The Best Floor to Ceiling Cat Trees of 2022

Why Do You Need a Floor to Ceiling Cat Tree?

Floor to ceiling cat tree designs offer many benefits to you and your cats.

Entertainment

When I first got my cats, I had minimal cat supplies, as is normal with first time cat parents. As a result, my cats made due with what they had.

This meant climbing my curtains, hopping on top of the fridge to knock over the mail we kept up there, clawing at the arm of my couch, attempting to climb (and knocking over) our house plants, etc.

Do you see where I’m going with this? Your cats need entertainment or they’re going to entertain themselves with your possessions, furniture, and more. A great cat tree will provide entertainment and fun to your cats so maybe they’ll stop climbing your dresser (…maybe).

Dominance Issues

A cat tree, floor to ceiling iterations in particular, is also great for households with multiple cats. When you have multiple cats, one is going to be the dominant one over the other(s). With other types of cat perches or homes without cat trees, fights can break out between cats when fighting for the positions on the tree.

What’s great about floor to ceiling options is that most often the dominant cat will take the highest perch position on the tree while the more submissive cat or cats will situate themselves lower down.

Some of these types of cat trees also have ample space for multiple platforms and perches, which means that each of your cats can have their own personal space or territory on the pole/tree.

This can reduce territorial aggression and designate areas for each cat in the hierarchy to be happy and comfortable on the pole.

Timid Cats

Timid and shy cats like to be able to complete survey their surroundings in order to feel safe and secure. A floor to ceiling cat tree gives your timid cat the high-up view they need to feel more comfortable in their surroundings.

Even cats that aren’t particularly timid feel safe up high: it gives them a vantage point, gets them away from kids/scurrying feet/dogs/etc.

Other Benefits of a Cat Climber Floor to Ceiling Option vs Other Options

Floor to ceiling cat climber options are tall and narrow compared to other climber options that are lower to the ground and wider. Let’s look at some benefits of why a floor to ceiling option might be better for you.

Saves Space

Whether you live in a small apartment in a big city like Chicago or you just don’t want your entire living room taken up with cat climbers/supplies, a floor to ceiling option saves space. Rather than taking up a large amount of floor space with a widespread base/offshoots, a floor to ceiling option takes up vertical space that’s usually unused anyway.

This saves both floor and walking space, which is perfect for small areas, tiny rooms, and high-traffic areas as well.

Gives Cats Height

As we said earlier, many cats like to get up high to take in their surroundings. That’s why you’ll often find them on top of the fridge, climbing your curtains, etc. The extra high of these types of cat climbers gives your cats the vantage point of height. Many also come with adjustable heights to give your cats more or less, depending on what they like.

Budget-Friendly

Of course, there’s some variety in the price of all cat products. However, we’ve found that many ceiling to floor cat trees are less expensive than other types of cat climbers because they’re simpler and less elaborate. They also tend to need less in terms of installation, which can also cut down on the cost.

Great for Single and Multiple Cat Households

Both single and multiple cat households can find a match with this type of cat tree since many come with multiple platforms. Some other smaller cat tree floor to ceiling options don’t have more than one perch or place for a cat to lounge, which makes it not as suitable for a house with more than one feline friend.

These trees, however, usually have more than one perch to accommodate more than one cat. Even if you only have one cat, they’ll appreciate the multiple options for lounging, surveying their kingdom, jumping to, etc.

What Details Should You Look for with a Floor to Ceiling Cat Climber?

Each cat climber is going to vary slightly: materials, size, height itself (sure it’s a cat tree “ceiling to floor”, but ceilings and floors vary, don’t they?), platform number, design/aesthetic, fastenings/stability, etc.

Let’s look at the details of a few of these.

Materials

Both the structure and the outer layers of a cat tree ceiling to floor options are super important to take note of. Those of us with cats who love to scratch know that cheaper and flimsier materials are going to last about three days of scratching. Even if those materials are more budget-friendly, it means that the tree won’t last very long in the hands (or the paws, rather) of a dedicated scratcher.

For the highest quality and longest lasting trees, look for ones that are made with solid hardwood, scratch posts, ropes, and tough carpeting (like nylon, for example). These will ensure that your tree can stand up to claws and teeth alike while also ensuring stability from tipping over.

Fastenings/Stability

Speaking of stability, there are certain fastenings, materials, and features that will tell you how stable the tree is. First of all, if the tree has no fastenings and depends on “wedging” itself between the floor and the ceiling, make sure it’s a perfect fit. Otherwise, you could risk it tipping or falling over, which is a safety hazard for you and your cats.

Screws are, in general, more stable than nails in terms of fastenings, but both are acceptable. Carpeting and ropes held down by glue will usually be easily ripped up by active cats, so look for ones held down by staples if you have active scratchers on your hands.

Number of Platforms

This factor won’t always be an issue, especially if you only have one cat. A single cat would be happy with one or two platforms. However, if you have more than one cat, look for trees that have at least one platform for each of your cats. This can reduce the chance of fighting and reduce some territorial/dominance issues.

Size/Height

Before you buy the perfect tree, be sure that it’s going to fit in your house! Trees will very in height just as ceilings do. Measure the areas you’re planning on installing the tree and compared to the measurements given for the cat tree.

Also, take your cat into consideration.

Sure, many cats love climbing. But if your cat doesn’t or doesn’t really care, do you need an extra tall cat tree? Or would they be happy with a different type of cat condo?

Budget

We want to spoil our pets. But be smart, here. Know your budget and go into the buying project with that in mind. As we said earlier, many floor to ceiling cat tree options are less expensive than more extravagant ones, so that’s good news for those of us watching our spending. However, just like with all things, you can still find expensive and higher end options out there if you want to spend a bit more on your favorite feline buddy.

Design Aesthetic

Remember how we talked about not letting your cats take over your entire house? That’s where the design aspect comes in.

Do you really want an ugly or bulky looking pole in the middle of your living room? Probably not.

Take the time to look at different cat tree options that match your design aesthetic. You can get different colors, different styles, different materials, etc, that match your living area so it doesn’t look like the cat tree is out of place or, to be blunt, attractive in your home.

What About a Modular Cat Tree?

A modular cat tree is a design style that allows you to move around the pieces of the tree in order to make different shapes, configurations, etc. While you could potentially construct an awesome modular cat tree, you won’t get the same height with stability that you get with a floor to ceiling option.

However, modular cat trees offer variety and interesting designs for you and your cats, so they’re another option to consider along with (or instead of) floor to ceiling climbers.