Carpet covered cat Condo thingies....advice on how to choose

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Martica and Fred

Martica and Fred

Member Since 2010
Hi
Unfortunately the time has come, I fear, to invest in one, or even 2 cat condos. I never thought I'd resort to getting one of these hideous contraptions. However, after having 3 cats sprawled across my desk at any given time while I am trying to work on my computer...I'm now thinking that having a cat-condo in my home office could be a smart idea...and maybe elsewhere as well so that they maybe are less on furniture and more on that thing...

They are extremely expensive, but I also am aware that if you buy a cheap one they can be flimsy and topple over...

I would like to get one that is as unobtrusive as possible--possibly taller rather than wider so I can stick it in a corner.

I ordered a fantastic 50 inch tall scratching post from Angelical Cat company http://www.angelicalcat.com/c1_scratch_posts.shtml
and it was pricey but worth it--the cats all love it--it's very sturdy and they even climb up it like a tree.
Probably going with this company is a good bet for a condo, however, they are in the $300-600 range. http://www.angelicalcat.com/c2_pagoda_cat_tree.shtml and http://www.angelicalcat.com/c2_tall_cat_tree.shtml

Are there any other companies that are good, or better?

What sort of things should I look out for when choosing one of these things?

Are some of those perches and cubbyholes better than others?

What about cleaning the things--presumably you just vacuum them all?

If anyone has any strong opinions with tips/advice on buying a cat condo, I'd appreciate it.

thanks!

* Yikes I just noticed that the shipping costs for one of these from Angelical is an ADDITIONAL $300
 
Re: Carpet covered cat Condo thingies....advice on how to ch

Martica,

Mel( Momma of Muse) just found this great place for me. I just posted over in Community about a cat tree.

http://www.acecatfurniture.com/Cat-Trees

They have some good ones and I just broke the one I had they also have free shipping.

Terri
 
Re: Carpet covered cat Condo thingies....advice on how to ch

Thanks Terry, did you break one that you bought from them, or another brand altogether? How did it break?

I'll check this one out...
 
Re: Carpet covered cat Condo thingies....advice on how to ch

Cats like to perch, so one way to do that is to take some small, wall shelves and fasten them to the wall in a staggered pattern so the cats can climp up and view things from above. Home improvement stores like Home Depot and Lowes carry or can order them.
 
Re: Carpet covered cat Condo thingies....advice on how to ch

Thanks BJM...yes I've seen some of these cat shelves too and thought of that as well, although getting shelves up brings a whole new time/hassle/money factor into the equation (I'll have to hire someone to do it since I can't/don't have the tools--don't know how to do all those screws or whatever.) But it might be a more attractive solution....I just can't believe these darn things are so expensive. They are just wood and carpet and a few screws!
 
Re: Carpet covered cat Condo thingies....advice on how to ch

I just got this Foster And Smith Mega Spiral I haven't (my DBF hasn't) put it together yet. It came really fast in the mail and the shipping was free. It looks really sturdy and I bought it because J.D. likes to hang out on back of the couch, but doesn't climb up into my other cat's condo because he's older and this one had great reviews as far as being a good condo for older kitties and most imporant of all it has big stairs and a big 17 inch perch, as J.D. is a big cat. And the company is really good.
 
Re: Carpet covered cat Condo thingies....advice on how to ch

Thanks Dyana. Yes I was checking out the Fosters & Smith products...def. a little cheaper, although some of the reviews say that the taller ones are wobbly, too. Please report back once you've put it together, how stable it is.

I would like something tall because they def. LOVE to get up high--and some of the better quality ones make the condo so the cat can climb up shelf by shelf, rather than up the poles...so ok for older cats. I also want ideally a scractching post attached to it that is longer than the 50" one I already have. They all LOVE that tall post and I like for them to be able to stretch like that and climb...I guess I need to be ready to shell out $700...yikes.

I just saw this cat shelf system: http://www.petfooddirect.com/product/51 ... medium=cse

It has some good photos up of it...although at $66/shelf, it is pricey, too.
 
Re: Carpet covered cat Condo thingies....advice on how to ch

Shadow has these two... for the height and because they are sturdy.
The thing I like most about the first one= whisker city brand is the rope on the posts.... it's far easier to replace the rope ( staple gun
and new rope ) when it wears out. But I can do that to the other one ( molly and friends brand) when she finishes ripping up the carpeted
posts.... I'll just replace the carpet with rope....


http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=12564494&lmdn=Brand&f=PAD/psNotAvailInUS/No

http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=12298344&lmdn=Brand&f=PAD/psNotAvailInUS/No

you can find the molly and friends online and comparison shop .... ( not the other one- you will have to find one in a petsmart)
just do a google shopping search....


I also find that she likes the big round perches with short walls.... she likes feeling contained .... not like she can roll off and fall ....

the aramarkat brand is crap. they aren't sturdy.
 
Re: Carpet covered cat Condo thingies....advice on how to ch

the shelf system you found at petfooddirect.... those are pretty neat....
just make sure you use molly bolts with the installation unless you are lucky enough to hit the studs in the wall.... :smile:
 
Re: Carpet covered cat Condo thingies....advice on how to ch

I would check at your local pet store. I bought a 3-cubby, 3-foot tall one for $60. They had much bigger ones, all very sturdy, with the most expensive one being $150. Plus you don't have to pay shipping. I don't know if you have PetCo and PetSmart around you, but they also carry them for around $50 for the smaller ones up to $400 max for the really big ones that take up half a room, floor to ceiling.

I also second BJM's recommendation about DIY shelves. I'm planning on doing that in the near future, especially to redirect Henry's jumping needs off my kitchen counter. ;-)
 
Re: Carpet covered cat Condo thingies....advice on how to ch

Martica

No I broke an old one I had that was about 11 years old, I tipped it over to clean it and it broke in half. So I ordered a new one from Ace Cat Furniture.
I bought one that is really tall because my 3 year old likes to climb, I only paid about 200.00 for it and it is almost identical to the one I had. Like I said also free shipping.

Terri
 
Re: Carpet covered cat Condo thingies....advice on how to ch

a couple years ago, someone on the board recommended this company. http://shop.newcatcondos.com/

I checked it out and ordered a very simple 3 tier cat tower. Buster uses it every day. Maui doesn't know it's there and prefers the sofa, which is fine, there is no fighting. As you can see there are lots of options and sizes to choose from
 
Re: Carpet covered cat Condo thingies....advice on how to ch

I agree, Amarkat trees are not that great, the truth be told, its possible someone is making inferior trees that look like Amarkat trees. For that reason, anything that LOOKS like Amarkat I am suspicious. They have a very distinct look.

We have had some donated at the shelter (that had Amarkat name on them) and they are usually light wood/heavy cardboard covered in thin fabric like felt, they wobble, and do not seem designed for normal sized cats.. large cats will have problems on many of their trees. Oh and can you say Ikea--you have to usually put Amarkat trees together yourself. Usually we just give them to the kittens and get maybe one or 2 kitten seasons out of them. My coworker ordered one online and had to return it because it was so small it was a joke. Her cats head would have barely fit thru the door of the house.

This sizing issue is more of a concern buying online so make sure you check dimensions. One time Petco had a tree on sale, showed a cat photoshopped sitting on a ledge playing with a hanging ball.... totally misrepresented this little 1.5' "bush". Barely big enough for 6 month old kittens.

Check out Catsplay.com. FDMB used to be affiliate but I dont see the link anymore. They sell trees from many different companies. A lot of the trees have free shipping/sales
Also, it wont be as tall as you want but you can get smaller trees from Angelical that ship UPS. still can be pricey but not as expensive as Freight..and with angelical you know you are getting a quality product. Our shelter had gotten a bunch of Angelical trees when the adoption center first opened, in 1998! and we still have many of the original trees. And they take a bigger beating than in your home.
There have also appeared some Angelical copycats, not saying they are inferior, dont know..but you may find something similar to Angelicals with a smaller pricetag.

I also want to mention that you really want to look at the way the ledges are arranged, especially on tall thin trees, because even tho they may not have problems getting up there now, when they are older they may be less able. I had gotten 2 tall trees, but the ledges are not easily climbable. To make the tree balance, they cant make the ledges stick out too much, which means that a large/clumsy/older cat may not be able to get enough leverage to jump to the next level. Janeway Conor and Merlyn had no issues with them. Now with Baloo (23lbs) and Carly (major arthritis) I gave away one (baloo came with his own shorter tree) and will be replacing the other 5.5' with another one like Baloos more easily climbable. (too bad I am not near you!)

Cleaning, you can vacuum but what we do at the shelter is "glove" them. Spray bottle, can just be water or a diluted enzyme solution.. gloves, like medical gloves. Spray tree to dampen, and start rubbing all over with your gloved hand. Depending on carpet type, you may have to repeat. Berber somehow lets the hair cling better LOL.
It will amaze you. The hair balls up and then you get a slicker brush and brush the hair off. maybe other kinds would work but this is similar to what we use in shelter.
http://www.petsmart.com/product/ind...ferralID=bcaed6e3-7ab2-11e2-8751-001b2166c2c0
 
Re: Carpet covered cat Condo thingies....advice on how to ch

I just bought one for my 2 cats at www.PremierPetLiving.com and it is 6 feet tall! They have a lot of different ones to choose from and my cats love it! I also bought a window sill seat for one of my cats cause he loves to sit in the window sill but he's too big and calls off, he loves it, he's always there. Check them out, they always have something that is on sale and you get free shipping if you spend more than $150.
 
Re: Carpet covered cat Condo thingies....advice on how to ch

I love, love, love the idea of cat shelves!

http://www.hauspanther.com/2013/01/08/handcrafted-wooden-cat-shelves-from-kittyoverlords/

http://practicallyfunctional.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/Cat-Shelves-480x319.png

http://jacksongalaxy.com/2012/07/24/catification-creating-a-cat-loft/

My cats don't have claws(thanks to their orginal 'Mum'...don't get me started... angry(2)_cat ), so can't really climb, but if they did, I'd make them some of these.

cat_pet_icon
 
Re: Carpet covered cat Condo thingies....advice on how to ch

Lisa and Merlyn (GA) said:
I agree, Amarkat trees are not that great, the truth be told, its possible someone is making inferior trees that look like Amarkat trees. For that reason, anything that LOOKS like Amarkat I am suspicious. They have a very distinct look.

We have had some donated at the shelter (that had Amarkat name on them) and they are usually light wood/heavy cardboard covered in thin fabric like felt, they wobble, and do not seem designed for normal sized cats.. large cats will have problems on many of their trees. Oh and can you say Ikea--you have to usually put Amarkat trees together yourself. Usually we just give them to the kittens and get maybe one or 2 kitten seasons out of them. My coworker ordered one online and had to return it because it was so small it was a joke. Her cats head would have barely fit thru the door of the house.
Click to expand...

I must have lucked out then, because my Amarakat is very sturdy and big! Kismet is a very BIG cat. He weighed close to 20 lbs (pr-diagnosis) when we first got it, and he bounds up and down it easily and fits on all of the shelves. Yes, you must assemble it yourself, but it comes with all the tools you need and very user friendly instructions. If assembling something myself means I save $200, I am more than happy to do the labor! I can't speak for other models, but I would recommend mine. We've had it for about 3 years and have had absolutely no issues with it. It doesn't wobble, it's made out of very heavy, sturdy, carpeted wood. The one I have is "Beige with Silver Gray Condo." The dimensions are 30"L x 28"W x 65"H. It's about 6 feet tall. Kismet on his Tower 1 Kismet on tower 2
 
Re: Carpet covered cat Condo thingies....advice on how to ch

I have been using the Angelical cat condo & pagoda for over 10 years. It's till very sturdy & well worth the money (yes, very expansive esp if you count the shipping charge from US to HK) With 21 cats at home, that cat tree really stands!
I bought all different brands ACE , china made trees ets, all broke down within a month or two. The carpet covering the cat tree just flown out after the scratching. The inside is not wood but cardboard paper.
I wanted to have an additional Angelical but they dont ship overseas now :-|
 
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