I know it's not pretty, and it's huge, and it doesn't blend well with our vintage tastes, but the cats love it. And I know there are prettier cat tower options out there, but they're just as huge, more expensive, and still don't blend in.
I drug the tower into the house and parked it in the center of the living room for a moment while I caught my breath. Wylla ran over, sniffed it, scratched it, scaled it, and perched herself on the top tier. Then Bean sauntered in and joined Wylla on the tower. It was an instant hit.
We moved the tower upstairs and this is where it will live. The girls do most of their romping upstairs, so it makes sense to keep it there.
It's ALMOST the same color as the walls upstairs, so it kind of fades away.
Still, it's not pretty, and it's huge.
But the cats love it. And in the end, that's what really matters, right?
Is there a nice sunny window upstairs? That would probably be a favorite spot to put it; that way the girls can sunbathe while perching, a perfect combination of catly activities. :) I totally understand why you got the tower; who cares what it looks like if the cats are happy, after all?
ReplyDeleteMine are a godsend. If my cat tree keeps the monsters where they can see me and feel safe without draping themselves all over my lap, arms, hands, keyboard, head....
ReplyDeleteI call it a win.
If the cats are happy, he house is happy. Yes, they are ugly but if it saves the furniture from claws...then cave away!
ReplyDeleteDitto on parking the condo next to a window! I did that for my furry babies and they spend hours watching out the window and sunbathing.
ReplyDeleteI think I've had at least one in my house since I've had cats. I even special ordered one to match my decor once (as you said, still big and ugly). my boys love them. the current one is my bedroom window, so they can look out. they love it and it saves the furniture a bit.
ReplyDeleteI have 4 big cat towers and I love them almost as much as my 6 cats. Two on the sun porch, one in the den & one in the garage. They have multiple perches and a cubbie for hiding/sleeping. I once had one that looked like a real tree, complete with a treehouse, but the current ones are the plain carpeted variety. You might not think they fit my decor, either, but I think they're worth their weight in kitty treats.
ReplyDeleteHahaha, I have one too. It hangs out downstairs in the utility room, out of site. On the other side of the wall is my craftroom, so if I'm downstairs and they want to join me without hovering, that's where they hang out.
ReplyDeleteHa, nice!! I have hesitated getting one too, but I recently caved as well! And my aquisition got a similar positive reaction... I barely had that thing in the door before my cat Clara was perched on top, just as happy as a clam... er, cat :)
ReplyDeleteI have a 6 foot tree in front of my front window. It is a great spot for lizard watching (and window curtain demolition). They aren't on it all the time anymore but it still gets lots of use.
ReplyDeleteWe keep ours in our bedroom, next to/in front of a window. We actually put it there so that we could lie in bed and watch the cats enjoying their beloved tower. It's huge, it's ugly, but those little girls are so cute! And they looooove sitting up high and looking out the window.
ReplyDeleteWelcome to the club! I have 2, ummmm technically 4 (one is really just a short scratching post) and I move them when I'm entertaining...but they make the 4 kitties happy!
ReplyDeleteI got one for Christmas a couple years ago. Talk about the moment you realize you're the crazy cat lady. It's since moved three apartments in two different states across the country, and I think there would be a mutiny if it ever disappeared.
ReplyDeleteWe just got one and all five cats are in heaven! Places to hide, scale, perch and enjoy the sunny view out the window. They all get on at once. But, please, we need to get it out of our living room so it's not the first thing people see when they come over!
ReplyDeleteThe boys love ours and it was also an instant hit. I don't love that it sheds carpet all over the place from their scratching. It's better than them scratching the furniture, though.
ReplyDeleteI don't have any room for one now but it's only a matter of time....the girls look happy!! After all, anything we do is because the cats love it!!
ReplyDeleteLol - I compromised with my cats and we got a medium sized one - I put it right by the back door (sliding glass door) on the side that doesn't open - sit it's mostly out of my way, and the cats have a nice perch to watch the birds
ReplyDeleteWe don't have a lot of space, otherwise, they probably would have got the larger one - and I love the ones that look like treehouses - but they aren't in the budget!
I've been saved from this dilemma by almost literally not having space for the ginormous things, if I still want to be able to walk decently through my apartment. However, yes, my cats would love one and I have a guilty conscience.
ReplyDeleteThe cats always win! :D
ReplyDeleteThey look adorable & very happy.
Yep. I caved on one of those monstrosities too...and you know yours looks very similar to mine (circular top tier, next is an oval shape which is perhaps the one Charlene is perched in?) I got it when I brought home my two rescue kittens-I knew i didn't want them climbing all over the curtains and couch, and it used to reside in a spare bedroom in front of the window. But it eventually migrated into the main room right in front of the large sliding glass window. Not the prettiest thing to look at, but I wanted to actually see my cats as opposed to having to visit them in the spare bedroom all the time! They love it. Cats win.
ReplyDeleteI finally broke down and bought one so my cat can use it like a staircase to get in my son's top bunkbed. At least it's hidden in his room!
ReplyDeleteUgh, I sympathize. Mine is a constant aesthetic thorn in my side, but my cats love it so. How could I get rid of it?
ReplyDeleteWe're not going to let Fizz and Fuzz see this post. No, we're not! Congrats, girls, on wearing down your mother.
ReplyDeleteDid you ever think about using a real tree? My parents got a birch tree from a forest ranger over 40 years ago and it doesn't exactly blend in, but it is actually a nice piece of decor and I always think of birch trees as being very 50s. The cats always loved it and only the sisal that is wrapped around the lower part has to be replaced regularly.
ReplyDeleteI have a big ugly one in my Living Room. Another in the basement. A variety of small ones, the ones you buy hoping they will be as good as the big ugly ones, and they never are. I try to think of them as furniture for the cats. And yeah, a window seems to add to the cat happy vibes of these pieces of furniture.
ReplyDeleteOur family room has 2 cat trees (one is 5 ft and one is 6 ft), 3 2X4 sisal scratching rugs from overstock, 2 large scratching posts, 3 baskets of cat toys,a pile of about 12 feet of amazon packing paper scrunched up into a wad for hiding things, a IMac cat bed, 4 cat blankets on various furniture pieces and a cat bed on the table where we eat. I guess you could say we've given up, I should send you a picture and you could do a hidden object game to see if you could find all of that stuff,
ReplyDeleteResistance is futile. You are a good cat mama.
ReplyDeleteLaurie - you a such a good Mom.
ReplyDeleteWe built our own - my dad donated us a real birch trunk from his plot, full room height. Still not the prettiest thing but the Cat has loved it from the first second. We did tune it with a shelf and a bit of rough hemp twine, simple but so very effective, located close to the window and the bird-tv.
ReplyDeleteOh goodness, I think I have the exact same kitty tower! The middle and bottom platforms have a leopardish print cover the bottoms, yes? My dears love their tower- and I'm sure Wee Wylla and Bean will too!
ReplyDeleteI swore I would NEVER be one of those cat ladies, but I bought one for my boys a few years ago. I swear, they knew when I brought it inside that it belonged to them! They LOVE it.
ReplyDeleteYou are so right about how ugly those towers are, but they're perfect for kitties to perch on so what are you gonna do? My folks actually hand-crafted one for our cats but my husband banished it to a little nook off the kitchen. It's actually a perfect place because it's surrounded by windows so the squirrels and birds can be observed at leisure.
ReplyDeletethis makes me smile
ReplyDeleteWaddya mean ugly? It has happy cats on it, it's beautiful!
ReplyDeleteSeriously though, it's worth keeping in mind that our house feline's ancestors were forest and jungle creatures. They like to go up. Up makes them happy, and it's an easy way to give them more room to spread out without having to build an addition to the house. Humans aren't so much for perching, so we sometimes have to think about things from their perspective- the cats will never understand why I like long hot baths, citrus fruit, or running the vacuum, and I don't get their need to lurk atop stuff, sit on pieces of paper on the floor, or plan daring attacks on my slippers. We just have to live together in ways that make us both happy. Congratulations on your cat happiness object.
-Abigail
As long as they're happy, that's what matters, right? ;D
ReplyDeleteIt's all about the cats: our tower partly blocks a lovely view and takes up way too much room in the living room. But that doesn't matter, because the cats like it.
ReplyDeleteThat's awesome. What a couple of smart kitty gals they are to figure it out right away.
ReplyDeleteAwww ... you're such a good kitty mommy! My kids have been begging for us to get one for our cats forever. But my aesthetics just can't take it and we don't have a tucked away corner. Now the husband and daughter are threatening to make one ....
ReplyDeleteNope. They're not spoiled rotten in the least..
ReplyDelete:)
I know what you mean about how they can be ugly...I surrendered but bought a nice looking one for a mint a few years back, it has definitely been a hit and guests with cats always want to know where to get one - but I always tell them "you're not going to want to pay what they ask for it". At the time I justified it because I had just remodeled the living room and so I rolled it into the remodel expense. Definitely would not be able to rationalize that now...
ReplyDeleteOk, I think this makes you officially crazy-cat people.... I'm one too! Mary A
ReplyDeleteAwesome new addition for the girls, it looks like they were very pleased with the new addition to the decor.
ReplyDeleteWith your two beauties on the cat tree, it is beautimus!
OR, you could put it downstairs and maybe they will spend more time downstairs?
ReplyDeleteLaurie, I share your pain! My cats would love something to climb on, too, but I can't find one that isn't an expensive monstrosities. I wonder if any of our creative friends in the blogosphere could develop a cat tree that's more attractive to us vintage-lovers? That's a market waiting to happen.
ReplyDeleteThe thing is, no matter how attractive it is, to make it fun, it must be huge.
DeleteWe have a basket in the living room filled with cat toys, one of those 'bubbler' drinking bowl in a very conspicuous spot because it has to be plugged in, and good sized chunk of our herb garden is devoted to cat nip. No, we're not crazy cat people, not at all.
ReplyDeleteyou are a wonderful kitty mama! almost all cats adore cat trees, and you've made your girls very happy.
ReplyDeleteand justWAIT until the first time a batch of bitty kittens discovers it. GLORIOUS!
I was just looking online for other cat tree options, and both of these are significantly more modern than vintage, but I thought they were halfway attractive. That said, I'll probably go for something uglier and cheaper when I finally break down and get one.
ReplyDeletehttp://whiskerstudio.com/
The one I'm considering, so my cats can climb up to the loft bed in the spare room, is this: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001362AFS/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=floppycatscom-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B001362AFS
Hope this is helpful.
Neat. Mine is a Lotus Cat Tree...I think that was the name. I love the tree that you posted from Amazon, much more affordable.
DeleteOh my goodness! I don't know how you held out for so long. I have to restrain myself from buying more. The kitties LOVE them. Christmas came early for Bean and Wylla!
ReplyDeleteaww your under the paw just like the rest of us!!
ReplyDeleteI know just what you mean about the ugly factor. I compromised by getting smaller, low profile ones - which the cats love, and have made big, shredded messes of all of them.In the end, they all get shredded and look awful. I have not caved in yet to getting the tall, multi-story ones (shudder).
ReplyDeleteI've been enjoying the cheapness of "Catty Stacks." They are not super attractive but so much fun to build up! The cats like to crawl through the holes as a form of grooming. Oh cardboard, why do cats love you so!
ReplyDeleteI have yet to get one of these towers but I have a feeling my 3 would love it. I feel a crack coming in me too... it just may happen.
ReplyDeleteYour cats will get years of enjoyment out of that cat tree. As for the ugly factor, I came to the conclusion many years ago that clawed sofas, furry quilts, hawked up fur balls & giant cat trees in my carefully decorated home were the price I pay for endless unconditional love & years of companionship. I always get back more than I give to my rescued cats. Every time you see ugly look at the cats faces & see how happy you have made them,
ReplyDeleteI waited until it got dark outside to bring mine from the car into the house....
ReplyDeleteI've been thinking of getting one for my rickety old ladies, but I'd have to get two because they can't stand each other. And two would never fit.
ReplyDeleteMy brain has just come up with a Laurie worthy cat tower idea - a bunch of gorgeous vintage wooden crates, some with holes or doors cut in them, upholstered with dyed jute - covered cushions on top or something like that?
ReplyDeleteMy kitties LOVE their cat condos (2 small ones). And while they don't fit in to the décor either they are the best purchases we ever made! They can sit there for hours and watch their "shows" outside. Wish they would make some inexpensive decorative ones too!
ReplyDeleteOMC, I can't believe you don't have a cat tree or three already! I'm glad you finally gave in!
ReplyDelete