I was looking for a piece of cat furniture that was aesthetically pleasing as well as functional. Even my 14 lb cat can fit in the basket and is often found napping in it throughout the day. They don't use the scratching post as often as their stand-alone scratching post, but the taller scratching post in this piece is definitely usable. Neither of my cats uses the taller pedestal sitting area so far, but the basket is a big hit. I also like that the pillow that comes in the basket is removable and washable. The cushion in the pedestal is not removable.