I have a dog and cat, the dog eats the cat's food, so I needed some way to prevent this.  I bought this particular cat tree because it was the perfect size for what I needed.  I put the cat's food and water on the top seat which is big enough for the bowls and my cat has plenty of room to eat. She then sleeps on the lower level and uses the scratch pad frequently.  I have a small dog and this cat tree is just the right height to keep him off of it.  It has worked great. It is also easy to keep clean, using a hand vacuum.