I purchased a smaller cat tree from this brand a few months ago and it has lasted quite well with plenty of use from 4 cats, so I decided to splurge and get this much larger one! My cats absolutely love it! It comes in a compact box and must be put together. It took my fiance about 20-30 mins to put together and I heard no grumbling, so it was simple! Some of the pieces were labled and the instruction manual was very easy to follow. We love how it comes with an anchor too, in case you want to screw it into the wall. But,  it is very sturdy and not necessary- one of my cats is a hefty boy and it does not budge when he jumps on and off. The gray carpet is a very nice color and easy to vacuum. All 4 of my cats love it and would definitely recommend it to their feline friends!