Overall this is a really nice cat tree and is definitely nicer than any other I've seen.  The issue I had is that one of the key bolts to the base couldn't be used because the female end was not there.  It was a specialized support piece... not the kind of thing you pick up at Home Depot.  So, we have 3 of 4 bolts in place, and it seems to be holding it up okay.  For the price of the tree I expect the details like this to be right.  It would have been a huge hassle to return this, so we just went with what we had.  On the positive side our two kittens absolutely love it, and it's not an eyesore in our home.