled fully. I can't physically deal with big screws.For the price, it's a good deal, looks well made, and hasn't been shedding much carpet or sissal with scratching. It took a month for my younger cat to finally decide he likes the top tier and now he spends a lot of time in it, which is what I wanted.There are two reasons I can't rate this higher:1) I ordered the beige and what I got is a mixed-color carpet of beige and brown, so it would be nice if the images reflected the actual product.2) In order to reduce the real footprint of the tree (which is bigger than the base dimensions), the spacing of the tiers is too tight between the first and second platforms -- only 3 inches compared to the 8 inches between the second and third platform. Compounding this issue is that the opening of the second tier is off by about 30 degrees when positioned to avoid tipping issues, forcing the cat to have to climb over the higher sides. My 18-year old cat couldn't get himself up and fell off the tree trying to jump from the first to second tier. He always loved being in high spaces, so it's unfortunate that he won't be able to use the kitty tree too. So if you have an older cat and aren't handy enough to make a ramp, this probably will not be the right tree for you.As to the reported tipping problems, I haven't had any issue. The kitty tree is placed in front of the window with the top tier (which sticks out farthest) in the window opening and the rest flush up against the wall. The most the cat has been able to do by running and jumping on/off of it is wiggle it a few inches from the wall. Then again, he's under 10lbs so an active 15+ pounder might bring different results.The sides on each of the perches is only about 2-3 inches high, half of the last one purchased for us. Not as comfortable to sit in. Plus it tips very easily when we get very playful - we can launch onto it or off without it tipping a lot, so needs to be close to a wall.The Climber this replaced was many years old and shaggy from my two cats shredding, the sisal part in particular looked like a long beard. But cats often don't like change and I waited a long time before taking chance on buying a new climber they might not use. Need not have worried!First of all, my daughter carted it to my living room, and glad she is strong as it's heavy. She then used hand drill to place screws into bottom of the top shelf, attaching to the pole, the only assembly needed. That went smoothly, though some reviewers have noted they received bad screws or holes were in wrong places.I sprinkled some catnip on all shelves as suggested by another reviewer, then left climber to be discovered by my two cats, one of whom weighs thirteen pounds, and the other ten. Within about fifteen minutes they were on lower shelf, then they found that they could jump to adjacent couch arm and then to top shelf. They continue to explore, scratch and nap on it.I like the fact that it is about six inches shorter than previous scratcher and therefore doesn't predominate my small room. It is very stable and sturdy. Considered buying the brown but decided to go for beige. Glad I did, because I would call the beige very close to light cocoa brown.Four instead of five stars because the carpet is very thin, I would never describe it as plush. The maker has a good thing going with this product but really needs to use better grade of carpet. I might have passed the product up if I had shopped in a store and felt the carpet. But, I would buy this again, and the convenience of delivery was important.We gave a lot of thought in the type of Cat Condo/Tree to purchase. We definitely wanted a quality made item that also had the perfect dimensions to hold our beautiful maine coon. She absolutely loves it!! It sits perfectly next to the window on the top tier for her to look out the window. She has three places to sleep besides this item, but this is definitely one of her favorites!! She loves to sharpen her claws on the pole attached, which also is the perfect height for her. We were completely satisfied with every aspect and would highly recommend this item!!Not bad! I was a little worried that it would be a different carpet than depicted in the photos (because of the other reviews). It is exactly the same carpet, grey, same color as the photos, same short shag carpet. (See my photos) When it arrived, it reminded me of a new carpet install, in where it had a lot of scrap fibers that needed to be vacuumed. I didn't mind it actually. There were no staples or anything hazardous. I did trim about 4 of the stray plastic string type things that are part of the carpet backing. Ok, about the assembly- it comes with 3 long screws. These aren't the highest quality screws but they do the job. You don't need to drill pilot holes or anything. But you DO need a power screwdriver or drill. Let me explain what I did. I set the top pad on top of the pole. I looked at it from the front and made sure it was even, with the opening of the pad (for kitty to get in) on the front. Then I looked at it from the side to make sure it was even. (So the pole is directly in the center of the pad.) That is when I screwed in the three screws from the top, through the carpet, right down the center of the pad into the pole. I ended up adding an additional two screws but I'm a little neurotic and I wanted to make sure it didn't wobble. My cat took to it immediately and it is well worth the money. The only thing is that I'm kind of a small person so I actually wish it had come a little more disassembled so that I could move it around better. But it's all good! I think it's great.
