Unbelievable Cat-friendly House Design from Japan

Filed under Climbing & Perching, Scratching by moderncat at 9:57 pm on Oct 08 2008

I think I’m going to have a heart attack, this is the coolest thing I have ever seen! As you may be aware, the Japanese treat their pets like children, and since they are also masters of good design, it’s no surprise that some Japanese housing builders are now designing homes featuring special features for pets. These amazing images are from Asahi Kasei’s Plus-Nyan house. Obviously a great deal of research went into the design of these beautiful spaces, from the perspective of both the cats and the homeowners.

Features include open air cat walks, climbing steps, nooks throughout the house for cat hide-outs, cat doors in every door, extra space in the bathroom designed especially for a litter box, an enclosed deck area, and special fences to prevent cats from escaping.

They have even gone so far as to use pet-friendly construction materials that resist scratching and are easy to clean.

Thank you to Sachie at My Cat Goma for finding this and for translating the Japanese descriptions for us!

I want to live in Japan!

42 Responses to “Unbelievable Cat-friendly House Design from Japan”

  1. 1 Nikion 08 Oct 2008 at 10:42 pm

    This is truly awesome! Those of us in the U.S. could incorporate these design ideas into our own home if we custom build one - for these types of reasons I’d like to build my own home someday - not because I want a huge mansion but so many details get overlooked in standard american homes. My (future) cats would be delighted in this japanese home :) Thanks so much for posting, and your site is fabulous!

  2. 2 MrsMelvinon 09 Oct 2008 at 7:22 am

    LOVES IT! I just bought a home. I hope to do some of these things for my 6 furbabies.

  3. 3 Terrieon 09 Oct 2008 at 7:48 am

    That is so cool! I wish I could have something like this for my cats :)

  4. 4 Sachie+Gomaon 09 Oct 2008 at 7:57 am

    Wow! Thanks for featuring an article from mycatgoma.com! I recieved a daily update from Moderncat with familiar titles “Unbelievable Cat-friendly House Design from Japan” When I saw this I was soooo excited that you found this interesting too!! A pet-friendly house in Japan has been a huge hit! Not only Asahi-kasei who designed house, other major house builders are designing similar house as well!! Very interesting!!

  5. 5 TsuKata’s Org* » Blog Archive » Another reason to love Japanon 09 Oct 2008 at 1:19 pm

    […] Unbelievably Cat Friendly House Design From Japan (via ModernCat) […]

  6. 6 Hysse - Kissataloon 09 Oct 2008 at 2:21 pm

    […] olisi aikaa, viitseliäisyyttä ja järjetön määrä massia, rakennuttaisin Hysselle tällaisia virityksiä kämpän […]

  7. 7 Erin, Calvin & Hobbeson 09 Oct 2008 at 6:29 pm

    WoWsers!!!!
    My guys are totally jealous and wondering if we could take a trip to Japan to see how the other half lives!! **grins**
    Thanks to Moderncat for all the greaT caT finds!!
    Unbelievably awesome!!!
    e.

  8. 8 Dani Bon 09 Oct 2008 at 7:45 pm

    That’s a dream of every cat lovers!!!

  9. 9 Jen-Y.org » Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay!on 09 Oct 2008 at 11:24 pm

    […] and this house is the SHIZZ. For […]

  10. 10 Other Stuff « reindeer.pizzaon 10 Oct 2008 at 1:08 pm

    […] Most Cat Friendly House To Ever Exist. Not Surprisingly It is in Japan. […]

  11. 11 Rowangreyon 10 Oct 2008 at 2:03 pm

    That’s great! Only, my kids would probably prefer more cushy places to nap than appear to be available in that super-cool house. But a bathroom with a built in cat box spot? Awesome!

  12. 12 barbara coxon 10 Oct 2008 at 6:56 pm

    finally someone recognizes the need for pet friendly homes.

  13. 13 Carl Brutananadilewskion 10 Oct 2008 at 10:32 pm

    There was a bookstore in Seattle that had similar features and cats a plenty including snoozing in the display cases, up on top of the bookshelves, and across the beams that connected the tops of the bookshelves. I think somebody told me they went out of business but it was so adorable that I had to go in and check it out and tell the owners how cool I thought it was.

  14. 14 Stevenon 10 Oct 2008 at 10:59 pm

    Too cool. I want it just a bit bigger: for my boy. Child-fun house!

  15. 15 Mister.deon 11 Oct 2008 at 1:39 am

    great! i got 4 cats.. i am thinking about moving to the countryside for them.. but this houses would be perfect for them.. even in the city :)

  16. 16 Iona Konwaleron 11 Oct 2008 at 5:21 am

    I love this. Just moved into a new apartment and we have no room for a litter box. We only have one cat at the present time.

  17. 17 michion 11 Oct 2008 at 7:54 am

    Wow, this house is so wonderful!
    It looks fun to live in.

  18. 18 links for 2008-10-11 « cosmonaughton 11 Oct 2008 at 12:30 pm

    […] Unbelievable Cat-friendly House Design from Japan | moderncat (tags: cats home japan design animals) […]

  19. 19 Logotypeon 11 Oct 2008 at 12:42 pm

    Wonderfull solutions for frenzy cats.

  20. 20 Cheryl Janison 11 Oct 2008 at 2:02 pm

    That is the best looking house for cats that I’ve ever seen. I’m inspired by the caring and creativity that has gone into cohabitating with the feline species. –Cheryl Janis, author of Planet Pink n Green (.com).

  21. 21 Robyns Online Worldon 11 Oct 2008 at 4:47 pm

    Love all of this! It’s funny, when my family and I talk about building a custom home, the conversation usually starts around what we want most for the cats rather than ourselves in the house.

  22. 22 Katten villa | XippiX.nlon 12 Oct 2008 at 7:29 am

    […] katvriendelijk huis laten bouwen. Gewoon met leuke speel elementen erin, ze kunnen zelfs even een frisse neus halen buiten! « Wist je […]

  23. 23 Frankon 12 Oct 2008 at 11:59 am

    Hey I just wanted to say this is really cool! It looks like it would be so much fun for cats and kittens of all ages!

  24. 24 Cat-friendly Japanese house « Later Onon 12 Oct 2008 at 12:56 pm

    […] in Cats, Daily life at 12:56 pm by LeisureGuy This house looks terrific. Megs and Molly would love […]

  25. 25 Tonyon 12 Oct 2008 at 6:15 pm

    This makes me wish I was a cat. Or at least very small.
    It looks like the funnest place ever.

  26. 26 LilithOnTopon 13 Oct 2008 at 1:40 am

    well, my greek cat would also love that! and I d love to watch her relax at her spot and not walk all around and all over me in MY bed!

  27. 27 rachel woodon 13 Oct 2008 at 6:15 am

    this is truly awsome!!!!!!!!!!!! = )

  28. 28 Israelon 14 Oct 2008 at 3:57 am

    I use a plastic tub like a baby bath for my cat litter box. The advantage is the high sides!
    Any cat owner would know that all these surfaces (ramps, shelves, stairs) for cat climbing and resting need to be covered in carpeting to prevent cats slipping on the shiny woord. Actually a few partially closed carboard cartons also do the trick. Being curious and super-intelligent, cats like their toys and environment to be changed periodically to provide interest, learning opportunities, mental stimulation and fun.

  29. 29 kateon 14 Oct 2008 at 8:45 am

    I have a friend with a couple of these features accidentally (open beams accessible from his balcony and a shelf along the other side of the room. His cats love it. The downside for him is that he now has to sneak up on them to get them to the vet or the groomer because they figured out almost instantly that there was no way he was going to CATCH them with or without a ladder.

  30. 30 Carmenon 14 Oct 2008 at 4:21 pm

    Nossa! Este apê é muito bom, meu gato, Ike iria adorar!!! bjs

  31. 31 Cheri Allenon 16 Oct 2008 at 5:47 am

    These designs are just awesome!!! Such great ideas for our furbabies!!

  32. 32 laura petreyon 16 Oct 2008 at 2:38 pm

    wow my cats would be in seventh heaven with that….

  33. 33 Anneon 17 Oct 2008 at 6:16 am

    OMG that is the best thing I have ever seen. Its really what I would for my two cats.

  34. 34 Flippyon 18 Oct 2008 at 4:59 pm

    OMG, I want this house!! I wish I could build something like this. Wow! Thanks for the pix.

  35. 35 nichion 18 Oct 2008 at 11:07 pm

    wow. this is amazing. my kittens would adore this, as would my big cat. the house is not only a gorgeous one, but a functional one. i like to exist in the best manner possible with my furbabies, and that house would be perfect. i know it’s inspired me in construction for my future home… mm. fantasies. :]

  36. 36 David Millaron 20 Oct 2008 at 8:22 am

    Unbelievable. I love it! Some day I will do this. Some day…

  37. 37 Valentinaon 21 Oct 2008 at 2:43 am

    I want it!
    I want it… now.

  38. 38 Abriahon 21 Oct 2008 at 7:56 am

    This is so Awesome!!!!!!! Its the best cat house ever but people live there to its so cool

  39. 39 lolitaon 25 Oct 2008 at 11:51 pm

    omg i wanna be a cat in japan!

  40. 40 Paulon 27 Oct 2008 at 7:27 am

    Very impressive indoor features, but it amazes me that so many ‘cat-lovers’ have failed to state that cats need free access to the outdoors in order to exhibit natural behaviour. With the new Animal Welfare Act (2007) it could well be argued that it is now ‘illegal’ to keep a cat indoors.

  41. 41 Timo Kulhiaon 29 Oct 2008 at 12:52 am

    Great Nippon architectur ! Great Miau-thanks to Pacific Ocean. We must do it also here in Finland, Scandinavian. My friend Liisa has builded in her cottage and city-home in Helsinki something like that in a smallscale: over ten meters shelf where Taneli and Rosa can lift themselves climbing up textail wallpaper.

    Timo Kulhia

  42. 42 krembo99.comon 10 Nov 2008 at 8:23 am

    Personally I am more of a Dog-person, but I must admit that those designs makes you want to have a cat ..

Trackback URI | Comments RSS

Leave a Reply