Cat trees and scratching posts

When I was getting my first cat about six years ago, I didn’t know my way around the market with cat products too much and I bought a typical scratching post made from small sisal columns and small shelters and shelves covered with plush. You can get it virtually at every pet store and on the internet. And it wasn’t exactly a cheap thing to buy. Of course that my cat had to have one of the biggest ones, because it loves heights, so I invested about 5 thousands into this piece of furniture.

Well, it looks nice, you pick the colour so that it fits into your interior, but the problem is, that the scratching post is difficult to clean, because the plush is not removable. And after few years, it doesn’t look as beautiful. You can vacuum clean it as much as you want, it simply isn’t enough. God forbid, when your cat vomits onto the post.

Ok, the appearance is not everything, the main thing is for the cat to be happy, you would say to yourself. But mites and bacteria reproduce in the fabric, hairs stick to it together with dead skin cells. And this can cause health issues for the cat, for example, allergies or skin problems. 

I have already had two trees and with the service life of the second one coming to an end, I’ve been thinking that there just must be a different, better alternative. A tree that would last longer and would be easier for upkeep. So I started looking around.

For my little beast, I could have gotten a cat tree from a real trunk, fitted to a stand and with attached seats or shelters. At the beginning, I was considering it, such cat tree would bring that little bit of nature to my home. However, there were some aspects that have put me off. Firstly, the most well-known company that was producing it in the Czech Republic, has recently closed, and secondly, even though you can choose both the tree and the placement of the sets, you won’t be able to arrange them directly above each other. The third aspect was the very high price, since the price range is between 16 and 18 thousand crowns. If you can get a real tree and you have a space where to let it dry, you can make your own cat tree, but for me in my small flat in Prague, that is impossible.

The second, and the right option for me, was an all-wood tree made from solid wood. For sure, there are more producers on our market, but I picked a company that produces tree elements using a special gluing method (the production of one support takes a whole day), thereby achieving a great bearing capacity and the wood does not crack. In addition, you can design the whole tree on your own, so it will fit into your household perfectly. Well, it is not the cheapest thing ever, but when I made the calculations on how many times would I have to buy the regular plush scratching post, not speaking about substitute sisal columns, it might be the cheapest option from the long-term point of view. The purchasing price is about 12–16 thousand crowns, depending on the size and the number of shelves and shelters.

Moreover, the cats love the smell of wood and they like to scratch it with their claws or to climb upon it. The upkeep is easy as well, you simply wipe the wood with a wet cloth or you spray it with a mild disinfectant. And in case you would move, the tree is demountable so you can re-assemble it in your new home.

I already have it at home and I’m content at best :). It looks good inside the room, the cat loves it and I don’t ever have to stress about plush cleaning. And what kind of tree suits you and your fluffy the most?