Review on Go Pet Club Condo 67 Inch by Weston Metzger

CHRISTMAS 2017 UPDATE: I've had this scratching post for about a year now and it's still as durable as it was when I bought it (I was against the angle the whole time, which certainly helps). Best of all, after a short period of adjustment, my cat loved it and has never regretted it. Check out the attached photos and I apologize for the long review! === I got the idea to order catfish after seeing them at my local chain store for about $40. It sounded like a good deal for a regular tree that was three or four feet tall and made up of multiple platforms, but when I saw that there were larger and more difficult options on Revain I settled on one instead. . I spent an hour or two looking at different designs from different companies until I settled on this one. I liked the design best: the two small huts at the bottom seemed to add good stabilizing weight to the base, the first platform was nice and wide, there was a good range of seating for my cat, and the unit overall was the tallest I found (just about five feet eight inches on the top platform). I also liked the chocolate color and the sheer number of scratches (8). The package came in a large but compact and roughly square box, with the parts neatly packed inside. I didn't have much trouble picking it up and carrying it in, but the box clearly recommends two people lift it. If I remember correctly, there were fifteen pieces in the box: three flat platforms, a larger house, a smaller house, eight poles of different heights, and two perches. It also included an instruction sheet (mostly illustrations), about a dozen screws in several plastic wrappers, and a small Allen key, which was the only tool needed to put everything together. The assembly was very easy. First I took everything out of the box and checked that everything was there and in good condition. The screw packs were clearly labeled and separated by size and purpose which was very helpful. The dozens of step instructions were easy to follow and clearly indicated which screws to use in which situation. I think the whole thing took about 30-40 minutes and that was because I was moving slowly, being very careful and occasionally being distracted by the TV. After assembly, they helped me lift the finished tree into the room where my cat would use it (it would have been better to build it in this room from the start, but I didn't have enough space to spread it all out and to do that) . There are two cats in the house and one of them took to it right away before I even got halfway through it. She lay down to begin "retrieving" the dismantled poles and before I knew it she had her fat cat bottom down on the ground floor of the house and seemed ready for the afternoon lounging. As soon as I put the tree up, my cat Prank sniffed it curiously a few times, but seemed largely indifferent to him. However, she is unpredictable and seems to prefer certain things at certain times, so I figured she'd take care of that later in the day. However, it never really did, which worried me that I had wasted my money. I noticed that the next day or so she started to show more interest. It seemed that she actually took one of the bottom claws and checked the bottom house. I encouraged her interest by sprinkling catnip here and there in various spots around the tree and from time to time carefully placing her on the widest platform, stroking her and talking to her so she would know it was possible on that one to be surface. During the first week her interest in the tree slowly began to grow. In the beginning she mostly stuck out below, but occasionally jumped onto the first platform to see what was there, for which I rewarded her with a treat of tuna. Once she seemed comfortable with her new sitting positions, I would turn her attention to the middle and upper parts of the tree, and sometimes place her on top of it, after leaving a new pile of catnip strategically placed there for her to spot. It seemed to be her habit of gulping down catnip with no apparent fear, inspecting things from her new position once she was done, and then jumping off a few minutes later. That was fine because I figured that sooner or later she would try to go back to those places on her own when she was ready. She did and gradually seemed to get used to the higher parts of the tree. One day she slept for an hour in the Commons (which I made even cozier with a small pillow), another day I saw her resting in the cat bread position on the second highest level. Mischief has a pretty decent selection of rooms, bins, and hideouts to spend time in, so she's not up the tree all the time, but for the past few weeks she seems to have added that to her regular rotation. It's a ten-pound cat and will fit anywhere on the tree, including its smallest areas (the interior of the smaller house and the two perches supported by single posts), although those areas are quite cramped for her and she seems to prefer other parts of the tree Tree. There's a slight wobble, although it doesn't really start, maybe halfway up the tree, and doesn't seem particularly significant to me. You have to understand that every scratching post will wobble a little, especially when it's tall and the support tapers towards the top. I went with this one partly because the base looked solid, and it seems so - Prank keeps tearing off the bottom claws and the tree barely moves. Of course, the fact that I had it firmly against the wall (which it was apparently designed for) helps stabilize it, but unless someone put up a tree in an open area and got big cats jumping around at the very top. I don't think the fluctuations will make much of a difference. And if it does, then you could always unscrew the top perch. Simply put, I'm not worried about the tree tipping over or otherwise falling apart. The two single-legged perches can be rotated and/or placed at different angles of the platforms they are mounted on, which can be helpful for planting a tree and making things easier for your cat, but remember these are the standard positions were chosen with stability in mind, and moving things around (especially if it happens repeatedly) can weaken the structure. The sisal on the claws is wrapped nicely and neatly, but one of them is already frayed and unbuttoned. Mischief has chosen to use this roost almost exclusively for three weeks and the sissal won't stay on the roost forever, but that's something to keep in mind (ordering more to pack back yourself isn't very expensive) . The rest of the tree looks great. I'm not familiar with fabrics so I don't know how to describe the finish but to me it's like suede. Not shaggy or fluffy, but short and smooth, like cat hair itself. This is a surface that lightens or darkens in hue as you run your hand across it, then returns to its original hue as you wipe in the opposite direction. Overall (and I know it's silly to say "mostly" after writing a novel on the subject) I'm very happy with this tree and think it will last a long time. It took my feline friend a few days to get used to the tree's presence and develop an interest in really exploring it, but with some patience and encouragement she now uses it regularly for cleaning, sleeping and just relaxing. The tree does get a bit wonky towards the top (remember it's nearly 6 feet tall and only loosely supported at this point), but the bottom half is very sturdy and looks like it will support the device well supports. I love it and I think you will too. Be patient, good luck, and please don't forget to prevent stray cats by spaying or spaying your furry clumps!