Best cat tree for a climbing Tonkinese

A one-year-old Tonkinese going up the curtains and bookshelves — that's completely typical for the breed. They're one of the most athletic and curious cats around, and if they don't have a proper climbing outlet, they'll make one out of whatever's available. The most important things in a cat tree for a cat like this are height and stability — it absolutely cannot wobble when they launch off it at full speed, and it needs to get them high enough that they feel it's worth using. Cheap, wobbly trees get ignored fast. Can you tell me: is it just the one Tonkinese, roughly how heavy are they, and how much floor space can you give the tree?

That's a good amount of space and a 4kg Tonkinese is exactly the kind of cat that needs serious height. What I'd recommend is the Feandrea 170cm cat tree — the tall multi-platform one that's widely available on Amazon UK. It fits a 50cm footprint, so it'll sit neatly in your corner. It's got a thick base, heavy-duty posts wrapped in natural sisal, multiple perches at different heights, and a top basket that sits above eye level for most rooms. The construction is genuinely solid — the posts are chunky enough that it doesn't sway when a cat leaps between platforms at speed. That's what's going to make her choose it over the curtains.

The reason cats ignore trees is almost always that the tree is too short or too wobbly — neither feels worth the effort. At 170cm, the top perch is genuinely high, which matters a lot to Tonkinese in particular because they're a breed that actively seeks elevation. The other thing that helps is placement: put it near the window or adjacent to the bookshelf she already climbs. She'll naturally transfer the behaviour because the tree offers the same vantage point. A sprinkle of catnip on the platforms for the first week doesn't hurt either.

Assembly is around 45 minutes with the instructions — nothing complicated, just takes a bit of patience. The stability comes from the base dimensions and the weight of the posts themselves. Once it's built, give every platform a firm push and shake before you let her near it. If anything feels loose, tighten the bolts again — they can back off slightly during first assembly. After that first check it holds up very well. The sisal on the posts is also thick enough to last a year or two of hard use from one cat, which is better than most trees at this price point.

Search for the Feandrea 170cm cat tree on Amazon UK — the brand is spelled F-E-A-N-D-R-E-A. The model you want is their tall multi-platform version with the large top basket and sisal-wrapped posts throughout. It usually comes up near the top of results and is fulfilled by Amazon, so delivery is straightforward. It's genuinely one of the better-built trees at that height without jumping to commercial-grade prices.