Most of the cat trees on the market aren’t made of solid wood. You have to dig a little to find cat towers that are, but if making sure the products you buy are long-lasting, durable, sturdy, and easy to fix up when they’re damaged instead of needing to be replaced completely, solid wood cat trees can be an incredibly worthy investment albeit the higher initial cost.
I wrote up an article about real wood cat scratch posts before, and in that article, I made note of a few companies that did some really great things within the realm of natural wood cat scratch posts.
A lot of these companies do cat trees as well – both big and small – and luckily they have such a huge variety of tree designs out there that you’re almost sure to find what you want even though there aren’t many options when it comes to different brands in this industry.
The top three companies that do natural, solid wood cat trees right now in my opinion are New Cat Condos, Molly and Friends, and Cozy Cat Furniture. All three have great product ranges, though I find Molly and Friends to be a lot more high-cost than the other two.
In case you’re interested in browsing through their entire solid-wood products in their lines yourself, they can be found here:
- New Cat Condos’ solid wood towers & scratcher posts
- Molly and Friends’ solid pine trees & scratch posts
- Cozy Cat Furniture’s solid wood scratch posts & cat towers
Curious about which products in these companies’ lines, as well as a few other companies who offer a handful of solid wood cat trees, I find to be on top of the real wood cat tree game? Scroll on down!
Amazon Basics Large Cat Activity Tree – Amazon / eBay
Some of the Best Solid Wood Cat Trees, Big & Small
1. New Cat Condos Large Cat Tree Tower
Thinking about grabbing a solid wood cat tree that has it all? From perches, to sisal scratch posts, to condo hiding houses, to tunnels, this cat tower has pretty much every cat-approved bell and whistle.
It’s also an extremely large size, is very tall, yet still quite sturdy considering it’s made out of real wood, and is thus suitable both for overweight cats as well as aggressive jumpers or cats who like to use their cat towers to play rough on.
Multiple cats in the household? I’m sure this won’t topple over even if a herd of your cats get the urge to use it at once. In my opinion, you’d be hard pressed to find a better all-round solid wood cat tree than this offering from New Cat Condos.
2. Cozy Cat Furniture Solid Wood Cat Tree Furniture with 4 Large Cat Beds
These stable, durable, large-perch style cat trees are (in my opinion) a lot less popular than they should be.
Not that they’re not already incredibly popular, just that, having bought my cat Avery a couple different cat trees already and seen how he interacts with them, I feel these big, sturdy perches are the only spots that get much use, so it makes a lot of sense to me to invest in trees that are entirely made of them as they give cats options as to where to nap and rest in, depending on mood and where the sunlight hits the tree at different times of day.
Maybe Avery’s an oddball who doesn’t use parts of a cat tree that most other cats will use.
He is particularly tall for a cat, after all, and that may mean he’s more prone to ignoring smaller perches, but if even a quarter of cats are anything like mine, I do feel this type of cat tree is the safest bet for the maximum use and enjoyment on every single level.
- New Cat Condos Deluxe Kitty Pad
- New Cat Condos Premier Kitty Pad Cat Tree
- CozyCatFurniture Cat Tower for Large Cats
- CozyCatFurniture Window Size Kitty Tree Cat Tower with 3 Large Beds
3. New Cat Condos Premier Triple Cat Perch
If you’re looking for sturdiness above all else, I really don’t think any cat tree will come in close to these almost stair-style multi-level cat trees.
If you’ve got a cat who absolutely dreads swaying and movement of any kind when they jump onto furniture (Avery’s like that a lot), if you’ve got a clumsy cat who’s prone to falling off trees, or if you’ve got an overweight cat who you just want to make absolute sure will fit and feel comfortable in a tree, especially if he or she likes to snuggle with other cats but there would never be the space for it on traditional trees, I think this type of cat tree is definitely the way to go.
So many Maine Coon and other large cat owners pleased with this cat tree for just that reason. Arthritic cats also seem to do well with this type of cat tree, since it’s not a huge leap from one level to the next.
4. New Cat Condos Premier Cat Play Tree
I feel like I’ve seen this cat tree making the rounds, but it may just be because I’m used to seeing it in the back of Anna Akana’s weekly Youtube upload.
It’s so stinkin’ cute, and while it’s not exactly a cat tree with leaves on it, it is definitely a cat tree meant to look like a real tree. Extra points because it looks crazy fantasy-esque and almost like it belongs in an enchanted forest.
Super cool, and considering it’s so unique and made of solid wood, in my opinion, it gets some serious extra points making it an enormously worthy investment (even if you are only into it for the aesthetics).
Check out how it looks like in reviewer pictures – so crazy cute!
5. Molly and Friends Simple Sleeper Cat Scratch Post and Bed
I really do feel like Molly and Friends pine cat trees are considerably more expensive than solid wood cat towers by other companies.
Yet this company has ever so many high reviews and positive comments left about their products, it makes it impossible for me to write them off solely based on that.
Maybe there’s something to them that I’m missing? If you’ve ever bought a Molly and Friends cat tree, do let me know what your thoughts were in the comments and if you think they’re great, why they’re in your eyes worth the extra cost.
This is probably the current most popular model by Molly and Friends. Not the biggest cat tree, but tonnes of cats seem to adore it nonetheless.
6. Bignose Mutivels Climber Solid Wood Step & Sunny Seat Hammock Cat Tree
Now, I’m not expecting everyone’s going to want a natural wood cat tree they have to mount to their wall in order to use for their house, but if a jumping wall is what you’re going for, I think these step, hammock, scratcher combo wall mounts are ridiculously good value for the money, and they look highly durable compared to the vast majority of wall mounted cat trees to boot.
One reviewer commented about how this wall mount tree was more sturdy than expected, and that this type of tree was necessary because their dog chewed the legs off the old cat tree in the house.
Check out how sad he looks about the cats having a new chill spot he can’t take a bit out of. So cute!
7. Armarkat 89 inch Premium Solid Wood Cat Tree Tower
Armarkat has a pretty good reputation when it comes to cat trees, but most of the towers in their product line are not made of solid wood at all.
I think this is their only real wood cat tower, please correct me if I’m wrong however.
I think it looks fantastic, modern, and sleek, and I think with hides that big, it’s impossible for even a large cat to not want to make his way into one for a nice snooze.
It also looks fairly tall compared to most, and by gosh does it look good in this outdoor catio one reviewer posted pictures of.
8. Molly and Friends Three-Tier Scratching Post Furniture
I mean, I genuinely don’t think my cat has ever been a fan of the tunnel portions of cat trees, but I think if I got him this Molly and Friends large scratch post/medium cat tree he would go sit in that middle section.
A lot of reviewers seem very pleased with this Molly and Friends cat tree, but as a heads up, a few reviewers have said recent purchases have not been as high quality as in the past.
Please double check the reviews before purchasing, as I’m hoping these couple of reviewers only got duds, or that there was an issue that was quickly fixed.
Still, it’s good to go over the most recent reviews of any purchase you’re making in case some changes have been made to a product, and not for the better.
Penelope Medium Cat Tree – Zooplus.co.uk / eBay
9. CozyCatFurniture USA Made Wood Cat Scratching Post 24 inch Triple Cat Scratcher
I absolutely love this small cat tree/real wood cat scratch post. I’ve mentioned it before and I do feel it’s the kind of thing I’d love to grab for Avery.
I think aesthetically, it’s gorgeous and very interesting to look at, and for scratching and playing on, it looks amazing on since it’s got the appeal of different textures and looks very sturdy and unlikely to sway much if jumped on during playtime.
Check out how it looks like “in person” in this adorable reviewer photo!
10. New Cat Condos Premier Cat Scratch and Lounge
If you’re looking for a sturdy tree for cats who really like feeling hidden away and yet still like the ability to peer out of where they’re resting, this may be the ideal medium-sized cat tree for you.
The top ledge is also a great place for cats who like to stretch out and lounge to rest.
If you have a larger cat, chances are your cat will only be able to use the top portion of this cat tree, but 20 pound cats can happily lie on that section for naps.
One reviewer mentioned she was looking for a window perch specifically, something she could push up to be right up to her window to make a sort of portable, impermanent seat that would be the equivalent of a wide ledge for her cat to rest on.
She insisted this was probably the best option currently available, even though it’s got a cut out that makes it slightly less perfect for this use.
11. New Cat Condos Premier Solid Wood Skyscraper Cat Tree
I absolutely love this cat tower for some reason. I think it’s visually interesting, really likely to get cats to engage and play on it, and it looks to be an incredibly sturdy design unlikely to sway a lot as well, which Avery would I’m sure appreciate.
One reviewer mentioned in a five-star review: “it is a little wobbly. but even with my 4 male cats playing on it at the same time i have no fear of it falling over. not even worth losing a star over.”
The only downside I need to mention is that it’s apparently tricky for cats to get down from if they aren’t happy to jump from the top: “its a cool tree but the way the perches are angled and placed, is not made for cats to easy access each level.
I’ve 7 and some climbers but all of them do a huge jump down because once they are on top, they cant just go down to another perch 1 by 1 without 99% falling.
I’ve watched them too.” This wouldn’t be relevant to me because Avery jumps from the top of everything (I don’t think I’ve ever seen him walk down a cat tree, a dresser, or anything else in my life, he loves jumping from high places too much), but definitely be careful with this purchase if your cat likes to step down from high places instead of jumping.
12. New Cat Condos Premier 6′ Cat Tower
A less common looking design, for sure, though I personally think this would be one to pass up if you’ve got a larger cat and were looking for a sturdy, solid wood cat tree specifically for him or her.
One reviewer mentioned: “The company should have made at least three ‘cubbies’ fully boarded with no cut out slot for climbing; preferably the tippy top, the middle and the very bottom.
Although only the bottom one is a full sleeping ‘cubby’ there was enough room for my 11 lb cat to perch and sleep on with the triangular cut outs in the corner.
I don’t think my 17 lb cat will be able to fit through the cut outs though.” Just something to be aware of!
13. Molly and Friends Four-Tier Scratching Post Furniture
Again, not the biggest fan of the price tag on this one, but maybe I’m wrong that some of the others are more worth it considering there are so many positive reviews.
If you’re looking for a run-of-the-mill, no wasted space cat tree that’s sturdy, easy for cats to play on together, is handmade and made of real wood, this is an excellent option.
Check out pictures and a video of two cats playing on this Molly and Friends cat tree here.
14. CozyCatFurniture Cat Condo Corner Kitty Furniture for Large Cats
I don’t really think there are all that many corner cat trees out there that could maximize space better than this one right here.
It looks ridiculously comfortable, can seat even overweight cats very comfortably, as well as multiple cats in one go on the perch, and has a house that’s roomy enough for any cat as well.
Oh and that scratcher on the side? I’m sure it’d get a lot more use because it won’t budge while being scratched up like a standard cat scratcher.
If you’ve got a multi-cat household and are trying to maximize space, or just grab a small scratch post sturdy enough for cats of all sizes and multiple cat use at once, I’d give this one a go. An alternatives to this cat tree: Cat Condos’ Corner Roost Cat Condo.
15. Molly and Friends Bed on Top of a Sisal Wrapped Scratching Post
If you’d like to dip your toe in the Molly and Friends world without buying a full on solid wood cat tower from them, this really sturdy looking scratch post may be the way to go.
One reviewer mentioned theirs was still going strong after four whole years – pretty mad when I think of how beat up some of my scratch pads have gotten after a few months!
Your Thoughts on Solid Wood Cat Trees?
What do you think about solid wood cat trees in comparison to regular MDF/pressed wood kinds? Do you think they’re worth it if they aren’t too much more expensive?
Have you ever tried one out for your kitty? Did you find them more durable? More sturdy?
Have you ever wanted a more durable or sturdy cat tree before for your pet? Do you think materials matter when it comes to that kind of thing?
Would love to know what you think in the comments below!
Wood is the only way to go. I have spent hundreds on these marvellous looking trees with cardboard centers. With my cats (a lot) they last 2 weeks. I switched to the wood core ones and they last forever. Even if the rope comes off, either re rope it, carpet or leave it bare wood. Definitely worth the $$.
Very good point about re-roping and/or re-carpeting. Do you have any tips/advice for those thinking about doing that kind of thing? Is it difficult (asking for those of us who – like me – are absolutely abysmal at DIY!).
Completely agree. I found a gorgeous cat tree while living in Seattle. Solid wood 3 tier wide base. They left some of the wood posts bare and they looked like thick branches on a tree. Absolutely amazing but I have never been able to find another one like it.
Hi! I live in Seattle! Where in Seattle did you find that? I’m looking for what seems to be the exact thing!
Have you ever seen Cat Tree UK? They have some really amazing cat tree made specifically for large cats such as Maine Coons. They are more expensive, but worth every penny!
Just checked them out; they look wonderful, actually! Very roomy! Perfect for large cats, as you said. 🙂
I think cat trees are highly under rated and should be more popular than they are. They are so important to cats who generally prefer being up high surveying their territory.
I agree to a great extent. I have no problem with pet parents who either don’t like the look of cat trees or can’t afford to buy one working their human furniture around to be a replacement for cat trees, but I think most people who don’t have cat towers just don’t because they aren’t realizing cats have a need to be up in high spaces.
A cat tree can replace a scratch post, cat beds, and a slew of other cat products as it can be so many things wrapped into one, so I do think they’re under rated, but I have a feeling more and more people will be coming around to their appeal since as a society we’re concentrating more on our own well being and mental health, and I feel that’s spilling over to how we care for our pets.
Crossing fingers, but I do think positive things are happening for our pets’ quality of life in the next few decades.
the BEST cat tower known to man (yes, seriously) are made by Pet Tree Houses, REAL WOOD……and designed to look like REAL trees (with leaves that when chewed will not come apart)
I really wish I could see one of those in person, they do look incredibly good in pictures 😉