Hello,

I'm looking to buy a cat tree for my bengal kitten that I will be picking up in just a few short weeks, and I'm having a heck of a time deciding between a few options. I'm looking at only quite tall trees (75-78"), since I know how much bengals like to be way up. The two brands that I'm deciding between are Armarkat and Kitty Mansions. They both are mostly well-reviewed, but I wasn't sure if anyone else had some input they'd like to share. If you're in the mood, these are the 4 trees I'm debating between (I did find the ones that say they are sold out available on another site):
http://www.wayfair.com/Armarkat-78-Clas ... M1027.html (slightly boring)
http://www.wayfair.com/Armarkat-78-Ultr ... M1042.html (lots to do but also slightly boring design)
http://www.wayfair.com/Kitty-Mansions-7 ... Z1040.html (very fun, but pricey)
http://www.wayfair.com/Kitty-Mansions-7 ... Z1003.html (best price & fun design but not as much for kitty to do)

Thanks for the input!

I ordered a Go Pet Club one from Wayfair and I and the kitties really like it. It is sturdy and cleans up very easily, it was also cheaper than the other brands. Sign up for wayfairs e-mail list prior to ordering, they will send you a coupon code or be sure to search for a coupon code.

I would be wary or the ones with foliage as the cat may chew on or get caught up on it, both safety issues. Also think about stability in the tree as Bengals tend to be pretty hard on then. Mine will scale our tall tree in about three seconds.

A problem I can see with all three is the faux fur covering. We have one that, online, appeared wonderful...2 hidey-boxes, multiple platforms, great height.

In reality, the faux fur covering makes it much less attractive to our cat than the (only) 5 1/2' tall, 3 level, and much less costly carpet-covered tree.

Faux fur does not give a good grip on kitty claws like the carpeting.

Good luck in your search!

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~ Kyenta

May I recommend this one?

http://www.therefinedfeline.com/lotus-cat-furniture.htm

Myself not a fan of carpet, and some of the add ons (Toys) may or may not ever be used, but platforms will always used. The lotus builds easy, and I love the look in our house.

Good for you for investing in a substantial cat tree. That's one of the best things you can get your kitten imo. I can vouch for the Armacat 78" (the first one on your list). Very good cat tree. I put cat beds on those two perches and my bengals sleep up there all the time. I would avoid the 3rd one, as that one just seems incredibly poorly conceived to me (only one way up, no easy way down, narrow base etc). To me that is just a debacle of a design.

The last one also looks very good to me. It's similar in design to another tree I have, which is also extremely popular.

I wouldn't worry too much about "stuff to do". Because what your cat will want to do most is climb it, play with the dangling toy (it's amazing how big of a deal THAT is to cats...but it will be destroyed the first week, lol), and sleep on it. So you mostly just want a good, solid, tall tree that supports provides good scratching posts, long climbing poles, and large enough spaces to sleep (don't forget your cat will get MUCH bigger...).

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The little monsters 3

I have the first Armarket cat tree that you have linked. I chose that one because it has a small footprint and I had only a short wall that I could place it up against. Raiden loves it. He'll get in the condo and I'll play with his toys through the diamond opening on the side (that you have to cut out yourself). Raiden uses the scratching posts and loves to sleep on the platforms that are a perfect size for him. This cat tree is very sturdy. Raiden will come running and jump up on it and it barely sways. I will say a Mollie and Friends cat tree is by far the sturdiest and best made, but they are also expensive. I have their 37" hammock/sleeper out in Raiden's enclosure and he loves sleeping on the sleeper. I also purchased a less expensive cat tree that has a smaller sleeper on top with steps (platforms that he can lay on). Unfortunately, it was completely top heavy and Raiden would tip it over as he jumped down off it. My husband put a large piece of 3/4" plywood under the base and now Raiden can't tip it.

I'm going to recommend you go for the best that you can afford. The tree will get a lot of wear and tear. I know Armarket has several other set ups and I couldn't tell you if they are well designed or built. The one I have is quite sturdy. There are some fancy cat trees with more than enough nooks and crannies for the kitties, but I wonder sometimes if they use them all.

I noticed the price listed for the one like I have is a lot more than I paid for it. I ordered mine through Amazon well over year ago. Wayfair is a great company, too.

Neets, that is a cool tree. My Bengal would LOVE climbing up that. I am going to check them out!

Thanks to everyone for the helpful replies! I had been leaning towards the Armarket trees as I did read lots of positive reviews on them, and them seem quite solidly built. Thank you Christo and Sherry for the suggestions-- I had seen the Refined Feline tree and looked EXTENSIVELY all over the internet for the Molly & Friends trees hoping to find a sale price somewhere that was in my budget, but unfortunately while I'm still a student those two are beyond what I can justify spending on a cat tree at the moment... maybe in 8-10 years ;)
I did also sign up for the wayfair email list so thank you for that suggestion! Coupons are always nice.
I will look into Cloud 9 Cat Trees--thank you Neets! I have not heard of that company yet and I do like the look of that tree, and especially like that they're customizable! Hopefully they have a few options under the $200 mark

That cloud9 tree does look really good to me. I'm envious of the REAL long climbing poles, and the nests look good too. I may consider one in the future when I need to replace one of my old ones.

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The little monsters 3