I have two cats and they both love it.  This is sturdily built, definitely fine for a "normal" cat.  However, I have a cat that exceeds 18-pounds and it's not just fat.  He is very muscular, which means when he uses the  scratching posts, he has a serious pull behind it.  For this reason I did glue a thick heavy piece of wood under the base to add more weight to the entire structure. It doesn't take away from the look at all and got the job done.  I highly doubt I would have found any cat tree with enough weight for my Big Boy, and certainly not at this price.  I am very pleased as are both my cats.