Cat Trees and Kitten

[RedKittens]

Are they worth the money and do your cats use them? I want to give our kitten somewhere high to sit as an alternative to the curtains. Have you got any recommendations on size/type please?

I got mine from zooplus. Both cats use them as scratching posts and 1 uses it as a bed. They both used to share the bed part but they don't fit in it well together any more

I bought a 1.8m high tree quite cheaply on ebay, and it has been used every day (4 years).

That’s encouraging thank you! @dementedpixie gorgeous photos. Here is kitten, arrives next week so I am nesting and prepping

Kitten will be 12 weeks old so I have got a chunky, sturdy scratching post and big litter trays. How do you clean the tree? Or does it not need it?

Mine is 3 years old now and bits of it are probably a bit grubby now but can be spot cleaned. The top sleeping bit comes off and can be machine washed and there is a thin cushion in the cubby hole that can also be washed

We have two and they are used all the time, 11 years old, some had to be replaced as shredded to bits. I have replaced old sisal myself recently, bought a roll of it on eBay, so didn't have to throw away the whole thing. Cleaning wise I just hoover it, ours are indoor only, so pretty clean.

Thanks! So looks like the trees last a few years at least which makes the investment worth while.

11 years! Money well spent then.

I think kitten will be an indoors cat as we are indoors people. I’m open to seeing how things develop with regards to going out.

My cat has never been into cat trees and despite light use I have never had one last more than a couple of years.
They tend to be be very flimsily made in my experience.

The only scratch post mine has somewhat taken to is a flat seagrass circle, I have to keep glueing the seagrass back onto it.
It originally had a very tiny scratch post attached to it.
For kittens really rather than full grown cats but she liked it.
Very shoddily made, it was £15 from jollyes.
The post was cheap shitty rubber/plastic and cracked leaving just the circular base.

If you are planning to keep a Siamese as an indoor cat I hope you have a very large house and a great deal of toys.
Siamese are very high energy cats!
Very sociable too, you’d be better off with two littermates imo.

This has lasted my 2 cats well. They also like a wavy scratcher I got from zooplus

This is the zooolus scratcher

I have got this one and a fat boy scratching post.

@dementedpixie I should have started a thread requesting photos of cats on cat trees. Therein lies the joy! Thank you for all of the suggestions.

@frostedviolets high energy, muscular and noisy I’m open minded to indoors or out. Do you have siamese cats?

I have a cat tree, got it from PAH. In the 3 weeks they have had it, my boys have detached and wrecked the hanging ball, scratched the mid level basket so much it is unwinding and managed to pull off the protectors for the screw heads and lose them. It rocks alarmingly when they leap out of it or onto it. Having said that, they do love it! They are only 12 weeks now, but can't imagine it lasting when they are much bigger or heavier.

high energy, muscular and noisy grin I’m open minded to indoors or out. Do you have siamese cats?
No, my dad used to breed them though

@bananasplitlady I am putting it next to the very old piano which won’t mind a good scratching as it is battered already. I expect kitten will detach and wreck and love everything.

Kitten will be 12 weeks when I collect him so pretty sturdy by then for breed and kitten age.

@frostedviolets ah! any advice welcome please. I had an Old English Sheepdog so have some experience of grooming, care, commitment and space but not with a siamese.

I’m expecting a cat to be more agile and to have more height to its movement do you need to clear ornaments/picture frames/vases from shelves etc or is that not necessary?

Grooming, they have a short fine coat so grooming is minimal.
Just a quick weekly brush will be more than adequate.
More for bonding really than necessity.

They are typically an active and very sociable/engaging breed of cat.
That is, rather than sleep the day away they tend to be very clingy and ‘in your face’ wanting to see what you are up to all the time.
Typically very vocal as well.
The oriental breeds are likened to dogs in that respect, they like to be with their person generally.

Be aware that female oriental breeds, like Siamese, can reach sexual maturity earlier than bigger/heavier breeds.
A female may come into heat as early as 16 weeks!

Clearing vases etc really depends on the individual cat.
Some are very careful and others are very clumsy!

Thank you @frostedviolets we have a boy kitten and I am planning to neuter at 17 weeks. I know 6 months was the norm but vets seem to be edging towards 4 months. I don’t mind scratched furniture but would like to avoid spraying, mating and wandering.

I’ve gone completely off tree with this thread.

Some breeders early neuter their kittens but if he is entire then yes, 16 weeks I would neuter him or before if the vet is willing.

Evidence asfaik currently does not suggest early neutering in cats to be harmful as it can be in dogs, though I am willing to be proved wrong if more up to date research exists.

Sometimes if you are late in neutering, behaviour like spraying persists so you want to neuter before he starts marking his territory.

The other thing I would say, maybe I’m just too much of a worrier, but because Siamese are ‘distinctive’ and obviously a valuable pedigree cat I would really think hard about cat proofing your garden and letting him have outdoor access there but not beyond in case someone tries to pinch him.
Because they are typically so active I do suspect that he’ll probably want to explore outside.

Kitten is gorgeous! Mine have had this one (it's a section of a bigger one which I couldn't bolt to the wall because the conservatory is all glass) for seven years - still going strong, although I'm after some replacement beds for the top now. Well worth it - zooplus do a great range for sensible money :)

Damn, pic didn't work!

The best thing we ever spent money was on a cat barrel - look on Zooplus.

They all love it, MIL was a convert and all hers do too.

Several friends have on my recommendation and theirs all love it too.

We just bought a new one to replace the 8 year old one as it sits in our entrance hall but have past it on to a friend.