Exactly as advertised.  The minute the cat condo entered my home, my cat made it hers.  She immediately gravitated to the cat stand, and uses it to scratch her nails.  She is a large cat (18 pounds) and she fits comfortably in the cubby hole.  It is quite heavy so there is no worry that she will topple it when jumping to the top, or when she scratches on it.  Based on my cat's use of it, I would recommend this product.