You bought a new cat tree, assembled it, put it in the corner and waited for your cat to fall in love with it.
Instead, your cat sniffed it once and went straight back to the sofa.
It is frustrating, especially when you have spent good money on something that was supposed to give your indoor cat a place to climb, scratch and sleep. But a cat ignoring a new tree does not necessarily mean you bought the wrong product.
In many cases, the problem comes down to three things: where it is placed, whether the height suits the cat, and whether the scratching texture feels right.
Before replacing your cat tree, try working through these factors first.
Start With Placement: Is the Cat Tree Where Your Cat Actually Wants to Be?
One of the easiest mistakes is putting a cat tree where it looks best in the room rather than where the cat spends time.
Cats do not necessarily want their furniture hidden away.
The AAFP and ISFM Feline Environmental Needs Guidelines recommend giving cats access to elevated areas where they can monitor their surroundings. They also identify scratching, resting and sleeping areas as important environmental resources.
For indoor cats, that means a cat tree often works better in a socially or visually interesting location.
Good places to test include:
- beside a window with an outdoor view;
- near the sofa where the family spends time;
- close to a favourite sleeping area;
- near an existing climbing or scratching spot; or
- along a route your cat regularly uses through the house.
If your cat currently scratches the sofa arm every evening, putting a scratching tower in the spare bedroom creates unnecessary competition. The sofa is already in an important part of the cat's territory.
Move the tree close to the sofa first. Once your cat is using it consistently, you can experiment with moving it gradually.
If furniture scratching is the bigger problem, our guide to why your cat still scratches the sofa explains why simply owning a scratching post does not always stop the behaviour.
Check the Height — But Don't Assume Taller Is Always Better
Height is one reason cats are attracted to cat trees in the first place.
Vertical territory lets a cat observe what is happening without having to stay at floor level. This can be particularly useful for indoor cats and multi-cat households.
But buying the tallest tower you can find is not automatically the answer.
The 2021 AAHA/AAFP Feline Life Stage Guidelines report that cats used preferred scratching materials more often when they were provided on a simple upright post or on a cat tree with at least two levels and a height of 3 feet (about 91 cm) or more.
The important part is usable height.
A good cat scratching post should allow your cat to reach upwards and pull down without immediately running out of scratching surface. At the same time, platforms need to be realistically accessible.
A young, active cat may happily jump between widely spaced platforms. A senior cat, heavier cat or cat with limited mobility may prefer lower steps, wider landing areas and shorter distances between levels.
Watch how your cat already moves around the house. If they reach for the top of wardrobes, window ledges and shelving, they may value a taller tree. If they rarely jump higher than the sofa, an extremely tall tower with difficult jumps may go unused.
Texture Matters More Than Matching Your Furniture
Your cat does not care whether the scratching surface matches your lounge.
They care about how it feels under their claws.
Common scratching materials include sisal rope, sisal fabric, cardboard, carpet and wood. There is no single texture that every cat will choose.
The AAHA/AAFP guidelines note that rope was the most frequently used material when offered in the study they reviewed. Interestingly, cats aged 10–14 showed a preference for carpet, while other age groups preferred rope.
That is a useful reminder that scratching preference can vary with age and individual experience.
Look at what your cat is already scratching:
| Your cat currently scratches | Try offering |
|---|---|
| Sofa arms and fabric chairs | Vertical sisal or fabric surface |
| Carpet | Horizontal or angled carpet/cardboard scratcher |
| Door frames | Tall, firm vertical scratching post |
| Rugs | Flat cardboard or textured scratching board |
| Multiple surfaces | More than one texture and orientation |
If your cat happily scratches a horizontal cardboard pad but completely ignores a sisal pole, that behaviour is useful information. Keep the preferred surface available instead of trying to force one scratching style.
You can browse different cat scratcher styles to test vertical, angled and horizontal options alongside the main tree.
Make Sure the Tree Does Not Wobble
A tall tree is not useful if your cat does not trust it.
Some cats will jump onto an unstable platform once, feel it move beneath them and avoid it afterwards. This is particularly important for larger cats jumping onto upper levels.
Test the tree yourself.
Push the posts firmly from different directions. Put pressure on the upper platforms. Check that the base sits flat and all screws and fittings are tight.
If the whole structure rocks noticeably, reposition it on a flatter surface or secure it according to the manufacturer's instructions.
Also check platform size. Your cat should be able to turn around and settle comfortably rather than balancing with half their body hanging over the edge.
Don't Expect the Cat Tree to Replace Every Scratcher
A cat tree and a standalone cat scratcher can serve different purposes.
Your cat may use the tree beside the window for sleeping and observation but still want to scratch beside the sofa after waking up. That does not mean the tree has failed.
AAFP/ISFM environmental guidelines recommend providing cats with choices and multiple, separated resources rather than concentrating everything in one place.
For many Australian homes, a practical setup might be:
one main cat tree + one scratcher near the sofa + one small scratching surface near a favourite sleeping area.
This gives your cat options without filling every room with large pet furniture.
How to Encourage Your Cat to Use a New Cat Tree
Do not repeatedly pick your cat up and place them on the top platform. For a cautious cat, that can make the new furniture feel less safe rather than more appealing.
Instead, make the area rewarding.
Use a favourite wand toy around the lower platforms. Put a familiar blanket on a resting level. Place a few treats on accessible platforms and let your cat investigate in their own time.
You can also rub a familiar cloth or bedding lightly against the tree so it smells less unfamiliar.
Then give it time.
Some cats investigate new furniture immediately. Others watch it for several days before deciding that it belongs in their territory.
Fix the Setup Before Buying Another One
If your cat ignores a new cat tree, do not immediately assume you wasted your money.
First ask four questions:
Is it in a place my cat actually uses? Is there enough usable height? Does the scratching texture match my cat's preference? Is the structure stable and easy to access?
Those questions usually tell you much more than the price, colour or number of platforms.
For indoor cats especially, a well-positioned cat tree can provide vertical territory, scratching space, exercise, observation and somewhere comfortable to retreat.
If your current setup simply does not suit your cat's size or scratching style, explore PawPawUp for cat trees, scratching posts and indoor cat furniture designed for different spaces and behaviours across Australian homes.
Sometimes the solution is not buying more. It is giving your cat the right surface, at the right height, in the right place.