Pet merchandise are not at all times good to have a look at. Carpet-covered cat bushes and plastic toys do not notably mix in with decor, and should you dwell with a cat, you already know that sometimes you are going to go away rubbish round—like empty bins or a balled up serviette—as a result of that is what they like to play with. That is the value we pay for blissful cats. However not every thing meant for feline enrichment must be ugly or cheaply made.
Dwelling with three cats in flats and small houses, I’ve discovered that when every thing you personal is on show, you need it to look good. I additionally needed them to be constructed properly, with longevity in thoughts, and naturally, I wanted my cats to truly like them. So I began a mission to seek out stunning cat equipment. These are my (and my cats’) favorites.
Additionally, try our many different pet-related guides, just like the Greatest Cat Toys, Greatest Litter Bins, Greatest Feline Provides, Greatest Pet Cameras, and Greatest Vet Telemedicine.
Up to date November 2024: We have added the Archie & Oscar Henrietta cat tree, Omlet’s Change cat scratcher and Freestyle Cat Tree, and Dagne Dover’s Kyoto pet provider. We have additionally eliminated a discontinued product and up to date costs and hyperlinks all through.
Desk of Contents
Do Your Cats Want Fancy Furnishings?
Your cats want a couple of issues: a clear place to go to the lavatory, recent meals and water, and a complete lot of affection. They do not want a $600 litter field enclosure or $300 tree.
Cats are infamous for taking part in with the packaging the very costly merchandise got here in as a substitute of really utilizing that very costly merchandise. In case your cats solely need plastic toys and junky-looking bushes, give these trash goblins what they need. And what I personally like in fashion, chances are you’ll hate—but it surely’s a spot to start out if you would like to clean up your area.
Security Recommendation
I spoke with Russell Hartstein, animal behaviorist and founding father of the Los Angeles canine coaching facility Enjoyable Paw Care. He identified that some furnishings, whether or not low-cost or costly, may probably be held along with poisonous supplies like formaldehyde glue. The place attainable, I requested every of the businesses to substantiate the supplies used and have supplied their responses under.
When in search of merchandise for cats (or any pets!), hold an eye fixed out for small elements that could possibly be a choking hazard in the event that they got here undone. Be certain every thing is hooked up correctly to carry weight, particularly for items that require at-home meeting. Regulate issues which can be glued on, just like the rope typically hooked up to scratchers, to verify items of the dried glue aren’t uncovered. Even when the glue is unhazardous, you don’t need your pet consuming that.
Cat Bushes
Inexpensive and Stable
Fortunately, you do not have to spend a ton on a cat tree to get one thing that appears fairly good. My cats lounge on Catit’s small Vesper Field ($90) whereas I work (I hold it subsequent to my desk). It has a backside semi-enclosed space for some privateness, a center seat with a scratching submit and toy, and a prime mattress. All three ranges have furry pads that Velcro in. They arrive in a number of totally different configurations and shade choices.
The Vesper furnishings is produced from fiberboard with a laminate end. My cats have been utilizing it since 2020 with out something degrading—it made it backwards and forwards throughout the nation in packed U-Hauls too. Catit does supply alternative elements to increase the furnishings’s life. I’ve used a bunch of issues from Catit now, together with totally different water fountains, and it is a usually well-regarded model. It additionally provides a 30-day return window in case your cat finally ends up not liking it, and yow will discover merchandise at Chewy and Amazon too.
Catit assured me all of the Vesper furnishings is made with toxin-free supplies, and it follows the formaldehyde emission requirements (TSCA Title VI compliant) for composite wooden merchandise put forth by the EPA.
Runner-Up
The Mau Cento Tree bought essentially the most compliments of any furnishings I’ve owned. Past being fairly, my cats cherished it. I typically discovered two of them quick asleep in every basket, or my little woman Eely slumbered within the fuzzy cave. They leap on and off, scratch the designated scratchers, and play with the pom poms. It’s extremely costly, although elements are replaceable.
Every bit is produced from actual wooden (sourced ethically from bushes that “now not bear fruit,” in response to the corporate), and the model donates 5 p.c of earnings to animal welfare and environmental conservation organizations and vegetation a tree for each order. Mau shared take a look at outcomes with us that confirmed no lead, cadmium, or formaldehyde was detected within the merchandise examined—this included plush bedding, sisal ropes, metallic frames, particle board, tree trunk, plywood, and different woods and fillings. We have been blissful to see this, although the model didn’t explicitly state that the furnishings was unhazardous.
For Cats Who Want They Have been Outdoors
As really helpful by PETA and the Humane Society of the US, my two cats are indoor-only. Nevertheless, they nonetheless take pleasure in chattering and lunging at birds that go to our window hen feeder, and the Archie & Oscar Henrietta, a 5-foot-tall, three-tiered fake tree, checks two bins—it permits them a excessive place to sit down, and it satisfies their intuition to hide themselves from each prey and potential predators (young children, vacuums). Although meeting isn’t precisely a breeze, the tree appears nice in a room filled with houseplants, and the person branches will be popped in or out relying in your or your cats’ preferences—there are sufficient to cowl the entire tree, or simply partially, as my cats Circe and Scylla want.
Circe enjoys hanging out on the underside degree, concealing herself among the many leaves, and Scylla loves hanging out on the highest with among the branches eliminated, in addition to rubbing her face everywhere in the “stems” and “leaves.” Be aware that producer On2Pets confirmed that the tree parts are fabricated from unhazardous, pet-safe supplies, although cats shouldn’t be permitted to chew on the greenery. —Kat Merck
A Customizable System
There are cat bushes, after which there’s the Omlet Freestyle cat tree, which has extra in frequent with an erector set than it does the standard carpet-and-sisal quantity. Sturdy sufficient for even the biggest of cats, this modular assortment of metallic poles and solid-bamboo platforms is akin to Barbie’s DreamHouse for cat fanciers—you should purchase as many platforms, steps, beds, scratchers, and add-ons as you’d prefer to create something from a single pole in a nook to a maze that spans a whole room. There are pots for vegetation, rings for treats, scratchers, and pads.
Should you can’t resolve easy methods to construct your individual set, Omlet’s website provides a number of predesigned recommendations. Poles taller than 8 ft have to be bracketed right into a wall for stability, however not like comparable merchandise, Freestyle can accommodate ceilings as much as 12 ft excessive. My cats spend not less than a part of every day on a set that comes with two poles, scratchers, and beds (costs fluctuate relying on what number of parts you add). Nevertheless, convey your persistence—even my wholesome marriage was threatened over the meeting of two poles’ price of equipment. Should you do construct your individual, although, be sure to embody the tipi. My cats battle over theirs. —Kat Merck
Cat Beds
A Mushy Cave
Catenary’s Moon Cave provides two gentle mattress choices. In case your cats like small areas for napping, go away it as a cave. If they like some headroom, push down the highest to show it into a standard pet mattress. There are tons of two-in-one beds like this that yow will discover for reasonable, however I admire that the impartial, gentle design right here blends into the nook of my front room as a substitute of standing out like a brightly coloured toy. Possibly I used to be influenced by photographs on the web site, however I am imagining this wanting completely cozy beneath a Christmas tree this winter. The bouclé—aka looped yarn—can also be machine cleanable.
Window Beds
Cats love lounging within the solar, so beds that sit on the window make good sense. I have been utilizing the Ok&H Pet Merchandise Kitty Sill Fleece beds for years. It is not fancy, however the beige fleece blends in fairly properly. In case your home windows haven’t got sills for them to sit down on, there are alternatives with suction cups to stay proper on the glass.
Suction cup cat seats at all times make me nervous, particularly as a result of I’ve a pair hefty boys right here. However Tuft and Paw’s Cloud 9 Window Hammock is safe, so long as you completely clear your home windows and provides the cups time to actually stick. I’ve additionally used the Kitty Cot ($45), which is extra reasonably priced although not as aesthetically pleasing. I might suggest including one thing gentle to each—each supply blankets or pads for an additional value, however I want they could possibly be hooked up even with snaps or velcro, so they do not slip round if a cat leaps onto it.
Scratchers
The Greatest Scratcher
Not every bit of good cat furnishings must value a number of hundred bucks. I’ve used a couple of of PetFusions’s loungers they usually held up rather well underneath ferocious cat claws. In addition they look cool and are sturdy sufficient to assist my weight (typically ya gotta attain one thing up excessive, you already know). Cats can scratch one aspect to oblivion and then you definitely simply flip it to a wonderfully clear aspect.
Higher Cardboard Slabs
Corrugated cardboard scratchers are nice as a result of most cats love them, they usually’re straightforward to interchange. Excluding the big PetFusion lounger above, most are simply skinny rectangles. They do their job however do not appear like something particular. Catenary’s Bloom scratchers, although, take it up a notch, utilizing pet-safe dyes to create a wonderful, pure design mimicking wildlife. It has no affect on whether or not or not my cats will scratch them (they may), they usually actually look good on my ground. For $60, you get a set of three, and every one is reversible.
Do not have that a lot area to spare? The Boots and Barkley Wave Scratcher ($15) from Goal shouldn’t be as cute, however my cats like it.
A Stunning Aspect Desk Scratcher
Typically you see a product on Kickstarter and depend down the times till it is accessible—that is what I did with the Hilde & Phil Cat-e-Nook. It is an actual wooden aspect desk for you, a scratcher in your cats, and a protector in your furnishings arms. The sisal scratch mats are replaceable and fix to the wooden with sturdy velcro, so it is a long-term funding for you and your pets.
Relying on the peak of your furnishings, chances are you’ll want so as to add a riser. The web site has actual measurements, but when it is taller than 25 inches, you will want a 2-inch riser. If it is taller than 27 inches, get a 4-inch riser. The usage of risers additionally means you’ll be able to swap them in or out should you change furnishings as a substitute of getting to get a brand new desk altogether. I really like that the model is named after the founder’s cats—it is my dream to open a enterprise named after my beloved buddies.
A Scratching Put up With ~Vibes~
UK-based Omlet is understood for its predator-proof hen coops just like the Eglu Professional (8/10, WIRED Recommends), however up to now few years it has expanded its choices for different pets, together with cats. One of many heaviest, sturdiest cat scratchers I’ve ever seen, the Change is a 33-inch-tall, sisal-wrapped tube on a 16 x 16-inch bamboo base weighted with a big water bottle. It accommodates 12 totally different LED gentle reveals of curiosity to each cats and other people, from the traditional purple darting laser to coloured pinwheels and Tetris-like patterns, all with adjustable brightness, colours, and speeds. (My cats aren’t particularly involved in chasing the lights, although they do watch them.) Set it up in a darkish den or gaming room for a twin cat toy and dialog piece, or use it in a bed room as a nightlight.
Neither of my 10ish-pound home shorthairs may knock this over regardless of my waving a toy on the highest of it to check their full leaping weight, so it could possibly be a very good possibility for bigger or extra energetic breeds like Maine coons or Bengals. The sisal sleeve can also be replaceable ($45), so not like cheaper scratchers, the entire thing doesn’t have to be tossed when spent. Be forewarned, nevertheless, that this tree requires a prolonged and considerably difficult meeting, so be sure to have a few hours and a strong provide of endurance put aside. —Kat Merck
Sofa With Scratch Pads or a Cushion
The Work in Progress Cat Sofa is cute and can be utilized as a scratcher, a mattress, or each. The bottom value features a cardboard scratcher that may be flipped over after which changed (then you’ll be able to recycle the outdated one). Or you will get a actually fairly cushion for a further $110. One in all my cats instantly scratched and lounged on it—cats typically lounge immediately on cardboard scratchers, so you do not have to get the pillow straight away.
Like among the different merchandise on this listing, I believe it is costly given its simplicity. Nevertheless, Work in Progress (WIP) is a small enterprise. Should you can afford it, it is good to assist small companies like this, somewhat than a serious firm like Petco or Walmart. The Cat Sofa is manufactured from Baltic birch wooden in Arizona. It is completed and sealed, assembly the Greenguard low-emissions certification, so it must be secure for pets. The cushion is full of polyester and the duvet is a linen-cotton mix.
A Provider/Mattress Combo
I’ve tried fairly a couple of carriers throughout the value spectrum, and I used to be impressed by Tuft and Paw’s Porto Cat Provider (8/10, WIRED Recommends). It is gentle however sturdy, and does not collapse underneath the load of a cat. It has transported my cats to vet visits and saved them comfy within the automobile throughout a cross-country transfer. Some cats will sleep in any provider should you go away it out, however I like that this one will be remodeled into somewhat mattress by unzipping one aspect and unfolding the fake shearling pad. All the factor is framed in zippers, so it might go from a structured provider to fully flat. That offers you extra choices for getting fussy cats in or out.
An Upscale Provider/Mattress Combo
My cat Scylla is unusually choosy about the place she sleeps, however she is obsessive about snoozing within the soft-sided Dagne Dover Kyoto pet provider. (It’s additionally common amongst our workers with canines—WIRED reviewer Julian Chokkattu makes use of it to tote his pup to the seaside.) The bag as a mattress is smart from a cat perspective—it’s mainly a field, which cats love, with opaque sides to make them really feel secure and mesh screens on the back and front to allow them to keep watch over issues. In contrast to many precise cat beds, the Kyoto’s gentle sherpa mattress insert additionally has a zip-off, washable cowl.
I additionally love that it opens from the highest, which makes it a lot simpler for wrangling and inserting noncompliant animals, and that it’s each TSA-compliant (it might match underneath an airline seat) and permits Scylla to have a secure and acquainted area every time I have to take her someplace. I’ve the big measurement, which inserts pets as much as 20 kilos, however there’s additionally a small possibility for pets 15 kilos and underneath. Seat belt loops add a layer of security for automobile rides, and the whole bag collapses flat for storage. —Kat Merck
Litter Bins and Enclosures
A Nice Primary Litter Field
My cats are completely effective utilizing plain outdated litter bins, and yours most likely are too. You may class it up a bit with bins disguised as vegetation or hidden inside aspect tables, however Tuft and Paw’s Cove litter field takes a easy litter pan and elevates it.
It is hefty, so it will not transfer round in case your cats prefer to kick. Talking of kicking, the removable shelter retains litter and pee inside—simply in case your cat has a excessive stream. The field has a devoted area for the included scoop and dustpan. Nevertheless, I want you might buy the shelter individually. Weirdly, this field does not match into the model’s litter field enclosure, however the model launched a brand new Cubby model ($69) that does work with its fashionable Haven Enclosure ($699)—we have not tried the Haven, however we have been coveting it from afar.
The Greatest Litter Field Enclosure
Placing a litter field inside a bit of furnishings meant to hide it can provide your cats some privateness, conceal odors, and conceal little turds out of your friends.
Tuft and Paw’s litter field enclosure is among the most stunning items of furnishings I’ve seen, but it surely’s pricier than a variety of us can afford. WIRED reviewer Louryn Strampe has tried this Rena Litter Field Enclosure from Wayfair although, and you may typically discover it for round $120ish (and normally even much less). It merely is not as fairly as Tuft and Paw, but it surely does not appear like a poop receptacle both, and there is ample area on prime for some decorations to additional mix it in with your own home.
