If you’re going for a wooden cat tree, it’s more than likely you want something stable, or something with a wooden look, or maybe a cat tree that’s a little bit different. A cat tree made from wood can offer all of the above, and we’ve picked out some of the best wooden cat trees available to buy online.
What makes our cats happy makes us happy but a poorly made cat tree isn’t going to make anyone happy. It’s essential to do our homework which means reading reviews, comparing products, carefully reading product specifications and making informed choices so we’ll choose the purr-fect cat tree for our individual cat, our budget, and our home.
A Summary of Our Best Wooden Cat Tree Picks
Here’s a quick summary of the cat trees. For the full in depth summary, read on. You can see more reviews of different types of cat trees here.
Why are cat trees important?
We have our personal spaces where we can comfortably laze away an afternoon, enjoy the view from a sunny window and hide from our children when necessary.
Our furry housemates are no different. They need to do these things and they also need a place where cat hair is not only okay, it makes it uniquely his. And where it’s perfectly okay to scratch the furniture with gleeful abandon. They need a space where they can chew their toenails and do highly irritating things to their heart’s content. And a personal place where they can wash their…personal places.
Just as men need a man cave and women need their she-shed, giving our cats a special space all their own can make or break our peaceful co-existence. There’s no better space than a wood cat tree.
A wooden cat tree, especially if it’s located at a window, can enrich a house cat’s life immeasurably, particularly if a bird bath or feeder is provided. It’s your cat’s reality TV!
The cost of good design is nothing compared to inferior design
Cat trees (also called cat towers or cat condos) are available in an almost unlimited number of configurations and sizes. When deciding which one is right for your cat it’s important to consider what it will be used for, the intended space, your budget, and the size and age of your cat.
You don’t want it to be an eyesore so you need to also consider your personal style and look for one that will harmonize with your room. Buying a cheap badly made tree will mean replacing it in a relatively short time. Investing in a quality tree will save you money in the long run and give your cat endless hours of fun and comfort.
I decided to buy a new cat tree recently. My windows are quite high from the floor so after measuring the space I found I needed a cat tree that had sitting/sleeping/bird watching platforms 5 to 6 feet off the floor which disqualified a good many that were too short for my intended space and usage.
I didn’t want to buy a cat tree with spaces that would never be used since my cats have no interest in the levels below the window. After a great deal of research and careful shopping I finally found one that is the right height for my cat family. It’s important to read the product specifications very carefully.
Overall size
Measure your space. There are elaborate cat trees that take up a sizable space so measure width and depth to determine if it will fit your space. If the tree will be for a window area measure the height of your window.
Many cats like to get away from it all and hide or sleep in enclosed beds and cubby holes. Be sure the size will fit your cat. Cats love small spaces but if the opening is too small, they won’t use them.
Stability
A cat tree must be balanced, or it will be unstable. I’ve learned the hard way that stability is a leading factor in selecting a cat tree. My huge cats love the small top platform of their 78’’ tree. This is held aloft on one side by a tall scratching post. This favorite vantage point becomes very top heavy with 24 pounds of Snowshoe Siamese perched atop and it commences to sway like a palm tree in a hurricane!
While this doesn’t seem to scare ‘’da boys’’ in the least it has taken 10 years off my lifespan! It’s important to look for a cat tree that is very solid and stable not only for the cat’s safety but for your own emotional health.
Keep the nails, get rid of the furniture
Or provide your cats with their own places to scratch. Nails are necessary and removing them can adversely alter your cat’s personality. Provide your cat a tree with scratching posts and other surfaces to scratch on.
Lots of well timed ‘’good boy/girl!’’ and treat rewards are all you need to teach a cat or kitten to use their posts rather than your furniture. Cats need to scratch to shed the outer claws, for exercise, to take out frustration, to use up extra energy, and to mark their territory.
What kind of post will depend mainly on your cat. In my humble opinion giving them carpeted scratching posts teaches them to destroy expensive rugs and we can’t blame them for that. They can’t distinguish ‘’okay carpet’’ from the ‘’not okay carpet.’’
Most cats like sisal rope to scratch and it does make a very good scratching surface. While it’s true that it sheds, the fuzzy debris can be very quickly and easily vacuumed up. This is what many cat trees use. My cat tree has posts covered with sisal robe and I’ve found it’s very durable and my cats love it.
How much is too much for a wooden cat tree?
Cat trees vary greatly in price. A quality wooden cat tree will cost between $100 to $150 depending on the size and design. But depending on the various bells and whistles luxury trees can cost as much as $500 and even more.
No matter which style of cat tree you decide to invest in, it’s sure to provide your cat with hours of napping, playing and scratching fun!
Top Pick – Best all rounder:
LAZY BUDDY 5 Level Wooden Cat Tree
The Lazy Buddy 5 level cat tree offers plenty of options for play, bird watching, or napping. The design is sleek, uncomplicated, stable, strong, moderately priced, and safe. It’s also an attractive addition to any room.
Pros
- This cat tree is 67 inches tall with 19.75” x 13.75” platforms and features durable scratching posts. The Lazy Buddy platforms are sized to accommodate large cats.
- A small to medium (up to 12 pounds) will find the condo perfect for an afternoon nap.
- Kittens will love swinging on the rope.
- In fact, it has a lot for any age and size so it would be a good choice for a cat family of various sizes. Older or overweight cats will appreciate the stepped platforms making it easy to reach the top.
- This cat tree is heavy enough to be stable even on carpeting. The design is nicely balanced.
- The removable mats are soft and comfy, and best of all, machine washable. Perfect for those with allergies. They stay securely attached with Velcro tabs. There is also one inside the condo.
- Users agree assembly is a breeze with all hardware included.
- The overwhelming majority of users give it a huge thumbs up!
Cons
- While the condo is about 12.5″x12.5″x12.5″ and wouldn’t be appealing to a very large cat.
Vesper Wood Cat Tree
The Vesper Cat Tree offers clean contemporary styling with smooth wood platforms and soft comfy allergy-friendly pads that attach with Velcro. The pads can easily be taken off and machine washed. This is a real plus for anyone with allergies. The cube provides some personal space so kitty can get away from it all. This tree is a petite 4 feet tall.
Pros
- The base is a fairly nice size—22.1’’ x 22.1’’. The platforms are 22’’x11’’ a good size for most cats. The cube dimensions are 14.5’’ square with an opening that is 8’’x8.5.’’
- The V-Base gets good ratings as far as ease of assembly. The instructions are detailed and fairly straight forward.
Cons
- The opening to the cube is somewhat small for a large cat (Maine Coon or Himalayan for example) but is a nice fit for smaller cat breeds.
- For large cats or cats who take out anger management issues on their scratching posts these may not last long. *The posts are not covered with sisal roping which is by far the most durable. It wears well with minimal shedding and can be repaired with a glue gun. This cat tree uses sea grass as a post covering and through personal experience, I’ve found that it’s far less durable. **Owners of this post agree. However, for a single small cat or a cat who doesn’t scratch a lot this may be fine.
SmartCat Wooden Cat Tree Climber
The SmartCat Multi-Level Cat Climber attaches to a door with a spring-loaded bracket system. In theory it can be moved from door to door. Mounting hardware is included. The overall dimensions are 23.5’’Lx9’’Wx80’’H. The shelves are 17’’x9’’and the spacing between shelves is 14.’’ It weighs 30 pounds.
Pros
- This cat tree is a good idea for a very small space where a traditional tree wouldn’t fit.
Cons
- *It is not stable and solid, users note that it sways or moves around, it’s noisy and bumps on the door.
- The platforms are spaced too far apart for kittens and are too small in depth for adult cats.
- It would be exceedingly difficult for most cats, other than kittens, to scratch on the sisal like fabric.
- Kittens would have fun climbing the sisal fabric. Unfortunately, kittens that go up don’t always come down when they get their nails entrapped in sisal fabric and must be rescued.
- *Many users report that it was a nightmare to assemble and needed creative alternatives to the instructions.
- The carpet is low quality and it can’t be washed.
The Refined Feline Lotus Cat Tower
Cats have a Zen experience on this sleek wooden cat tree. The 69’’ tall tree is a stunning addition to the modern style room design. With flowing lines and minimalist functionality, it’s perfect for most cats and owners who love modern furnishings. The overall size is 69’’x20’’x20’’ and it’s made of smooth oak veneer.
Pros
- While the stepped platforms would not be generous enough for large cats to lounge on, they can perch on them, and they lead to the large and roomy top—roomy enough for two adult felines!
- The cat tree includes a roomy cushioned cubby on the bottom with a padded top. The cushions have machine washable faux suede covers to keeping them clean. And the covers are replaceable.
- A 20’’ durable sisal scratching pad gives kitties a place to take out frustrations and care for their nails.
- According to owners the cat tree is very well made and durable overall.
Cons
- *Some owners say it does get top heavy and ‘’wobbles.’’ I would go so far as to say it wouldn’t serve a 24-pound Maine Coon well, but medium to smaller cats should have no problem with instability.
- It’s somewhat pricey—in the upper range of the non-luxury price scale but for the style conscious interior fashionista it’s worth it.
Vesper V-Box Wooden Cat Tree
Perfect for a small room this clean modern 28.54’’ high cat tree may be small, but it packs a great deal of style and functionality. The overall dimensions are 14.57’’x14.57’’x28.54’’.
Pros
- I like it for a single cat or kitten. It has a nice cubby with two openings (in the event of enemy invasion cats won’t feel trapped).
- The cube is 13.39’’x13.39’’ inside. The opening on the box is 8’’x 8’’ a good size for a small to medium sized cat.
- A small padded seat in the center provides some batting action and a rope covered post gives kitty his own place to scratch to his heart’s content.
- Hook-and-loop tape keeps the cushions in place.
- I like this size to place in front of a window, it would provide hours of entertainment.
- Owners report that it’s easy to assemble and is very strong, solid, and stable.
- The price is as attractive as the design.
Cons
- The opening on the box is 8’’x 8’’ and probably wouldn’t serve a large breed cat.
- Not very tall –although in all fairness, it depends on the intended use.
The Sebastian 67 inch Modern Cat Tree
If you’re looking for a cat tree that doesn’t look like a cat tree you’ve found it. This looks like a modern book case at first glance but it’s much more!
Pros
- This will definitely satisfy your cat’s natural desire to climb and to play King on the Mountain! In fact, there’s six separate levels for climbing and playing—alone or with a playmate.
- The lowest level has a sisal material scratching pad. I like that this cat tree offers a vertical scratching pad. I have one cat who will use the posts, but he really prefers a vertical ‘’scratchy’’ and he’s not alone, some cats will only use the vertical scratching pads.
- There’s a secret hiding place on the second level. The opening on the second level cubby is 7.5’’x8’’ and is good for the average size cat.
- There’s also room on the second and fourth level for lounging or bird watching.
- There’s room for your favorite décor, but if your cat is like mine it won’t be there long.
- This tree’s paint is pet-friendly durable and non-toxic lead-free paint. It’s 22’’ x 22’’ x 67,’’
- It weighs 66.1 pounds insuring stability
- It’s a Contemporary in style that will fit many room styles.
Cons
- The price is on the high end of the non-luxury price scale.
- The thin pads are stapled down and non-removeable. They can be vacuumed but not taken off and washed. All is not lost! I recommend a ‘’hair sponge’’ to remove hair accumulation.
Armarkat Premium Solid Wood Cat Tree Tower
This Armakat is (in my opinion) the ultimate cat tree and one any cat would or should have on his/her wish list. And rightly so!
This cat tree is nearly 7 ½ feet of lounging, napping, bird watching, climbing, playing fun! Whether alone– or preferably with a friend– cats have a choice of 9 places to perch or nap and not one but two cubby holes to hide from the world.
Pros
- The 7 ½ feet provides more than enough room to satisfy a cat’s natural need for elevated places (this eliminates the possibility of a surprise attack from the UPS person or that dangerous looking mail carrier)!
- The Armarkat is made of premium solid polished pine wood and has the natural scent of Pinus Sylvestris otherawise known as Scots Pine.
- The tightly wrapped sisal posts are tough and durable.
- The overall dimensions are 49″x 34″ x 89″ high and the base is 24″ x 19.” The cubby spaces are 14″ x 14″ x 12″ high and 16″x 16″x12″ high. The maximum weight capacity: 80 pounds or four 20-pound cats–or one Maine Coon? This tree will please any size cat.
- The Armakat has a double base design for stability
Cons
- *Despite the double base design many owners report juggling, wiggling, wobbling, and general instability. I would not hesitate to buy this cat tree, however. Attaching it to a wall or window frame will eliminate the problem.
- Although the hammock at the top is soft, the platforms have no soft cushions to make them comfortable.
- **They are also slippery, and cats tend to slide right off the opposite edge when hitting the shelf running. While this may be rather humorous for us, not so much for the cat. On the other hand, there are no hair covered cushions to wash.
New Cat Condos Solid Wood
I know this may not be popular with many cat owners because of the carpet, but I have one for my Siamese and he loves it. What makes him happy makes me happy, so I vacuum it often and it works for us. He loves to ‘’camp out’’ in front of a window at night during the summer months and this is just the right size. I admit he nor his friends use the lower platforms at all, but the top makes up for that. It’s large and roomy and this is the only cat tree he doesn’t leisurely stretch…and then roll off from.
Pros
- It is heavy and very stable. It took two women and a concerted effort to get it upstairs but worth it.
- Also, it was fully assembled, another plus.
- The carpet is soft and nice quality.
- The structure is solid wood with sisal rope scratching post. The rope did finally come loose in one spot but was easily fixed with a simple glue gun. A worn scratching post is better than equally worn furniture, so the post is doing what it’s made to do—protect my furniture.
- This tree will hold any size cat well. It’s perfect for a large cat. Sammy is 14 pounds and the typical tall and long Siamese and there’s room to spare. My Snowshoe is 24 pounds and huge, he doesn’t make the tree wobble in the least. My Himalayan is somewhat short and anything but athletic, but he jumps from the bed to the tree without a care unlike the taller trees.
Cons
- Carpet for some cat owners.
Conclusion:
The top pick from this list has to be “The Lazy Buddy 5 Level Cat Tree” The design is excellent and it’s a very nice-looking cat tree. The 67’’ is high enough to keep an eye out for enemy invasion or stalking birds without being so high as to sway and wobble as I’m afraid the Armarkat 89’’ would. The design is balanced.
There’s room to climb and play unlike the Small Vesper V-Box. It’s easy for any cat to climb to the top. It’s heavy and stable even on carpet.
The platforms are large and sized for any breed, and age unlike The Refined Feline Lotus Cat Tower and the pads are comfy, easy to keep in place, wash, and keep hygienic unlike the New Cat Condos Solid Wood which is carpet and The Sebastian 67’’ which are non-removable.
The lower levels are not too low and would be useful for bird watching or catching a breeze. There are various scratching posts in good positions and their covering is tight and good quality.
For a cat family it has something for all ages, breeds, and sizes. It’s a fair price for the quality of the product. Although the condo would not fit a large cat the number and importance of the positive attributes make up for that one negative.