The Best Cat Furniture, Scratching Posts, and Litter Boxes (2024)

Pet products are not always nice to look at. Carpet-covered cat trees and plastic toys don’t particularly blend in with decor, and if you live with a cat, you know that occasionally you’re going to leave garbage around—like empty boxes or a balled up napkin—because that’s what they love to play with. That’s the price we pay for happy cats. But not everything meant for feline enrichment has to be ugly or cheaply made.

Living with three cats in apartments and small homes, I’ve learned that when everything you own is on display, you want it to look good. I also wanted them to be built well, with longevity in mind, and of course, I needed my cats to actually like them. So I started a mission to find beautiful cat accessories. These are my (and my cats’) favorites.

Also, check out our many other pet-related guides, like the Best Cat Toys, Best Litter Boxes, Best Feline Supplies, Best Pet Cameras, and Best Vet Telemedicine.

Updated November 2024: We’ve added the Archie & Oscar Henrietta cat tree, Omlet’s Switch cat scratcher and Freestyle Cat Tree, and Dagne Dover’s Kyoto pet carrier. We’ve also removed a discontinued product and updated prices and links throughout.

Table of Contents

Do Your Cats Need Fancy Furniture?

Your cats need a few things: a clean place to go to the bathroom, fresh food and water, and a whole lot of love. They don’t need a $600 litter box enclosure or $300 tree.

Cats are notorious for playing with the packaging the very expensive item came in instead of actually using that very expensive item. If your cats only want plastic toys and junky-looking trees, give those trash goblins what they want. And what I personally like in style, you may hate—but it’s a place to start if you’d like to freshen up your space.

Safety Advice

I spoke with Russell Hartstein, animal behaviorist and founder of the Los Angeles dog training facility Fun Paw Care. He pointed out that some furniture, whether cheap or expensive, could potentially be held together with toxic materials like formaldehyde glue. Where possible, I asked each of the companies to confirm the materials used and have provided their responses below.

When looking for products for cats (or any pets!), keep an eye out for small parts that could be a choking hazard if they came undone. Make sure everything is attached properly to hold weight, especially for pieces that require at-home assembly. Keep an eye on things that are glued on, like the rope often attached to scratchers, to make sure pieces of the dried glue aren’t exposed. Even if the glue is nontoxic, you don’t want your pet eating that.

Cat Trees

Affordable and Solid

Thankfully, you don’t have to spend a ton on a cat tree to get something that looks pretty good. My cats lounge on Catit’s small Vesper Box ($90) while I work (I keep it next to my desk). It has a bottom semi-enclosed area for some privacy, a middle seat with a scratching post and toy, and a top bed. All three levels have furry pads that Velcro in. They come in several different configurations and color options.

The Vesper furniture is made from fiberboard with a laminate finish. My cats have been using it since 2020 without anything degrading—it made it back and forth across the country in packed U-Hauls too. Catit does offer replacement parts to extend the furniture’s life. I’ve used a bunch of things from Catit now, including different water fountains, and it’s a generally well-regarded brand. It also offers a 30-day return window if your cat ends up not liking it, and you can find products at Chewy and Amazon too.

Catit assured me all the Vesper furniture is made with toxin-free materials, and it follows the formaldehyde emission standards (TSCA Title VI compliant) for composite wood products put forth by the EPA.

Runner-Up

The Mau Cento Tree got the most compliments of any furniture I’ve owned. Beyond being pretty, my cats loved it. I often found two of them fast asleep in each basket, or my little girl Eely slumbered in the fuzzy cave. They leap on and off, scratch the designated scratchers, and play with the pom poms. It’s very expensive, though parts are replaceable.

Each piece is made from real wood (sourced ethically from trees that “no longer bear fruit,” according to the company), and the brand donates 5 percent of earnings to animal welfare and environmental conservation organizations and plants a tree for every order. Mau shared test results with us that showed no lead, cadmium, or formaldehyde was detected in the products tested—this included plush bedding, sisal ropes, metal frames, particle board, tree trunk, plywood, and other woods and fillings. We were happy to see this, though the brand did not explicitly state that the furniture was nontoxic.

For Cats Who Wish They Were Outside

Circe enjoys hanging out on the bottom level, concealing herself among the leaves, and Scylla loves hanging out on the top with some of the branches removed, as well as rubbing her face all over the “stems” and “leaves.” Note that manufacturer On2Pets confirmed that the tree components are made of nontoxic, pet-safe materials, though cats should not be permitted to chew on the greenery. —Kat Merck

A Customizable System

There are cat trees, and then there’s the Omlet Freestyle cat tree, which has more in common with an erector set than it does the typical carpet-and-sisal number. Sturdy enough for even the largest of cats, this modular collection of metal poles and solid-bamboo platforms is akin to Barbie’s DreamHouse for cat fanciers—you can purchase as many platforms, steps, beds, scratchers, and add-ons as you’d like to create anything from a single pole in a corner to a maze that spans an entire room. There are pots for plants, rings for treats, scratchers, and pads.

If you can’t decide how to build your own set, Omlet’s site offers multiple predesigned suggestions. Poles taller than 8 feet need to be bracketed into a wall for stability, but unlike similar products, Freestyle can accommodate ceilings up to 12 feet high. My cats spend at least part of each day on a set that incorporates two poles, scratchers, and beds (prices vary depending on how many components you add). However, bring your patience—even my healthy marriage was threatened over the assembly of two poles’ worth of accessories. If you do build your own, though, make sure you include the tipi. My cats fight over theirs. —Kat Merck

Cat Beds

A Soft Cave

Catenary’s Moon Cave offers two soft bed options. If your cats like small spaces for napping, leave it as a cave. If they prefer some headroom, push down the top to turn it into a traditional pet bed. There are tons of two-in-one beds like this that you can find for cheap, but I appreciate that the neutral, soft design here blends into the corner of my living room instead of standing out like a brightly colored toy. Maybe I was influenced by photos on the website, but I’m imagining this looking perfectly cozy underneath a Christmas tree this winter. The bouclé—aka looped yarn—is also machine washable.

Window Beds

Cats love lounging in the sun, so beds that sit on the window make perfect sense. I’ve been using the K&H Pet Products Kitty Sill Fleece beds for years. It isn’t fancy, but the beige fleece blends in pretty well. If your windows don’t have sills for them to sit on, there are options with suction cups to stick right on the glass.

Suction cup cat seats always make me nervous, especially because I have a couple hefty boys here. But Tuft and Paw’s Cloud Nine Window Hammock is secure, as long as you thoroughly clean your windows and give the cups time to really stick. I’ve also used the Kitty Cot ($45), which is more affordable though not as aesthetically pleasing. I’d recommend adding something soft to both—both offer blankets or pads for an extra cost, but I wish they could be attached even with snaps or velcro, so they don’t slip around if a cat leaps onto it.

Scratchers

The Best Scratcher

Not every piece of nice cat furniture needs to cost several hundred bucks. I’ve used a few of PetFusions’s loungers and they held up really well under ferocious cat claws. They also look cool and are strong enough to support my weight (sometimes ya gotta reach something up high, you know). Cats can scratch one side to oblivion and then you just flip it to a perfectly clean side.

Better Cardboard Slabs

Corrugated cardboard scratchers are great because most cats love them, and they’re easy to replace. With the exception of the large PetFusion lounger above, most are just thin rectangles. They do their job but don’t look like anything special. Catenary’s Bloom scratchers, though, take it up a notch, using pet-safe dyes to create a beautiful, natural design mimicking flora and fauna. It has no impact on whether or not my cats will scratch them (they will), and they honestly look nice on my floor. For $60, you get a set of three, and each one is reversible.

Don’t have that much space to spare? The Boots and Barkley Wave Scratcher ($15) from Target is not as cute, but my cats love it.

A Beautiful Side Table Scratcher

Sometimes you see a product on Kickstarter and count down the days until it’s available—that’s what I did with the Hilde & Phil Cat-e-Corner. It’s a real wood side table for you, a scratcher for your cats, and a protector for your furniture arms. The sisal scratch mats are replaceable and attach to the wood with sturdy velcro, so it’s a long-term investment for you and your pets.

Depending on the height of your furniture, you may need to add a riser. The website has exact measurements, but if it’s taller than 25 inches, you’ll need a 2-inch riser. If it’s taller than 27 inches, get a 4-inch riser. The use of risers also means you can swap them in or out if you change furniture instead of having to get a new table altogether. I love that the brand is named after the founder’s cats—it’s my dream to open a business named after my beloved pals.

A Scratching Post With ~Vibes~

UK-based Omlet is known for its predator-proof chicken coops like the Eglu Pro (8/10, WIRED Recommends), but in the past few years it has expanded its offerings for other pets, including cats. One of the heaviest, sturdiest cat scratchers I’ve ever seen, the Switch is a 33-inch-tall, sisal-wrapped tube on a 16 x 16-inch bamboo base weighted with a large water bottle. It contains 12 different LED light shows of interest to both cats and people, from the classic red darting laser to colored pinwheels and Tetris-like patterns, all with adjustable brightness, colors, and speeds. (My cats are not especially interested in chasing the lights, though they do watch them.) Set it up in a dark den or gaming room for a dual cat toy and conversation piece, or use it in a bedroom as a nightlight.

Neither of my 10ish-pound domestic shorthairs could knock this over despite my waving a toy on the top of it to test their full jumping weight, so it could be a good option for larger or more active breeds like Maine coons or Bengals. The sisal sleeve is also replaceable ($45), so unlike cheaper scratchers, the whole thing doesn’t need to be tossed when spent. Be forewarned, however, that this tree requires a lengthy and somewhat complicated assembly, so make sure you have a couple of hours and a solid supply of endurance set aside. —Kat Merck

Couch With Scratch Pads or a Cushion

The Work in Progress Cat Couch is adorable and can be used as a scratcher, a bed, or both. The base price includes a cardboard scratcher that can be flipped over and then replaced (then you can recycle the old one). Or you can get a really pretty cushion for an additional $110. One of my cats immediately scratched and lounged on it—cats often lounge directly on cardboard scratchers, so you don’t have to get the pillow right away.

Like some of the other products on this list, I think it’s expensive given its simplicity. However, Work in Progress (WIP) is a small business. If you can afford it, it’s nice to support small businesses like this, rather than a major company like Petco or Walmart. The Cat Couch is manufactured from Baltic birch wood in Arizona. It’s finished and sealed, meeting the Greenguard low-emissions certification, so it should be safe for pets. The cushion is filled with polyester and the cover is a linen-cotton blend.

A Carrier/Bed Combo

I’ve tried quite a few carriers across the price spectrum, and I was impressed by Tuft and Paw’s Porto Cat Carrier (8/10, WIRED Recommends). It’s soft but sturdy, and doesn’t collapse under the weight of a cat. It has transported my cats to vet visits and kept them comfortable in the car during a cross-country move. Some cats will sleep in any carrier if you leave it out, but I like that this one can be transformed into a little bed by unzipping one side and unfolding the faux shearling pad. The entire thing is framed in zippers, so it can go from a structured carrier to completely flat. That gives you more options for getting fussy cats in or out.

An Upscale Carrier/Bed Combo

My cat Scylla is unusually picky about where she sleeps, but she is obsessed with snoozing in the soft-sided Dagne Dover Kyoto pet carrier. (It’s also popular among our staff with dogs—WIRED reviewer Julian Chokkattu uses it to tote his pup to the beach.) The bag as a bed makes sense from a cat perspective—it’s basically a box, which cats love, with opaque sides to make them feel safe and mesh screens on the front and back so they can keep an eye on things. Unlike many actual cat beds, the Kyoto’s soft sherpa bed insert also has a zip-off, washable cover.

I also love that it opens from the top, which makes it much easier for wrangling and inserting noncompliant animals, and that it’s both TSA-compliant (it can fit under an airline seat) and allows Scylla to have a safe and familiar space whenever I need to take her somewhere. I have the large size, which fits pets up to 20 pounds, but there’s also a small option for pets 15 pounds and under. Seat belt loops add a layer of safety for car rides, and the entire bag collapses flat for storage. —Kat Merck

Litter Boxes and Enclosures

A Great Basic Litter Box

My cats are perfectly fine using plain old litter boxes, and yours probably are too. You can class it up a bit with boxes disguised as plants or hidden inside side tables, but Tuft and Paw’s Cove litter box takes a simple litter pan and elevates it.

It’s hefty, so it won’t move around if your cats like to kick. Speaking of kicking, the detachable shelter keeps litter and pee inside—just in case your cat has a high stream. The box has a dedicated space for the included scoop and dustpan. However, I wish you could purchase the shelter separately. Weirdly, this box doesn’t fit into the brand’s litter box enclosure, but the brand released a new Cubby version ($69) that does work with its modern Haven Enclosure ($699)—we haven’t tried the Haven, but we’ve been coveting it from afar.

The Best Litter Box Enclosure

Putting a litter box inside a piece of furniture meant to conceal it can give your cats some privacy, conceal odors, and hide little turds from your guests.

Tuft and Paw’s litter box enclosure is one of the most beautiful pieces of furniture I’ve seen, but it’s pricier than a lot of us can afford. WIRED reviewer Louryn Strampe has tried this Rena Litter Box Enclosure from Wayfair though, and you can often find it for around $120ish (and usually even less). It simply isn’t as pretty as Tuft and Paw, but it doesn’t look like a poop receptacle either, and there’s ample space on top for some decorations to further blend it in with your house.