For most of us cat owners, we would agree that our cats definitely rule the roost! Therefore, it's not surprising that so much of our homes are often dedicated to their comfort. But did you know that there's a whole lot of humans who dedicate their time and money to cat architecture, or ‘catitecture’, to offer their feline friends the perfect combination of design and comfort. From chic scratching posts to multi-functional furniture, when it comes to cat architecture, the sky is the limit! Here are just a few of our favourite feline designs that caught our eye.
Miniature furniture by Okawa Kagu
Straight from Okawa City in Fukuoka, one of Japan’s leading furniture producers, this company has created a collection of high quality, miniature furniture from a small selection of Japan's finest woodworkers, meaning that cats can have their very own room filled with perfectly cat-sized homewares! The campaign called 'Craftsmen Made' celebrates the work and highlights the makers in the region. The furniture is made with carefully selected wood and the level of craftsmanship applied to the people-sized furniture that is more widely available. With plenty of styles to choose from, including beds, sofas and chests of drawers, there's bound to be something to satisfy every kitty's tastes. When asked about the unique furniture they produce, Nakayama Woodworking said "We aim to create furniture that can be used for a long time and that will be used for 100 years and become antique, and will be passed down from generation to generation."
The NEKO cat tree by Japanese luxury lifestyle brand RINN could easily be mistaken for a piece of modern art. The designer of this incredibly sleek cat tree is Yoh Komiyama, a designer of future home appliances for pets and humans alike. Luxury materials such as Japanese hardwood, Scandinavian textiles and Greek marble create a 6-ft structure, perfect for climbing, hiding, chewing and cooling themselves down. RINN describe the tower as a "decorative interior object that fits seamlessly with its surroundings." They say "the spaces in between each cylindrical post provide glimpses, and thus convey the mutual presence, of both cat and human, maintaining a furtive connection between the two for a greater intimacy."
Designed as part of a charity fundraiser for Architects for Animals "Giving Shelter" fundraiser, this quirky little cat shelter would be any indoor cats dream! More than 12 LA-based architects created a series of structures for a one-night-only exhibition and cocktail event to raise money for animal charity FixNation back in 2014. HOK created a stack of small transparent house structures contained within a larger house shape lined with cat-scratching pole material. A miniature lawn at the front finishes off the design with a pop of colour and the perfect place to sprinkle some catnip!
Cat Chalet by Space International
Designer as part of the same fundraising event for FixNation, the Cat Chalet by Space International was imagined as a retreat for feral cats. With the look of a gabled house, the cathouse is formed of an angular lacquered wooden roof, which becomes a slanted chaise longue for humans to relax on, paired with a platform beneath it for cats. The internal surface of the roof and platform are lined with synthetic grass and supported by vertical columns wrapped with sisal rope. Enclosed by reflective elastic cord, which creates a protected, playful feline landscape that brings cats and humans together.
Netherlands based brand Poopy Cat was created in 2013 with their first launches being a disposable litter box, followed by a number of cardboard 'blocks' that you can link together to build a home for your cat. Then they created the Landmarks collection! They recreated a number of world famous buildings as cardboard play and sleeping places for your cat, including the Russian Kremlin and the American White House. Each piece is made from recycled cardboard and is simply slotted together with card tabs. Whilst being able to be flat-packed, the cardboard structures are still strong enough for several cats!