Home›Learn›Education

Does My Cat Need a Cat Tree?

Why cats need vertical space, whether a cat tree is the right way to provide it, and how to choose and place one your cat will actually use.

Choolip Team5 Oct 2026 · 6 min read

A gray and white cat resting on the padded top perch of a sturdy sisal cat tree beside a sunny window, looking out at the garden

Your cat needs vertical space, and a cat tree is one of the easiest ways to provide it. Feline veterinary guidelines treat raised perches as a basic need for every cat, especially indoor cats.

Shelves, a cleared windowsill or sturdy furniture can do the same job. What matters is a safe, stable spot up high where your cat can rest, watch and scratch.

Why do cats like being up high?

Height makes a cat feel safe. The AAFP and ISFM environmental needs guidelines explain that cats hunt alone, so an injury is a serious risk for them. Their instinct is to avoid trouble rather than face it.

A high perch lets a cat see what's coming long before it arrives. The guidelines put it simply: access to an elevated area increases a cat's vertical space and allows it to monitor its environment.

Here's the surprising part. The same guidelines note that if a cat cannot see a potential threat, it feels safer, even when its whole body isn't hidden. That's why so many cats love a perch with raised sides or a cozy dip in the middle.

Being able to retreat also gives a cat a sense of control, which the guidelines describe as satisfying in itself. A cat dozing at the top of a tall cat tree is doing exactly what her instincts ask for.

So does every cat need a cat tree?

Every cat needs somewhere high to go. A cat tree is one convenient way to give her that.

The AAFP and ISFM call meeting a cat's environmental needs essential, not optional, and list elevated perches alongside food, water, litter boxes and resting places. The AAFP's 2024 position statement adds that indoor-only cats need safe territory with vertical space.

That vertical space can take several forms:

a cat tree or "kitty condo," which Cornell's Feline Health Center notes can help occupy your cat's time with perches and crawl spaces
wall shelves or perches, spaced so she can step between them
a cleared windowsill or the top of a sturdy bookcase
a cardboard box on its side with a perch on the roof, an option the AAFP guidelines show

A cat tree earns its place because it bundles several needs into one piece of furniture: a perch, a hiding spot and a scratching surface. For many homes, that's simpler than rearranging the room.

Can a cat tree help with scratching?

Often, yes. Scratching is normal cat behavior, and a cat tree gives it a home. Large survey data back this up.

In a survey of 4,331 cat owners in the Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery, cats scratched their preferred surface more often when the post was a simple upright or a cat tree with two or more levels, at least 3 feet high.

The same study found that rope was the most-used surface when owners offered it. Cats aged 10 to 14 leaned toward carpet. Narrower bases were also used more often than very wide ones.

Owner surveys have limits, since they rely on what people report. Still, the AAFP's Claw Friendly toolkit uses the same "2 to 3 levels, at least 3 feet tall" finding as a starting point. Our guide to choosing a cat scratcher covers the rest.

What should I look for in a cat tree?

It shouldn't wobble

Stability comes first. Cornell's advice for scratching posts is that they should be sturdy enough not to topple over during use, and the AAFP toolkit says the same.

Give it a firm push before you bring your cat near it. If yours came with a wall strap, use it.

Tall enough to stretch

Height matters for scratching. Cornell recommends a post at least as tall as your cat standing on her hind legs with her front legs stretched out. The survey's 3-foot mark is a useful minimum for a cat tree.

Perches she can actually lie on

The AAFP and ISFM guidelines say a perch should be wide and long enough for a cat to fully stretch out. Their ideal perch is raised, padded, and has a hammock-style dip that helps her feel hidden.

A sisal post and a hideaway

Look for at least one sisal-wrapped post, given how often rope wins in surveys. An enclosed box or condo gives shyer cats a place to rest out of sight.

Handy? Cornell notes you can build your own by covering pieces of wood with carpet, fabric or sisal and nailing them together into a cat tree with climbing perches.

Where should I put it?

Near a window, if you can. The AAFP toolkit recommends placing some scratch posts and perches by windows, so your cat can watch birds and squirrels. It calls this mentally stimulating.

The environmental needs guidelines agree that indoor resting areas should include a spot with a view of the outdoors. A perch by the glass becomes a front-row seat to the street.

Keep it separate from her food and water bowls and litter box. The guidelines advise giving each key resource its own location, which spreads her territory out and gives her choices.

If she seems unsure at first, entice her with play or a favorite toy at the top. A relaxed cat on a high perch is a lovely sight, and our guide to signs of happiness in cats shows what else contentment looks like.

What about kittens, older cats and multi-cat homes?

Kittens and seniors

Start lower. The AAFP and ISFM guidelines advise that for kittens and older cats with limited mobility, perches should sit at a relatively low height or be reachable by ramps.

For older cats, Cornell suggests box steps, ramps or pet stairs so they can still reach a favorite high spot on their own. Cover steps with carpet for firm footing.

More than one cat

Here a cat tree can make a real difference. The AAFP's 2024 intercat tension guidelines note that access to vertical places, including cat trees, increases a cat's control over her space and lets her watch other cats approach.

Those guidelines advise offering vertical space at different heights, with some hiding options for less confident cats. One case they describe involved cats competing for vertical space, eased by adding perches along the walls on both floors of the home.

Seasonal climbing targets count too. If your cat eyes the holiday tree, our guide to how to cat proof a Christmas tree explains how to keep it standing.

Talk to your vet if your cat:

suddenly stops jumping onto perches she used to use
hesitates, or seems stiff, before climbing
starts spending most of her time hiding
has new tension or fighting with another cat in the home

Questions new cat parents ask

Do indoor cats need a cat tree?

Indoor cats need vertical space, according to the AAFP's 2024 position statement. A cat tree is one easy way to provide it, along with shelves or cleared furniture.

How tall should a cat tree be?

At least 3 feet, based on a large owner survey summarized by the AAFP. For scratching, the post should be at least as tall as your cat at full stretch.

Do kittens need a cat tree?

Kittens benefit from climbing spaces, but keep them low at first. The AAFP and ISFM guidelines suggest lower perches or ramps for kittens.

Why won't my cat use her cat tree?

Check that it's stable, tall enough to stretch on, and in a spot she likes, such as by a window. Those are the features the guidelines and the survey point to.

Sources

This article is for general information and is not veterinary advice. Talk to your vet about your own cat — they know the animal in front of them.

Want to try Choolip?

Try a little of everything first.

The Trial Box has a Variety Pouch, a Jumbo stick and two Berry Good Milks. Subscribe & Save, $22.00 a box.

See the Trial BoxKiki: it has milk in it. The good kind.

Choolip Trial Box: Berry Good Milk, Squeeze Vita Sticks & Total Balance for Cats & Dogs

Keep reading in Cat

All of Education →

A young tabby kitten with blue-gray eyes sitting on a folded towel, gently supported by a person's hands, for a kitten age chart guide