A cat denied height will find its own: the top of the fridge, the bookcase, the worktop you would rather they stayed off. Giving them a route up the wall settles most of that argument, because the shelves become the interesting place to be and the kitchen counter stops being the only high ground in the house. In a small flat it costs you no floor at all.

The set fixes directly to the wall as steps, perches and landing places, and you decide the layout, which means you can pitch the rises to the cat you actually have. A young cat will take a big jump for the fun of it; an older or heavier one wants shorter, staggered steps and a wide landing at the top. Plan the route with masking tape first, and watch where your cat already likes to sit.

• Shelves and perches that mount on the wall as a climbing route
• Sold as a three-piece, five-piece or seven-piece set
• Creates steps, lookouts and resting spots at height
• Uses vertical space instead of floor space
• Layout is yours to decide rather than fixed by the manufacturer
• Aimed at indoor cats who need somewhere legitimate to climb

On fixing them up. Wall furniture is only as strong as what holds it. Into masonry, use the right plugs; into a stud wall, find the timber, because plasterboard fixings alone will not survive a cat landing hard from above.

Who it's for: Indoor cats in flats and smaller houses, and owners confident enough with a drill to fix a shelf properly into the wall.