Height is not a feature of a cat tree. It is the entire reason the thing exists. A cat that can get above head height can see the room, the door and everyone in it, and a cat that can see all three relaxes. That is why a tall tree in a busy hallway often gets used more than a short one tucked in a quiet corner.
But taller is not automatically better, and the most common sizing mistake in Australia is buying for the cat without measuring the room.
The short answer
For most homes, somewhere between 150cm and 190cm is the sweet spot. That clears the back of a sofa and the top of a kitchen bench, which are the two heights your cat is already competing with you for. Below about 120cm you have bought a scratching post with shelves — useful, but it will not become the cat's territory.
Measure your ceiling, not your cat
Standard Australian ceilings run about 2.4 metres. A 190cm tree sits comfortably under that with room to look tall rather than crammed. A 280cm tree does not — it wants closer to three metres, which in practice means a newer apartment, a converted warehouse or a room with a raked ceiling.
This matters more than people expect. A tree jammed under a ceiling looks like a mistake, and worse, the top platform becomes unusable because the cat cannot sit up straight on it.
Match the height to the age of the cat
A two-year-old domestic shorthair will use every level of anything you buy. A twelve-year-old cat, a very large breed, or a short-legged breed like a Munchkin will not — not because they do not want the height, but because the jumps between platforms are too big.
What actually matters here is step spacing, not total height. Look for gaps between 15cm and 30cm. That range lets a cat step up rather than launch, which keeps senior cats using the tree years longer. Our timber cat trees are spaced this way deliberately.
More than one cat changes the maths
Two cats do not need two trees so much as they need one tree with genuinely separate levels. Cats resolve social tension vertically — the one higher up is not being threatened. A tall tree with three or four distinct platforms does more for a tense household than two short trees side by side, because two short trees just create two territories at the same rank.
If you have three or more cats, or one cat that bullies, this is the single best argument for going to 190cm or above.
The base matters as much as the height
A tall tree on a light base is worse than a short tree on a heavy one. Cats do not climb gently — they land. If the tree rocks once, many cats will never fully trust it again, and you will have bought an expensive ornament.
Check that the base footprint is wide relative to the height and that it has real weight to it. Particle-board bases are where cheap trees give themselves away; they are light because there is not much material in them. This is covered in more detail in our guide to what you are actually paying for in a cat tree.
A rough guide by room
- Studio or one-bedroom apartment: 150–180cm, in the corner with the best window. Vertical is free floor space.
- Standard house, one or two cats: 190cm. Enough presence to become the cat's territory without dominating the room.
- High ceilings or three-plus cats: 250cm and up, with multiple enclosed spaces rather than open platforms.
- Senior or short-legged cat: 120–150cm with tight step spacing, or a taller tree with a ramp at the bottom.
Where to put it
Against a wall, near a window, in a room people actually use. Cats want to watch both the outside and you. A tree in the spare room is the most common way to waste several hundred dollars on cat furniture — the height is right, the location is wrong, and the cat goes back to the top of the fridge.
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