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I’ve been hunting for a new cat tower for a while now. Our current cat condo has five years of wear, tear and fur on it. Plus, last year we moved into a more adult home (aka, a place with deliberate design choices), so I knew I wanted a cat tower to complement this upgrade. Enter: Mau’s Cento Cat Tree.
The first thing I noticed about photos of the Cento was its simple, natural design. Where most run-of-the-mill cat towers are mass produced and fully coated in carpet-like fabric, the Cento towers are handmade with real, sustainably sourced wood and wicker. Mau’s professional craftspeople treat the wood (naturally) so it should last for a long time. The base and machine-washable cushions are incredibly soft. Both wood pillars double as scratching posts. The result is a sturdy, two-tiered tower with a large cave that my cats are obsessed with.
As we were unpacking the Cento, my cat Foxy clawed at the rope around the wood, belly up, playing with it before it was even assembled. (Yes, Jacques initially focused more on the cardboard box, but can you blame him?) Once assembled, before we had even moved it to its final place, Foxy made the highest tower her new spot. This is remarkable, as most new beds take at least a week or so for my cats to embrace.
Both cats enjoy high perches—especially Jacques, who is about 12 pounds. I admit to being a bit worried about the stability at first (our old cat condo’s tallest perch eventually buckled under the weight of our cats, and we had to remove it). But Mau assures users the Cento supports cats up to 25 pounds. Sure enough, even as my kitties leap up, into and out of the Cento, it stands solidly.
I’ve even caught Foxy snoozing in the cave at the base, which again, is remarkable because she’s never once used the cave in our other cat condo. I think what sets this cave apart is the plush fabric and spacious interior. (Cannot emphasize how soft the fabric is.) There’s plenty of room for her to move around in there; if they were still kittens, both would fit easily with room to spare.
It’s also worth noting the strategic shape of the wicker baskets. The rims have little dips that make anatomically agreeable resting spots for kitty chins. So, as my cats sleep, they can rest their heads comfortably on the edge of the basket. They haven’t gotten into playing with the dangling pom poms much, but this is probably because they’re too busy snoozing in their new favorite baskets.
Yes, this is a pricey tree. But you get what you pay for. The Cento is made with high-quality materials. Mau also focuses on sustainability and giving back to animal welfare organizations, two things I look for when making any kind of pet purchase these days. I mean, each item on their site is handmade, and Mau plants a real tree for every cat tree they sell. On top of that, five percent of product proceeds goes directly to animal welfare and environmental conservation. So, not only are you buying a product your cats will enjoy, you’re giving back by doing so.
The Cento is also very easy to put together. We had it up and running in about 10 minutes. You don’t need power drills or anything fancy to set it up. In fact, if you’re unsure about the process, you can literally watch a two-minute YouTube video that demonstrates each step clearly. (One reviewer commented, “Hardest part of assembly was keeping the kittens from playing with it before it was a quarter built,” a sentiment with which I agree wholeheartedly.)
Overall, this tree stands about 46 inches tall, and the base is 23 inches long. Honestly, it could fit easily into so many spaces in our home. Unlike many other cat condos with bulky square bases, this one is narrow with rounded corners, making it easier to move and place in a variety of spaces. The fabric also comes in three colors—a creamy white, a light gray and a brownish-tan.
Finally, the Cento cat tree is beautiful. The variety of textures (wood, rope, wicker, soft fabric) and neutral colors make it an aesthetically pleasing addition to any space. We’ve placed it right in front of a window that catches afternoon sunlight, which enhances the tree’s natural elements. I can’t get over how cool it looks. In fact, down the line, we may splurge on the Ivy, Mau’s 73-inch tall, four-basket cat tree. It’s on backorder right now, which makes total sense considering how much we love the Cento.
