The tree is huge and as sturdy as advertised. This is being used by two domestic short hairs that weigh probably 25 pounds combined so it may be overkill but I didn't want to buy a piece of junk that falls apart in a year. This, so far, has no signs of wear after a few months so I'm optimistic it'll hold up over time.
The cats love the hammock and large basket up top.
The two smaller platforms you see to the left of the box are barely used by my cats. I think if they were the same width but longer the cats would be more inclined to lay on them. Even if they are meant solely for the cats to get down, because they are so short it creates an odd angle for them to maneuver no matter how they are rotated/oriented so they tend to just jump off the thing from up high.
My one guy is a little older and in the process of losing weight (read, too heavy). I'm not crazy about him jumping from that height onto hardwood all the time so I have an end table close by that he can use to get down easier.
Additionally, I found that the slide thing that connects the top of the box to the middle platform also went unused. I'm not sure if that's just because my cats couldn't figure it out or because they didn't feel confident enough in their grip on the plush fabric to climb it. Going down, I think my cats might have been to afraid to try it at such a steep angle. I just took the piece off and they happily just use the open holes to maneuver up and down. Maybe if the slide's interior was also sisal they would be more inclined to climb it?
I also pictured them wanting to climb or attack the rope more but that hasn't been the case and that also goes unused by mine, even when I try to entice them to it. Maybe if they were kittens?
Overall, the thing is huge, sturdy, and easily put together. The boxes were packed logically and all the hardware was well machined which was nice to see. That isn't always the case with flat packed furniture.
I'm not thrilled that 3 of the features (the rope, the stepping platforms, and the slide) going unused but that could be at least in part due to my own cats' preferences. I got mine on sale just under $500 so after taxes and stuff I think it was $530-something. If you want to blow that much on a cat tree, this one is very good and I don't regret getting it.