The cats love it and assembly was straightforward. A couple of parts are challenging with one person, but still very doable and you only need a screw gun and a wrench. You'll need other tools if you do modifications. I removed a section of wire mesh and built an additional shelf to allow window access, and I trimmed the roof panels so it would sit flush against the house. It is a pretty soft wood and certainly not as strong as one you might build yourself, but it smells like a hamster cage, so I'm assuming it's cedar or something similar that will last a while. Four stars because the dimensions are smaller than what's listed here (it's actually about 35" deep x 68" wide) and because the door latches are pretty flimsy.