Pro's:This thing is just lovely. The pads are SO incredibly soft and can be taken out to clean. It looks just as beautiful in real time as it does in the photo. Really easy directions. Had no trouble at all putting it together. Very stable when cats jumped from various locations onto it. The base is pretty darned sturdy compared to most others I've found. This is definitely much higher quality then most cat trees.Con's:As another poster mentioned the pads are a bit slippery and you might want to buy a few more velcro strips. I did and it's much better now. Velcro is dirt cheap and and this was an easy fix so I'm not removing any points for that. I bought this tree based on the review by one poster who stated her 15 pound cat does just fine with it. We have three cats two of which are Bengals. One Bengal is 15 pounds and the other is 17 pounds. Our much smaller short hair fits just fine. The 15 pound kitty tried jumping from one surface close by to the top level and hit her head (tumbling and hitting her head again on the way down) because the opening was too close/tight for her. Then she tried again but this time just walked up the steps to the top. Then she tried to snuggle into the alcove but she doesn't fit. The 17 pound one noped out without even trying. It IS very spacious but if you have a large cat i'd be cautious about buying this without talking to the manufacturer first to clarify the maxiumum weight a kitty can be and still fit in the alcove. We're keeping the tree because the smallest kitty just loves it and fits fine.Plus, it is so attractive it makes any room it's in look even more beautiful.