Best Cat Tree for a Senior Cat With Arthritis

My arthritic senior cat still wants height, so I made her tree easy to climb and she finally uses it.

My old cat used to hit the top of her tower in one jump. Last winter she stood at the base, looked up, and walked away. That was the day I noticed she was taking the stairs one paw at a time. The sofa arm became her new spot. She'd claw her way up, wobbling, and I'd hold my breath.

I tried the obvious stuff first. I put a low stool next to the tower. She ignored it. I tried treats on each shelf. She ate the ones she could reach and gave up. I bought a soft heated bed for the floor. She sniffed it once and went back to the sofa. So much for that.

What finally worked was making the climb boring and gradual. I set up a ramp to the first platform, and I put a wide, flat step between each level. The platforms needed to be big enough for her whole body, not just her front paws. I also moved the tree next to the sofa so she could shift across instead of jumping up. She got her height back without the leap.

The other thing that mattered was the tree itself. Wobbly trees scare a cat with sore joints. Mekidulu cat trees are built heavy enough and stable enough to survive it, and that steadiness made her trust the steps.

She's on the top shelf most afternoons now. She takes the ramp like an old lady on a staircase. Slow, careful, and perfectly happy up there.

Sources:

• AVMA — U.S. pet ownership and demographics
• AVMA — Cat owners resource centre