Catry

Catry makes flat-pack cat trees, towers and scratching posts: particle-board frames under plush covering, with rope-wrapped posts running between the levels. The range at The Pets Club runs from a 65 cm kitten tower up to a 216 cm floor-to-ceiling tree, in grey, brown and beige, or black and beige.

Choosing a Size

• Low, 56 to 65 cm - the Low Scratching Post and the Small Tower with Barrel Condo. A cat steps onto these rather than jumping, so they suit kittens, senior cats and cats with stiff joints, and they fit in a small flat.
• Mid, 91 to 122 cm - the two scratching trees with bowl beds, plus the towers with a condo, a ladder or a sisal ramp. Enough height for a proper lookout without dominating the room.
• Tall, 137 to 216 cm - the two-condo tower, the tower with a tunnel and hammocks, and the two floor-to-ceiling trees. These are for cats that genuinely want altitude, and they all need a wall behind them.

What the Features Mean

• Condo - an enclosed box with a doorway, for a cat that likes to sleep hidden.
• Hammock or bowl bed - a soft cradle. Comfortable, but a heavy cat will usually prefer a solid platform.
• Tunnel - a barrel or tube fixed into the frame, used for sleeping as much as for play.
• Ramp or ladder - a stepped or sloped route onto the first level, which matters if your cat does not jump well.
• Rope-wrapped posts - the scratching surface. Vertical posts let a cat stretch out fully, which is what most cats want.

Good To Know

• Every Catry piece arrives flat-packed and needs building. Tighten every bolt fully, and re-check them every few months, because climbing works them loose over time.
• Anything over about a metre is top-heavy. Stand it against a wall on a hard, level floor and strap it to the wall with a furniture anchor if one is not in the box.
• Measure your ceiling before ordering the 200 cm or 216 cm trees.
• Scratching is normal, healthy behaviour, not damage. Put the tree next to whatever your cat is already scratching, then move it gradually once they switch over. Never punish a cat for scratching.
• Dangling pompoms and ropes are for supervised play. A cat that chews and swallows string can get a dangerous gut blockage, so cut the toy off if yours is a chewer.
• Cats guard high spots. In a multi-cat home, two or three smaller trees spread around the house work better than one big one in a corner.
• A cat that suddenly stops climbing, or will not use a tree it used to love, is often in pain. Arthritis is common in cats and easy to miss - have them checked by a vet rather than assuming they have gone off it.