Insanity is living with cats — Cat tower edition

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This is for Throw Back Tuesday. I posted this in June 2014. I was younger and had a different crew of cats. Spoiler alert — we did find a cat tower they loved and Hazel did lose weight.
This isn't as big as it looks here.

This isn’t as big as it looks here.

Doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different outcome is the definition of insanity. So said Einstein. That is a hard lesson to learn especially for pet lovers. Every couple of years I relearn this same lesson. A refresher was on the calendar for this year.

One thing I know about cats is that they prefer free stuff. If you buy them something, they won’t touch it. I get free catnip mice from my vet each visit. They love them! If I buy the same mouse they won’t look at it.

They don’t do plastic balls with bells inside either. Lasers are very short lived. I had some success with a very cheap scratching box but they don’t know I bought it. It’s very cheap looking. They thing it’s a box from the grocery store. Shhh!

The beloved husband said he would build a cat tree if I would design it. Sounds easy. You go on-line and find plans. Not a problem.

Well, yes there is. I didn’t know what size or height would work best. I have a cat that weighs in at 18 pounds so it has to be sturdy and rather large.

Hazel: Did you really tell people how much I weigh? I should tell people how old you really are!

Hazel: Did you really tell people how much I weigh? I should tell people how old you really are!

I saw a very inexpensive one at a store locally. I bought it to test the size. I can either keep it or make a design based on the shortcomings.

The beloved husband put the cat tower together yesterday morning. As of this morning, no one seems very interested.

I thought for sure Morgan would investigate. She’s the youngest one who plays with everything including leaves that came in the house on someone’s shoe. Nope, not interested!

Morgan: Can I have my own office chair instead of a cat tower? You could put some catnip on it!

Morgan: Can I have my own office chair instead of a cat tower? Maybe with an iPad? You could put some catnip on it!

There are three levels, one with a circle. Two toys hang and bounce to entice. I put a little catnip on it. Now it smells good too. Sniff. Sniff. Nada. Zilch. Nay. Nix. Nein. Nothing doing!

The top shelf is too small for any of my cats and the round part is small too. I thought one of them would jump on the first shelf to check it out. Ha!

I can guarantee if we would have made one out of cardboard boxes, they would be all over it (and it might last a day). Morgan would love a tent made out of my best sweater (not gonna happen).

Mollie: I have a nice soft bed. Do I really need a cat tower?Mollie: I have a nice soft bed. Do I really need a cat tower? I could use a skylight in my bedroom though.

In a day or two, if there is no interest, I will pack it up and take it back.

Here is the dilemma. I know this one is too small but I don’t know if they will lounge on a larger one and it seems like a lot of work if it’s not used.

I need help here! Calling all cat lovers out there. Does anyone have a cat that uses a cat tower? What should I be looking for?

Jake: Listen Cupcake, I’m not climbing nothing! How about some catnip sweetie?

31 thoughts on “Insanity is living with cats — Cat tower edition”

  1. I did design one. Had measurement all over the sketch. Hubby took one look and said “just buy one”. I bought 3. On the prettiest one, think it was the Lotus. Tyler’s belly hung through the hole when he laid on the top. He didn’t seem to mind. One was too small and they used it all the time but I had to add weights to the bottom to keep it from tipping over as they banked off it in their younger years. The final one was only used to raise their perch to look out windows. No time was spent in the cubies, the sisal scratchers or cubie holed. Good luck.

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  2. No experience with a cat tower, but my friend has two grandcats she is cat-sitting for a few months, so she bought (and assembled which impressed me) a 4 foot tall exercise wheel. She was told you need a tall one for long cats. The thinner cat loves it, and after a bit of training with treats, uses it all the time now even without treats. The fat cat (weighing in at 17 pounds) refuses to go on it at all, after a few attempts at bribery. Go figure?

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    • Yes, a bigger one worked. The problem with the big ones is that they take up a lot of room. We have a cat room here (spare bedroom) and it has all the stuff they love including a tall cat tower in front of a window that gets afternoon sun!

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  4. Our Z Cat loved her floor to ceiling cat tree and she wore it out. She loved the hidey hole house at the top. I didn’t always know she was in it and I would get a paw in my face as I went by. Her choice cat tree/stand was only about 3 feet and it was in front of the glass door going to the 4 seasons porch. It had a view of the Tiny Ten. Love these photos♥

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  5. Morgan looks so sweet hanging out on your office chair – I guess you didn’t grant her wish? That must be why those sherpa-lined cat beds were always lining your office window. 🙂 Did the beloved husband end up building a cat tree based on the poll you took of your followers with felines?

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    • It was simpler to buy one and we got the tall one. Everyone except maybe Jake who was already old, loved it. The problem with cat trees is that the fleece fabric is thin and either stapled or glued on and there is no way to clean it. They look shabby from accumulating cat hair that you can’t get off. We still have two trees. Gus and Sasha aren’t as big fans as Morgan was. She liked to be high. They have other favorite perches. Sasha is not a great jumper so she’s not a fan of heights.

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      • Maybe since Morgan was so young when you got her she liked it for that reason as well. If your other cats never had a cat tree before they arrived at the shelter, they were too old to give it a try by the time you adopted them. Sasha seems big to me, but maybe it is her fur which would make it seem she is less agile.

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        • It is her fur. She was larger but lost weight and she’s at the right size for her frame. She’s not a climber. She will go on the cat tree sometimes but she prefers the cushioned bench in front of the window. Some cats just like it high. When Morgan was young, she was always on top of something — cabinets, fireplace, furniture. I also had a cat a long time ago that liked to walk along the top of a 6 foot fence. Neither of the current crew are agile enough for that (and they don’t go outside!).

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  9. If it’s any consolation, buying toys for dogs is similar. Sometimes the cheapest ones at the bargain bin in front of PetsMart are the biggest hit. And the super expensive, guaranteed to be loved by your pet barely get a sniff. I had a gigantic basket with all of them that have recently been donated to the rescue. Wilson could care less about any toy and I figured there was no point schlepping them to the new house. Cheap or expensive.

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  10. Great story…..and it’s so true about buying stuff for cats – they have more fun with a wadded up paper ball from the trash can than a $10 toy from a pet store. Teddy actually enjoyed the tree we got him – it was multi-leveled, had a “box” for hiding in and three different places on the top layer he could sit on or lie down in…..we put it in a corner of our basement where he could see out the door OR a window so lots of stuff he could watch. He used it for about a year then gradually decided it was too much trouble to go to the top and settled on a lower level……..then abandoned that in a few months too. I know lots of people who have these trees and cats who use them ALL THE TIME – not me. Oh well. Live and learn. Cats are great teachers but only after you’ve spent a small fortune to try and entertain them. Wads of paper and used kleenex are all Teddy needs apparently!

    Hugs, Pam

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    • We did find a larger sized cat tree that everyone loved. Different levels and a box. Morgan was especially a fan but they all jostled to sit on the top. It us upstairs in front of a window with a view of the world!

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