The Refined Feline Metropolitan Cat Condo looks like a bookshelf, with platforms arranged in a stepped pattern, making it easy for multiple cats to hop between levels. Each platform is ample, with a 13 by 18.5-inch surface large enough for any-sized cat to lie down. But our favorite part is the sheer number of options, including four different frame colors and a wide range of ways to customize each of the five platforms.

As previously mentioned, I would go for a cat tower which is at least 100cm in height. Materials of the cat tower Our testers also liked that the Feandrea Cat Tree was compact, taking up a lot less space in a tiny apartment than taller cat trees with larger footprints. Testers found it to be consistently sturdy too, even with cats jumping in and out of the playhouses. You can rotate the three Tuft & Paw Frond Cat Tree perches around its sisal-wrapped pole for endlessly unique jumping and climbing challenges. While the Tuft & Paw Frond Cat Tree looks modest—especially considering its high price—its combination of practical features and considerate design makes this one of the most attractive cat trees available. Many cat trees will arrive a lot smaller than expected or will be flimsy and unsuitable for a big cat. When shopping online it is hard to know which large cat tower to buy, which is why I have put together our favourite large cat scratching posts to make the decision easier.

With many cat towers on the market, it is easier than ever to find one suitable for your home, even if it is compact. My top recommendation has to be the Pets at Home Columbus Grand Climber Cat Activity Centre as it is the one I use for myself and I have never had an issue with it.

In our testing, we found the Feandrea cat tree to be sturdy enough to hold up to a cat jumping in and out of the condo doorways, with a usefully compact size comparable to a small accent cabinet. The only real downside are the scratching posts. Though beefy, with a 3.4-inch diameter, the sisal-rope is only wrapped around the middle portion of each post, the rest is carpeted. This provides less opportunity for your cat to stretch out fully when scratching. Still, our tester cat didn't seem to mind, and eagerly used the scratching posts. This roundup was written by Andrew Whalen, an editor for The Spruce Pets with hundreds of hours of experience testing pet products, both in our labs and at home. Whalen lives with two rescue cats, Church and Wally, who have wildly different styles of play. Their input and emotional support was crucial to the cat tree testing process. While we tested out a large, 5-foot version of the Modern Cat Tree, On2Pets also offers 4-foot and 2-foot versions.

The Frond's perches are plywood with an ash veneer, and are shaped like petals, with curves that make it look more like curio shelves than a cat toy. However, the Frond also isn't trying to disguise what it is—it looks like a cat tree, just an attractive one. Plus, it's easy to assemble and finds a nice middle ground size, with a 24-inch diameter base and a height an inch over four feet tall.