Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I bought this after a lot of deliberation (it was a big purchase for me) but I really wanted this for my cats. I live in an apartment currently (after living in a large home for 15 years) so I wanted to give 'the kids' (haha) lots of vertical space to play, since I can't offer a lot of horizontal play space anymore. I waited with excitement for this to come and it did pretty quickly. It came in pretty well packaged and promptly. It had no written instructions, but, as stated in every other review, with "picture directions" instead. I wasn't worried about that, I've put tons of these sorts of things together. It went relatively well. The tree is actually three pieces; two sides and the middle piece with that fuzzy brush thing. That is a problem. The base(s) are too narrow, I think it would help the stability a lot if these pieces were wider, so being 3 pieces as well becomes a problem. There is no solid structural support. In my home, the (only, single) 9' top anchor doesn't reach the ceiling. That's on me, not the product, but for me it added to the structural support issue. I also feel that this cat tree is not designed as well as it could be, the posts that make it up are insufficient in quantity. What I mean by that is; the side where the baskets are (left side on mine) needs at least one more post for structural support, the other side (my right) needs two... so there is nothing really to stabilize it.. To unfortunately add (detract? ) to this is the shelf levels *are* small. I genuinely believed people were exaggerating that issue...they're not. I had to take the 'circles' off so they could use them at all. That sort of stinks. My cats DO use this tree, and they seem to like it *ok*, and they like the little round house on it, use that all the time, and that's great! But they don't go nuts on it, like I had hoped & wanted for them to be able to do (and why I got the tree) and now I worry. It rocks & sways a LOT. Twice my cats have fallen, in the beginning, which is why they don't run & tear around on it (like they do their old one) anymore. I *was* going to give my brother my other tree, but because of the issues I've listed here, I ended up keeping that one and use it placed solidly against this one to lend support. Not exactly the experience I was looking forward to (for my cats). If I'd known before I bought what I know now. .. I'd think get two good medium sized trees & set them together..it'd be more useful and stable. If this were slightly better designed (wider base, better supports, and more 'useable' space) I'd give this 5 stars, easily, but currently I can only give it 3. It's possible that small and less ...'crazy' (haha) ...cats might get better use from this than mine can.. UPDATED 7/17/13: First my review warning; be sure you are reading reviews for the product you are buying. Amazon has apparently combined reviews for the product *I* am reviewing and *ANOTHER* cat tree that the (current) "featured reviews" (the first few shown) are reviewing... So, just be careful. The tree MY review is for doesn't have those corner boxes, etc., like the one in that video review which looks *awesome*, but is NOT THIS product. The product I am reviewing is the one listed, the "Go Pet Club Cat Tree Condo Furniture, Beige, 108" (9ft)" So BE AWARE. Now that I've told you that, here is my updated review (for *THIS* product): Well, this tree just crashed down (for no apparent reason)! It dumped the only cat that sleeps on it from the top right sleep ledge and went on to fall on my other cat! I now have two injured cats. My tree is only a couple months old. I took a look at it after taking care of the girls (who got hurt) and found it fell because the supports it *does* have apparently just "wore out" (or something, wth?!?). At first I thought they had become loose (the internal screws holding the posts up, I mean), so I tried tightening them, but that wasn't it. They just couldn't stay up straight or tighten. I ended up taking the whole right side off and left just the base with the platform where the ladder in the middle goes (which snapped). The rest is now supported by my older (*better*) tree. Please, DO NOT buy this if you care about your cats or if you live in an apartment where you can't punch all kinds of holes in the walls & ceilings in order to prop up this defective & dangerous product. I'm genuinely sorry to leave this new, updated review... but I can't, in good conscience, not say anything about this... and I was *so* happy (and excited) when I first ordered this...... :( Update 2 (9/9/2013): I have only the 1st level on either side of the tree up now. I reconfigured the way it is all connected. I still use my old tree against it, but now it is only needed for providing my "kids" a usable jungle-gym area to play than for support because there is only 1 1/2 levels on this "tree" now...(I'm still looking for a tree to be what this was supposed to be (and should have been), so if anyone if tracking this and has bought a good, SAFE tree, please let me know in the comments! My kids & I thank you...)