If you’re lucky enough to be owned by a cat or two (yes, you read that right), you may be thinking about getting them a cat tree. If this happens to be the case, you might be wondering how many cat trees you need to purchase.
The answer to this question mostly depends on how many cats are in your home and also how much space you have overall. If you have only one cat, usually one decent size cat tree will suffice.
One large size cat tree may even be sufficient for two cats. At the end of the day, it’s really about personal preference and the territorial patterns of your cat.
What I mean by this is if you have two cats that happen to be very territorial with their spaces, it would probably be better to get them each their own separate cat tree.
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Are Cat Trees Dangerous?
First, let’s tackle this concern right off the bat. I would argue that 99.99% of the time, cat trees are not dangerous.
In fact, cat trees provide your cat with an area of their own where they can feel safe. Cat trees can also prevent your cat from becoming bored.
So what exactly makes a cat tree too dangerous for your cat? In the past, cat trees were made with materials that can be toxic to your cat. One such material is PVC.
While PVC itself is not toxic, the chemicals used to treat household grade PVC can very much be toxic to your precious feline companion.
Other chemicals found on cat trees that may be toxic to your cat include Lead, Formaldehyde, and any plastic that is not BPA free.
Another hazard that might make a cat tree dangerous is if the tree itself was not assembled correctly.
This is dangerous to your cat for obvious reasons such as the possibility that the tree could collapse on your cat and hurt it.
Do Cats Need Cat Trees?
If you don’t have a sufficient number of window perches or other similar types of shelving for your cat, then yes, your cat definitely needs a cat tree.
Cats love to be high up off the ground. Cats also love having their own little spaces that they can hide in when they are scared or want to sleep in peace.
A good quality cat tree will provide these benefits and much more. Most cat trees also have scratching posts and hanging toys attached.
No matter how you look at it, purchasing a cat tree for your precious feline is a win-win situation for both you and your cat.
Which Cat Tree Is Best?
In my opinion, the best type of cat tree is one that is as high up as possible with as many levels as possible. A great cat tree will also include at least one scratching post and a hanging cat toy for your cat to play with. It should have ample space for your cat to relax in as well.
If you have limited space, you should get a cat tree that works best in the little area you do have. It is possible to find cat trees that aren’t as tall but that also have hanging toys and scratching posts as well as a place for your cat to relax. I recommend this particular style available here.
Where Is The Best Place To Put a Cat Tree?
In my opinion, the best place to put a cat tree is next to a window. The reasoning behind this is pretty obvious. Cats love to look outside!
Being able to look outside stimulates your cat’s senses and can also provide hours of cheap entertainment for them.
You’ll want to make sure that the cat tree is placed in a warm and brightly lit room. Should you decide to purchase an extra cat tree, it can be placed in your bedroom.
This will allow your cat to sleep in your room with you but in its own comfortable spot.
This will also help if your cat tends to scratch at the door at night. Now you can let them in, and they will absolutely be thrilled with having their own little area.
How Do You Attract a Cat To a Cat Tree?
When you first have your new cat tree set up in your home, you may find that your cat becomes a bit sketchy towards it. This is completely normal and should be expected for at least the first couple of days.
However if your cat seems to be having trouble adjusting to the new cat tree, you might try putting one of their favorite toys up on one of the ledges.
Another way to entice your cat onto the new tree is to sprinkle catnip onto the tree. This of course will only work if your cat actually reacts to catnip. I say this because some cats just never have any reaction to this plant like most cats do.
Don’t be too worried if it seems like your cat hates the tree though. It is often the smell of the new tree that your cat is really sketchy about and not the tree itself.
If it feels like this may be the case for your cat, just give it a little more time. Once the new tree starts smelling more and more like home, your cat will forget all about how scared they were and curiosity is likely to take over from there.
Final Thoughts
The number of cat trees that you need will ultimately be a matter of your cat’s territorial habits and the space you have for one of these trees.
If you have the space to have multiple cat trees, the more the better. This will give your cat a lot of freedom.
If you’re serious about improving your cat’s quality of life, get them a cat tree or two. I promise you, they will love it and they will love you even more than before.
They will absolutely love everything about their new cat tree such as climbing it and hiding in one of the enclosures. And if you’ve placed your cat tree in a sunny spot right next to a window, they will love it even more.
In my opinion, you just can’t go wrong with providing your feline companion with a decent cat tree.