The Fauna Vitor Cat Tree is a 125 cm tower on a small 40 x 40 cm base, topped with a spreading arm that hangs three toys over the platform below.

Key Features

• Compact 40 x 40 cm footprint and 125 cm tall, so it gives real height without taking much floor
• An overhead arm at the top with three dangling toy balls, positioned above the main platform where a cat can reach them sitting down
• An enclosed condo with a round doorway, and a paw-shaped platform to one side
• A hanging rope between levels for climbing and batting
• Posts are wrapped in hardwearing sisal rope — the surface a cat's claws are meant to strip on, instead of the arm of your sofa
• Beige plush throughout, with a paw print on the base

Setting It Up

• Put it where your cat already spends time — by a window, or next to whatever it has been scratching. A tree in the spare room gets ignored
• Stand a tall tree against a wall rather than out in the middle of a room. A cat launching off the top perch puts real sideways force through the base
• Retighten the bolts after the first fortnight and every few months after that. Almost every wobbly cat tree is a loose bolt rather than a design fault

Good To Know

• Scratching is how a cat sheds the worn outer sheath of its claws and leaves its scent. It is not a habit you can train out, so the only real question is what it scratches
• A new tree often gets ignored for the first week. A pinch of catnip rubbed into the posts, or a familiar blanket on the top perch, usually settles it
• Check the dangling toys regularly and cut them off if the cord frays. A cat that swallows a length of string needs surgery, not a wait-and-see
• Vacuum the plush with an upholstery head and spot-clean with a damp cloth. Do not soak it — the boards underneath are chipboard and swell once wet
• A 40 x 40 cm base carrying 125 cm of height is a tall, narrow shape. Put it against a wall, and reconsider it if you have a large or boisterous cat