Stop assembly if the instructions and supplied cat tree parts do not agree. Establish which model, configuration and manual you have before changing the layout or forcing a connection. A tower that looks close to the illustration is not proof that the instructions apply.
Identify the mismatch precisely
Compare the product and option on the order with the packaging label and manual cover. If the manual shows a model code, revision or date, record it. Do not assume a different code is merely an old name; ask Giant Paws to confirm the relationship.
Next, describe the first point where the instructions stop making sense. Is a part absent, a hole in a different place, a post a different length, or a diagram showing another arrangement? “Step four refers to a second opening that this platform does not have” is more useful than “the instructions are wrong”.
Keep similar components distinguishable
Lay out parts in a clear area away from the cat. Retain the original labels and compare counts with the supplied list. If the list specifies different post lengths or fasteners, record those distinctions without assuming the longest piece belongs at the bottom.
Measure only where this can be done safely without manipulating an unstable partly assembled tower. Do not dismantle a loaded or tension-fitted structure to gather evidence; seek the appropriate instructions first.
Do not turn a mismatch into a modification
A tutorial for another tower may use a different joining sequence, fixing or platform orientation. Do not drill an extra hole, substitute a screw, omit a platform or swap the level order to copy it. Likewise, extra force is not a way to establish that two parts belong together.
The Ultimate PawHouse, for example, includes several different resting formats. Their presence in a product photograph does not explain the required connections. Our guide to changing cat-tree platform order explains why an alternative arrangement needs model-specific approval.
Ask for a confirmed instruction set
Send the order details, manual identification, relevant step and clear photographs of the parts concerned. Ask the seller to confirm which instructions apply and whether the supplied components are correct. Keep any answer with the original manual so another household member does not resume from the superseded diagram.
Keep the incomplete tree unavailable to the cat until the discrepancy is resolved and the correct installation is complete. A replacement document should settle the specific mismatch, not just provide a clearer picture of a different model.
