Just about every home with a cat also has at least one cat tree or other device intended for your cat to use for clawing instead of your furniture or your Persian rug or even your antique lampshade. Oh yes, cats can be creative.
We have a short, sturdy cat tree for Sophie and Lily in our living room. It was also used by Max, Katie, Dinah, Winfield, Daisy…oh yes, it’s been around for a while. It was built when they used real wood and plush carpeting. But it has become an eyesore. I decided it was time for a new, modern cat tree with maybe some interesting aspects for the cats. Not only did I envision the cats loving the extra cubbies, the higher platform, 
the more enticing sisal for clawing, and even an attached toy to play with, I was eager to have something less ratty-looking in the living room.
Well, we’ve had the thing for a few weeks now and it isn’t getting the attention I expected. So I used some of my intuition and ingenuity based on what I know about cats and I did some research. Here’s what we’ve done to help the cats shift their love of the old cat tree to the new one:
1: We’ve sprinkled catnip all over it. Sophie and Lily love catnip, and they went after it, but they still wouldn’t climb onto the new cat tree. They’d only put their paws on it and reach out for the catnip from a distance.
2: I rubbed their scent from their toys and their blankets on it. This caused them to spend a little time that afternoon sniffing the new cat tree, but it didn’t convince them to embrace it.
3: I moved the old cat tree up against the new one thinking they might walk from one to the other. Yeah, it happened a couple of times, but they wouldn’t own the new one. They’d step on it, sniff it, maybe stand on it, but then settle down more comfortably on the old one. They even continue to scratch on the old one.
4: They have not tried to clew the sisal. They’ve never seen or used sisal. I guess they don’t know it’s the latest thing for cats to use for clawing. Last night I rubbed catnip on the sisal part of the new cat tree. Lily sniffed it, but didn’t use it.
We did catch Sophie in one of the cubbies on the new cat tree one night and Lily sat on top of it last night and took her bath. So I guess we’re making progress. I’m considering moving the old cat tree out this week. But I’m a little surprised at my reaction to that. I’m almost as reluctant to let go of it as the cats seem to be. Why? Maybe because so many of my beloved cats have loved it. Now I’m not sure what I’ll do. Stay tuned.
Meanwhile, here are some sites designed to help introduce a new cat tree to your cats, in case you’re also facing this dilemma.
https://www.bestcattrees.org/how-to-introduce-a-cat-to-a-new-cat-tree/
http://www.vetstreet.com/our-pet-experts/how-can-i-teach-my-cat-to-love-her-cat-tree
A week has gone by since I wrote this post and the old cat tree is still sitting next to the new one. The new one has still not been accepted. Next step–I think I’ll move the old one into another room.
