The folks over at Katt-Trappa posted this really cool cat ladder from Germany. Most designs on Katt-Trappa are custom, so you probably can’t buy one of these, but if you’re crafty, you could make one yourself.

Artist and illustrator Jim Flora is well-known for his graphic album covers designed for Columbia Records and RCA Victor in the 1940s and 50s. This great cover, Mambo for Cats published in 1955, is one of his most famous works. If you’re a jazz fan, or if you’re just a fan of groovy modern art, you can have your own Mambo for Cats either as a fine art print or as wearable art on a t-shirt.

To see more of Jim Flora’s artwork, check out two recently published books The Curiously Sinister Art of Jim Flora and The Mischievous Art of Jim Flora.

Thanks to Kristen for introducing me to Jim’s cool art.

Obviously created by someone intimately familiar with cat behavior.

A little creative collaging and you have this cute three-dimensional kitty. Visit Gypsy and Twink’s Etsy store to see the whole collection of whimsical animals and figures.

Lots of new photos have been added to the Moderncat gallery! Thanks to everyone who contributed. Please keep them coming!

Congratulations to Maureen, winner of the Stuff On My Cat giveaway! Maureen’s favorite SOMC entry, shown above, is Lucky the cat saying, “You humans want me to run away, don’t you?” Maureen will get many hours of entertainment from the complete collection of Stuff On My Cat publications.

A big thank you to Chronicle Books for sponsoring this special giveaway. Stay tuned for more great giveaways and contests featuring other cool moderncat-related publications from Chronicle.

Some nice cat gymnastics on a tall condo from Modern Cat Designs.

Today is the last day to enter to win the special giveaway from Chronicle Books, a complete collection of Stuff On My Cat! Go to the original post to enter.

New from the U.K. comes a unique approach to indoor climbing — the Hicat climbing system. Designed with a cat’s natural climbing instincts in mind, this system of products includes vertical climbing elements that extend from floor to ceiling.

The clean contemporary forms are available in a variety of configurations and textures. The larger vertical element can include access holes and internal shelves, kind of like a tree hole for napping or surveying the living room.

Hicat is not yet available, but it can be pre-ordered now and is expected to ship in the U.K. sometime around August 2008. The manufacturer is currently seeking U.S. distribution.

Looking for the perfect notecard for a moderncat lover? Check out these brand new beautiful cards from the folks at Mod-Dog. These feline forms were just added to their line, featuring four designs all printed on acid-free, recycled content paper with non-toxic inks. Each card comes with a special die cut paw print envelope. Buy a single card or a box of six and choose from the Abyssinian, Persian, American Shorthair, or Maine Coon.

The same designs are also available as fine art prints. Printed on 100% cotton rag with non-toxic archival ink, each print is signed and dated by the artist. Available in various sizes unframed or framed.

Right now you can receive a FREE box of 6 cards with a purchase of $50 or more. Just add your preference to the ‘Notes’ box that appears in the Shopping Cart, or send an email to info@mod-dog.com.

Here’s another cat-friendly DIY project from IKEA Hacker, this time using the Stolmen clothes storage system components to create a minimal and extremely functional cat climber. This design makes great use of vertical space — perfect for small homes. Read more about this project here.

Announcing a very special giveaway from Chronicle Books! This is your chance to win the entire collection of Stuff On My Cat publications. One lucky winner will get countless hours of entertainment from this prize package. From the wildly popular website StuffOnMyCat.com, this collection includes:

• The original Stuff On My Cat Book
• MORE Stuff On My Cat
• Stuff On My Cat Presents: Cats A to Z
• The Stuff On My Cat Journal
• Stuff On My Cat Postcard Box with 30 postcards
• Stuff On My Cat Fold and Mail Stationery
• and Stuff On My Cat Deluxe Notecards

This is not part of the regular monthly giveaway. Please follow the instructions below to enter to win.

HOW TO ENTER:

1. Go to www.stuffonmycat.com, look around (it’s very easy to spend hours there!) and find your favorite entry
2. Click on the title for the entry (above the photo)
3. Copy the URL from your web browser
4. Leave a comment on this post and include the link to your favorite entry on Stuff On My Cat (just paste the URL into the body of the comment)

Deadline to enter: June 15, 2008

One winner will be chosen at random to receive the Stuff On My Cat collection. Thanks so much to Chronicle Books for sponsoring this special giveaway!

This video outlines the steps of clicker training a cat. I’ve heard of this technique, but I was never really clear about how it is supposed to work. I always assumed that the clicker was for deterring bad behavior but that is not the case. Clicker training is a positive reinforcement method and the clicker sound is used to communicate when the animal has done the right thing. Positive reinforcement, also known as operant conditioning, rewards the animal for positive or desired behavior. The video helps to clarify.

Karen Pryor, an expert in clicker training, narrates this video made by clicker trainer Catherine Crawmer. You can find quite a bit of information on clicker training at www.clickertraining.com.

Has anyone ever tried this? How did it work for you?

This is Goma. If you haven’t met him, please check out his blog mycatgoma.com. Goma is a beautiful Himalayan cat who lives in Vermont with his mom Sachie. Here we have Goma enjoying his Pod Bed from Hepper Home. Goma demonstrates the many ways to be entertained by a Pod Bed. Goma cracks me up!

Each year Design*Sponge offers a scholarship program to provide financial assistance to art and design students. The scholarship focuses on product/furniture design, graphic/pattern/surface design, textiles, ceramics and interior design. This year one of the winners, Sharon Levy, included this design for cats in her portfolio. The assignment was to design a pet product and Sharon chose for her inspiration the modular systems of prefab homes. Sharon’s portfolio outlines her research and development of this concept, including target consumer, competitive product analysis, concept sketches, “user” research, use of materials, product details, and final presentation. Her final concept, called Dwell Habi-kat, is a set of modular wall-mounted components made from environmentally-friendly industrial felt. Still just a student concept, the Dwell Habi-kat is not in production, but I wish it was! Sharon definitely gets an A+ from me!

Congratulations to Kim from Rohnert Park, California for winning the May giveaway! Kim will have the pleasure of using her new Litter-Robot automatic self-cleaning litter box. Enjoy, Kim!

We have a special giveaway this month! The folks at Cat Livin’ are offering the whole Cat Livin’ collection to one very lucky winner! The collection includes The Climber, The Mat, The Garden, and The Rat. You first heard about Cat Livin’ back in February when this cool new company appeared on the scene. With a commitment to creating stylish cat products that fit perfectly in a modern home, this company is a Moderncat favorite.

You don’t want to miss out on this great giveaway, so if you’re not already on the list, sign-up today!

New from the designers at Meowme, makers of the ultra cool Sleepypod mobile pet bed, comes the Cloudpuff blanket. This durable and luxurious little blanket is made of the softest polyester plush with a suede-like backing. It’s perfect for use in a carrier or for protecting napping spots at home. Easy to clean and just the right size, kitty won’t want to nap anywhere else. As you can see below, Flora prefers the suede side. She rarely leaves her Cloudpuff during the day.