My kitty LOVES this cat tower (her castle). 
It is very sturdy. It needs to be, as she runs across the room and launches herself up to the top. The platforms are bigger than most which let's her stretch out while napping. We are seniors but my husband put this together in about 10 minutes. NO TOOLS required. It's only a few pieces that easily attach together. I did wipe it down with a damp towel as the carpeted pieces had that "new carpet dye" smell. But that quickly went away.