Why Solid Wood Cat Trees Are Worth It for Indoor Cats

It took me half a year to realize that cats don't need a "mansion" at all. All they need is a ridiculously stable wooden cat tree.

I used to think that the most expensive part of keeping a cat was cat food.

Later, I found out that I was wrong.

The real money drain is that you can't resist buying those things that "seem like the cat will definitely love".

I've bought automatic cat toys, smart water dispensers, space capsule cat carriers, and even LED-lit cat tunnels. But in the end, the thing my fat orange cat loves the most is still a Costco cardboard box.

Especially cat trees.

I've bought five or six of them over time.

There are those wrapped in beige velvet, looking like they were decorated in the style of a 1987 motel; and there are also those with such complex functions that they seem like a cat-themed amusement park.

But in the end, they all met the same fate:

Shake.

Really.

Cats are particularly sensitive to being shaken.

Humans might think, "Oh, it's just a slight shake."

But in a cat's eyes, that feeling is probably like you just got on a cheap Ferris wheel that could fall apart at any moment.

It was only later that I gradually began to study solid wood cat trees and similar solid wood cat trees. It was also at that time that I first realized:

It turns out that when it comes to cat trees, it's not the case that the more fancy they are, the better.

The first thing my cat taught me: cats simply don't care how much you spend.

There was once when I was really high.

At one o'clock in the morning, I was scrolling through my phone and came across a cat tree that was claimed to be the "Ultimate Cat Castle". The pictures were taken like a Nordic model room, and the description was written as if the cats would start reciting Shakespeare once they moved in.

I was carried away and placed an order.

After I finished assembling it, my cat stood by and watched for five minutes.

How can that look be described?

It's just like the first time my mom saw me spend three hundred dollars on a trendy toy.

It sniffed it.

Jumped up.

The entire structure creaked.

The cat jumped down on the spot and walked away.

Then go back to sleep in the cardboard box.

At that moment, I suddenly understood:

It's not that cats don't like cat trees.

It just doesn't trust that thing.

It was only after observing for a long time that I discovered that cats' obsession with a sense of stability is far more serious than that of humans.

They will instinctively test:

• Will the platform sway?
• Do I feel secure when I stand on it?
• Will it make a loud noise when I jump on it?
• Will I lose control at a height?

Especially large-sized cats.

My orange cat weighs 13 pounds and runs around like it has a V8 engine under the hood.

Ordinary cat trees simply can't withstand its "I must take off today" kind of charging style.

Why are more and more people starting to buy solid wood cat trees?

Because everyone has finally had enough of those "seemingly lively but looking like a disaster site after three months" plush cat trees.

Seriously.

After a while, a traditional cat tree really looks like it has been through a natural disaster.

The cat hair is all over.

The hemp rope burst apart.

The pillar has tilted.

The flannel began to have a strange smell.

The most terrifying thing is —

You never know when it will collapse.

Especially in the middle of the night.

You are sleeping.

Suddenly, there was a "thud".

You'll spring out of bed in an instant, thinking someone has broken into your house.

In fact, it was just that when the cat jumped off the platform, the entire cat tree toppled over along with it.

After I started getting in touch with solid wood cat trees, the biggest feeling I had could be summed up in one sentence:

The house finally became quiet again.

The most significant difference of solid wood structure is actually not "high-end".

But it is steady.

When a cat jumps onto it, the entire structure remains completely still, and the cat will be obviously more relaxed.

It's really noticeable.

Cats are not fools.

They know what is reliable.

It was only later that I discovered: what cats love most is not "playing", but "watching you".

This is something I realized only after keeping a cat for five years.

I used to think that the function of a cat tree was to provide exercise for cats.

Later, it was found that it wasn't.

The thing that cats like to do the most is actually:

Sitting high up, staring at you.

Especially when you are cooking in the kitchen.

It would sit there, looking serious, just like a restaurant owner inspecting the kitchen hygiene.

When I'm working, it also likes to lie on a high place.

Not for sleeping.

Just for supervision.

Cats have an almost obsessive fixation on "vertical space".

Because being at a high place means:

Safety.
Sense of control.
Vision.

This is also why many cats like to climb to high places as soon as they arrive in a new environment.

You think it's aloof.

In fact, it just wants to confirm:

Is anyone in this house a serial killer?

So when I bought a cat tree later, what I cared about most was no longer its function as a toy.

But rather:

• Is the height sufficient?
• Is the platform stable?
• Can the cat observe the entire room?
• Is the movement path smooth?

These things are far more important than gimmicks.

The cat got bored with the dangling toy in just three days.

But a comfortable platform is one where one can stay every day.

My aesthetic sense for cat trees broke down from a certain afternoon on.

A friend came to my house that day.

The first sentence he said upon entering the door was:

"Bro, is that thing in your living room... an air purifier that exploded?"

I fell silent.

Because he was talking about my huge plush cat tree.

Since then, I suddenly began to study seriously:

Why do most pet supplies look like products from TV shopping channels in the 1980s?

Later, I gradually noticed that many young cat owners have started to change.

No one wants their home to be like a warehouse for pet supplies.

Especially nowadays, there are more and more open-plan apartments.

Cat trees are no longer just "for cats".

They will directly affect the entire family.

It is also for this reason that when I later saw some solid wood designs by Mewzoom, I had a feeling of:

Finally, someone realized that humans were going to live here too.

That feeling.

The design concepts of many modern cat trees are increasingly resembling furniture design.

No longer:

"Add functions to the cat."

But rather:

Let the cat naturally blend into the living space.

This change is particularly obvious.

Many people overlook a reality: cats grow up.

I used to be particularly fond of buying those structures with an extremely long jumping distance.

It feels so cool to see cats flying around.

Later, my cat got fat.

Oh, no.

To be precise, it is "entering middle age".

Now it will think before it jumps.

Sometimes one even warms up first.

That scene was particularly reminiscent of how I got up after turning thirty.

So I began to notice:

Many cat trees do not take adult cats into consideration at all.

Especially large cats.

The platforms are too small.

The spacing is too high.

It's extremely difficult to move up and down.

Later, when I switched to a solid wood structure with a gentler slope, it clearly improved a lot.

Cats are not lazy.

It just doesn't want to strain its back.

A good solid wood cat tree will gradually change the atmosphere of the home.

This is something I never expected.

I used to think that a cat tree was just a tool.

Later it was found that it wasn't.

When a cat has a stable, safe and comfortable high place, its mood will really improve.

Stop scratching the furniture.

The number of midnight zoomies has decreased.

And I'd rather stay near you.

Cats actually need their own space very much.

Especially indoor cats.

They have no trees, no roofs, no yards.

So the high platform became their little world.

Often, cats don't mean to destroy the house.

It just has nowhere to go.

To be honest, one last thing.

Now I increasingly feel that:

The purchase of a solid wood cat tree is not essentially a form of "pet consumption".

Instead, it is carefully planning a long-term life.

Because a cat won't just be with you for a year.

It will accompany you for many years.

You'll watch it transform from a frantically running little furball into a lazy but rather grumpy middle-aged fat cat.

And a truly stable, comfortable and durable solid wood cat tree will eventually become the place where it stays every day.

Sunbathe.

Daydream.

I peeked at your food delivery order.

It's three o'clock in the morning. Why aren't you sleeping yet? The silent judgment is going on.

Sometimes I draw design drafts until midnight. When I look up, I can see it lying on a high place, staring at me.

That feeling was very strange.

It's like having a roommate who can't speak.

It's also like a quiet companionship.

So later on, when someone asked me again:

Is it really necessary to buy an expensive cat tree?

I can say all of it.

If you plan to keep it for many years, then at least buy something it can jump onto without fear.