Living room update with The Lotus Cat Tree

Isn't our new cat tree just gorgeous? I hemmed and hawed for months about whether or not to get this cat tree, but now that we finally have it I'm wishing we had done it sooner. For those of you unfamiliar with the cat tree scene, this is the infamous Lotus Cat Tree by the Refined Feline. It's quite an investment for a piece of cat furniture, which caused my initial hesitation. But after pricing out DIY options and not coming up with anything that was significantly cheaper and fit our home's aesthetic, we took the plunge. I scoured the internet for coupons and was able to get it for a pretty good deal.

Let's see why we were in such desperate need for a new cat tree:

Is this not the ugliest thing you've ever seen?? Besides the obvious unraveling, the carpet was impossible to keep clean. It was seriously nasty looking, and we hid it in our bedroom anytime we had company. But our cats loved the dang thing. They definitely needed a replacement. 

Serious improvement, right? I knew I wanted a primarily wooden tree for ease of cleaning, but I was worried the cats wouldn't like it as much as the nasty carpet. Thankfully both of our cats have taken to the new tree right away. Assembly wasn't any more difficult than your standard Ikea piece. The box arrived ridiculously beat up, but everything inside was packaged securely and nothing was damaged.

The shelves have carpet pads that attach with velcro. The carpet is very dense and doesn't seem to absorb hair quite like the last tree. Even though I wanted to avoid carpet, this small amount was a must for our super clumsy cat - she needs something to sink her claws into so she doesn't slide off the wood. The tree wobbles slightly when our (admittedly large) cats jump off, but it seems sturdy overall and I'm not concerned about it tipping.

At first I thought the scratching pad was in a really weird spot, but it actually works pretty well when the cats stretch out to full length. They don't seem to scratch this one as much as they did the carpet tree though.

 

Much to my surprise, one of our cats even likes the hidey-hole (Little Plum also likes hiding her toys in it!). The cushions inside and on top are super plush and squishy.

 

The curvy top shelf is also very popular. There's no way I could have gotten those great curves in a DIY piece.

Here's a before and after to really appreciate the magnitude of the upgrade. I can't believe we had that nasty carpet tree in our living room for so long! 

I hope that was helpful if you're considering investing in this cat tree. I searched and searched for owner photos to help me make my final decision, so I thought I'd contribute some of my own. In the end I'm really glad we went for it! Our pets are very much part of our family and I'm glad they have a place of their own (that isn't an eyesore!) in the living room.