What's the right cat tree for two cats or more?

When you're choosing a cat tree for two cats or more, the rule that matters isn't “go bigger” but spread things out. Two high spots in two different areas of the room beat a single tree, however luxurious — because a lower-ranking cat will never climb onto the perch the other is occupying, and will end up with no high spot at all.

Why height settles conflicts

Feline hierarchy plays out largely through levels. Being higher up means holding the dominant position without having to fight for it: simply being able to sit above the other cat defuses tensions that, at ground level, would turn into a confrontation.

It's also about avoidance. Two cats living together don't necessarily want each other's company — they want to avoid crossing paths. Vertical space multiplies the possible routes through the same room, and turns a crowded space into one that's big enough.

The rule of spread-out resources

This is the principle veterinary behaviourists apply to every resource in a multi-cat home — food bowls, litter trays, beds, high spots: multiply and spread out, rather than concentrate.

A single large tree, however well equipped, is still a single point. Whoever holds it controls the resource. Two structures in two separate areas of the room, or in two neighbouring rooms, remove the monopoly: each cat has their own territory, and sharing is no longer an issue.

The practical rule of thumb: as many beds as cats, plus one. The spare spot stops every move from turning into a negotiation.

If you only get one tree: what it needs

A single model can work, provided it offers real alternatives rather than a stack.

• At least 140 cm tall. Below that, the levels are too close together: the vertical distance between two cats becomes symbolic and no longer has its calming effect.
• Different kinds of beds. An enclosed nest, a hammock, an open platform: each cat has their own preferences, and a variety of beds stops them all coveting the same one.
• Truly separate levels. Two platforms side by side at the same height are useless: they create a face-off. What you need is tiering.
• Several scratching posts. They also act as territorial markers, and wear is shared out instead of concentrating on a single post.
• A wide, heavy base. Two cats chasing each other over the structure put it through far more than one. Stability becomes a top priority.

One tree, but truly tiered
Enclosed nest, tunnel, basket and platforms: four spaces at four heights that let several cats live side by side without crossing paths, on a 23 kg frame. Discover the tall rattan cat tree →

When one cat is the underdog

This is the situation a single tree never solves. If one of your cats no longer climbs, hides, or waits for the other to leave before getting onto the perch, you don't have a cat tree problem: you have a single-resource problem.

Fixing it doesn't necessarily mean buying a second large model. A lower secondary tree on the opposite side of the room, or even a few wall shelves, is often enough: the lower-ranking cat claims that territory and stops competing for the first. This is the point where adding a second structure makes more difference than making the first one bigger. For that second territory, our cat wall shelves with a hanging bridge combine two solid wood platforms and a suspended walkway, taking up no floor space; they screw into solid walls only.

Three cats or more

Beyond two, a single tree no longer makes sense. Think in terms of a network of high spots: a main tree in the living area, a secondary one elsewhere, shelves or the cleared top of a piece of furniture. The aim is that no cat can be cut off from every perch at once.

The wooden tree with woven baskets meets this need well: three resting spots — two raised baskets and a sheltered bed at floor level — on a small footprint, which limits squabbles over access.

Think about routes too: a cat must be able to leave a high spot by two different routes. A perch with a single exit becomes a trap as soon as another cat sits at the bottom.

Introducing a new cat

Set up the second tree before the newcomer arrives, not after. Your resident cat needs time to come to see both structures as their own; if they see a new piece of furniture appear at the same time as an intruder, they'll associate the two. A few days' head start is enough.

Our cat trees for two cats or more

• The tall rattan model — 78 × 58 × 160 cm and 23 kg, four spaces spread over four levels, on an oval solid-wood base. It's the only one in the range that ticks all three boxes for a shared tree: height, genuine tiering and weight.
• The tree with hammock and house — 55 × 38 × 132 cm. As a second high spot, it fills the role perfectly: an enclosed bed and a hammock, two kinds of rest that differ from what the tall model offers.

The pair, placed in two different parts of the room, is the set-up we recommend for two cats — rather than one big tree. The cat trees collection features all three models, and our guide to choosing a cat tree goes through the criteria in detail. On positioning within the room, see also where to put a cat tree.