Kitties and Friends started the way most good things do around here: with cat hair on everything and zero regrets about it.
This isn’t a site run by people who read about cats. It’s run by people who live with them, get woken up by them, and occasionally get shoved off the couch by them. Every review, every recommendation, every “should I actually buy this” answer comes from stuff that’s been tested in real houses by real cats who have very strong opinions about cat trees, toys, and personal space.
Speaking of the testing team…
Meet the Players
We call them the Players because that’s exactly what they are. Every toy, every cat tree, every suspiciously expensive cardboard alternative that shows up at this house gets the full treatment: batted, climbed, ignored for three days, then suddenly beloved. If it survives contact with these three, it’s worth telling you about.
Punky
Punky is the orange one, which explains most of what you need to know. He’s the self-appointed captain of the cat tree (until Lola decides it’s her tree) and treats every new toy like it’s either a threat or a snack, sometimes both. If there’s a high spot to claim or an empty food bowl to complain about, Punky’s on it. Confidence: unearned but absolute.
Suki the Brave
Suki earned her middle name as a kitten, back when she’d march up to anything twice her size like she owned the place. These days “the Brave” is more of a hopeful nickname than an accurate one. She’s since discovered that vacuum cleaners, closed doors, and sudden noises are all clearly plotting against her. We keep calling her Suki the Brave anyway, partly out of love and partly because we’re still holding out hope she’ll grow back into it.
Lola the Grey
Lola the Grey is the quiet strategist of the group. Grey and white, calm and watchful, she’s usually the one who finds the best spot on any new cat tree first and just… stays there, unbothered, while chaos happens below her. She doesn’t need to fight for the good spot. She just knows where it is.
More Players joining the roster soon. Follow along as we bring in their friends (once we catch them properly posing with their toys, which is harder than it sounds).
Friends of the Players
Punky, Suki, and Lola don’t just test toys and cat trees alone. Every so often a friend joins the roster, another cat (or honorary member of the crew) who’s put in the work and earned their spot on this page.