We have GREAT giveaway for you this month! It’s the brand new bent plywood scratcher from Moderncritter! This sleek modern form with FLOR carpet tiles as the scratching surface will look fabulous in the winner’s home. Make sure to sign-up today so you’ll be entered to win. The drawing will take place on February 29 (happy leap year!)

Congratulations to Sharon from Milton, PA, winner of the January Moderncat giveaway! Sharon’s three cats will be fighting over their new Hex Black and Chili Pepper Red Bella Bed from Bella Creature Comforts.

And don’t forget, Bella needs your help! Make sure to leave a comment with your suggestions for the colors you’d like to see in next season’s line of Bella Beds.

Easily create your own customized kitty stairway using the simple Bjarnum/Jarpen shelf system from IKEA. The shelves can be cut to any length and the cut edge is concealed by the sturdy metal hardware that attaches the shelf to the wall.

This project was originally posted on Flickr by Jujuo (being demonstrated by his beautiful cats Juju and Toy) and it was also blogged at two of my favorite sites, Katt-Trappa and IKEA Hacker.

Check out these one-of-a-kind, handcrafted retro mod cat beds from Like Kittysville. Each bed is made from vintage fabric, so there are no two alike. The bed is molded out of industrial steel mesh that is padded and upholstered and attaches to a sleek wood base. The boomerang shape is perfect for all you mid-century moderncats.

The creator of Like Kittysville graduated from the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising in Los Angeles and apparently has a houseful of rescued cats. How great is that?

This is one of the best uses of vintage fabric I’ve seen! I can’t decide which one to get! Check out the current selections at the Like Kittysville Etsy store. New beds are always being listed.

Also blogged at Jenn Ski Studio and More Ways to Waste Time.

I just found this very attractive cat condo from a new company called Modern Cat Designs (no relation to Moderncat.net). The tower stands 40 inches tall and has a sturdy steel frame. Attached to the frame are padded foam slats covered with durable fabric, that supposedly withstands scratching. It is available in chocolate brown or tan. Great start for a new company! I’m looking forward to seeing what else they do in the future.

Today’s issue of USA Today featured an article discussing the recent trend in designer furniture and products for cats and Moderncat was quoted as a source for good finds!

Read the article online here.

Yes, it’s a pet mattress from the ultimate fashion brand, Gucci. Simple, elegant, and timeless, this bed sports a cover made from classic beige & ebony GG fabric that is removable and washable–because even the most refined felines shed.

Let kitty dine in style with this beautiful stoneware bowl imported from France. The Gargantua Cat Bowl has a sloping rim to keep food in the bowl plus it has a finger cutout on the bottom that makes it easy to pick-up. The black glazed interior and matte beige exterior are the perfect neutral combination for a modern kitchen. The bowl is dishwasher safe.

Available from Rose and Radish.

Kitty will look so very chic sitting atop the elegant and modern Scan bed from Canadian company Pet Revolution. The glistening acrylic base supports a sturdy cushion covered in water-resistant nylon that will prevent odors from permeating the high-quality foam. The bed features a reversible micro-suede cover that is easy to put on and remove and is also machine washable. Replacement covers are available in a variety of fashionable colors.

Does your cat eat too fast, and then, well, you know…it’s time for the urping kitty sign? Finally, there is a solution, the Brake-Fast pet bowl. Designed to slow down speedy eaters, this bowl has three molded bumps on the bottom, making it harder for kitty to gulp his food. The bowl comes in three sizes, the smallest size is appropriate for cats.

Available at Amazon

From the creator of Scary Stories, Wendy Ann Gardener, these adorable little creatures are part of the Cheeky Squeaky Pets line of cat toys. Made from soft polar fleece and stuffed with catnip and a bit of cellophane for a little “crinkle,” these fun toys will keep kitty entertained for hours, plus they’re guaranteed to bring a smile to your face each time you step over one.

Pictured here are Cheeky Josephine, Mr. Ping is Just a Grub, and Nibbling Jules. All are available at Amazon.

Add a touch of playful Italian style to your cat’s next meal with the Tigrito cat bowl from Alessi. The molded plastic form holds two polished stainless steel bowls. This little cutie comes in grey, blue, or yellow.

Available at Amazon

Oh, I wish I lived in Italy! These photos are from the new Gatthotel & Spa in Perugia, Italy. It is a totally new concept created by Roberta Mammoli, a vet with a passion for interior design. The Gatthotel offers cat boarding, grooming, and a shop.

The private boarding “rooms” (pictured below) are spacious and fitted with shelves that allow kitty to hide when she feels like it (mainly upon arrival) and then to have a look around when curiosity takes over. Only delicate natural products are used in the grooming salon to take care of sensitive skin. Dryers and clippers were chosen among the less noisy on the market to avoid stress as much as possible.

The shop sells a wide variety of products for cats and their owners, of course all with the expected Italian eye for good design. In addition to cat care items like carriers and beds the store stocks other cat-related gift items, such as cards, jigsaw puzzles, mugs, and sculptures.

I hope to visit someday!

This week 75 of the cats from the Best Friends Cat Rescue that took place in Pahrump, Nevada will make their way to Phoenix, Arizona in search of loving homes. These are very special cats who have been through quite an ordeal, but the Best Friends staff and volunteers have done an amazing job rehabilitating and socializing each and every one of them. These kitties may be a bit shy at first, but they have all shown how much they appreciate human companionship. Read more about the adoption tour on the Best Friends site.

If you are in the Phoenix area January 18, 19 & 20, please stop by the PetSmart at 1949 E Camelback Road between noon and 7:00pm all three days. Moderncat will be volunteering part of the time and I’m even working on a little project to help the kitties ride in style. Read more about the cat bed project and get updates on Moderncat’s involvement here.

This beautiful tabby was spotted in a recent article in the Home & Garden section of the New York Times. This handsome guy is lucky enough to live in the West Hollywood condominium project known as Habitat 825. Read more about Mr. Tabby’s ultra mod pad here.

Thanks to Moderncat reader Kathleen for this sighting.

Are you good at forecasting colors? If you’ve got an eye for color trends, then the folks at Bella Creature Comforts want to hear from you. They are currently selecting the new colors for next season’s Bella beds and blankets and they want your input. Please post a comment here and let them know what color combinations you would like to see. And don’t forget to sign-up to win the January Moderncat giveaway, a Hex Black and Chili Pepper Red Bella Bed.

This is the work of Susie Ghahremani, illustrator and self-proclaimed “stuff maker.” Susie’s whimsical illustrations appear on a number of limited edition items from giclee prints and mouse pads to stationery and jewelry. These adorable kitties are part of her menagerie. All can be purchased on her website boygirlparty.com.

Thanks to Naomi for spotting this one.

Here are some fun FREE cat toys from Marmalade Pet Care. Just download the free templates and use them to make some snazzy 3-D cardboard shapes that kitty will just love.

Thanks, Marmalade!

Here’s a special import for cats with a taste for the exotic. Matatabi–or Japanese catnip–is actually a vine in the Kiwi family that seems to have a special attraction for cats. The folks at ItchyKnee import this matatabi from an organic farm in the mountains of Wakayama, Japan. Order some matatabi “logs” for kitty today and she’ll be oh so thankful.

Available directly from ItchyKnee.

Is it kitty heaven? No, it’s an art installation by Benjamin Ball and Gaston Nogues, the architects/designers of Ball-Nogues Studio. This piece was commissioned by the Rice Gallery in collaboration with the exhibition, The Modern West: American Landscape, 1890-1950, at The Museum of Fine Arts in Houston in 2006. Rip Curl Canyon represents a mythical landscape in the American West. Fabricated with eight tons of industrially die-cut corrugated cardboard, the piece was inspired by architect Frank Gehry’s “Easy Edges” line of furniture from the 1970s. Viewers were invited to explore the cardboard curves by climbing on the piece and walking underneath it. And you thought some of the other cardboard scratchers on this site were expensive?