When a German architect and industrial designer who lives and works in Los Angeles decides he needs a climbing tower to accommodate his three cats and fit into his ultra modern home, the carpeted monstrosities are absolutely out of the question. So what does he do? Well, in this case Peter Sehorsch went to IKEA for inspiration and then took his project far beyond an average DIY undertaking.

The result: The Hollywood Franklin Cat Tower. Named after the designer’s cat Frank, the Hollywood Franklin Tower is a unique combination of off-the-shelf modular structure and custom design. The tower is based on the IKEA Stolmen system, using the post and mounting fixtures. Peter and his design team created two different size platforms that attach to the post. The platforms come in three finishes and four carpet tile options. You get the IKEA parts then custom order the platforms to create the perfect climbing tower for your needs.

One of the big advantages to using this system is that it is easily moveable, so you can change things up for kitty when she gets bored with her tower in its current location. You can also change the position of the platforms, combining the small steps with the large platforms in either a clockwise or counter clockwise pattern.

Take a look at the incredibly cool presentation and be sure to click the navigation in the upper left corner for product specifications and ordering info.

We’ve got a fabulous giveaway this month from DKcat! One lucky winner will receive a handmade, eco-friendly Platform C cat tower! The winner will get to choose either the Platform C or the new Platform C2 with a larger rectangular top perch in a choice of chocolate wood with tan carpet, blonde wood with grey carpet, or blonde wood with multi-colored carpet (all three options shown above.) All DKcat towers are made in San Francisco. Read more about the DKcat towers here.

Make sure you sign-up to receive Moderncat email updates so you’ll be entered to win the monthly giveaway. This giveaway is open to international readers who are willing to pay the extra shipping. Thanks DKcat!

Keaton and Scoochie decided to take matters into their own hands (or paws) by designing and building customized cat shelves to suit their climbing needs. They chose to use IKEA shelves with the stainless side down, topped off with some very nice FLOR carpet tiles. The photo below shows the duo planning the project. What excellent craftsmanship, considering they have no opposable thumbs!

Their mom, Julie documented the process here.

Here are a couple of my own DIY projects that I just completed. Above are photos of an installation I did at my vet’s office (Dreamy Draw Cat Hospital in Phoenix - hi, Dr. Oyan!) I used FLOR carpet tiles to cover the front of the check-in desk, creating a vertical scratching surface. Office cat Blackie is modeling.

I used the same Lane Change striped carpet tiles to cover a shelf on my new catio. I installed the shelf to cover the litter area and plan to make a curtain to hide everything. There’s also a sisal wrapped climbing pole that goes all the way to the ceiling. Ando is demonstrating. More catio details will be posted soon over at Catio Showcase.

TIPS

On both projects I cut the carpet tiles in half to create a better looking pattern, since both areas required one full tile plus another half. Another big lesson: FLOR carpet tiles DO NOT stick to carpet tape! I tried to install the tiles on the wall using the stickiest carpet tape I could find, and they all fell down that night. The carpet tiles have a plastic backing that won’t stick to the tape. I went to buy adhesive glue and found that almost all of the super-strength adhesives that work on plastic or rubber are EXTREMELY toxic and have warnings about eye and respiratory irritation — not good for use around cats! I kept searching and found a non-toxic adhesive that worked really well. It is an all-purpose adhesive from Ace Hardware and it has almost no odor at all. This is a great product for permanently attaching carpet tiles.

These two beautiful new climbing towers are the latest designs from The Refined Feline. The first is The Everest, made from bent plywood with FLOR carpet tiles covering the shelves and large sisal scratching pads on the sides. Standing 7 feet tall, this gorgeous tower will make quite a statement in any modern interior. The second contemporary tower fits in the corner, taking up minimal floor space. Matching wall shelves can be added to extend the climbing area. Both will be available from The Refined Feline soon.

5-month old Abyssinian Blue, Zidane is a very lucky kitten. First, because he lives with his parents Cybelle and Davide in this beautiful modern loft in San Francisco, and second, because his mom and dad built these shelves especially for him to traverse from the kitchen to the bedroom.

And this project didn’t even involve a trip to IKEA, just some regular shelves with brackets from the hardware store, topped with 15 sample Flor tiles.

Beautiful!

I obviously don’t have one of everything that I write about–otherwise there would be no room for human furniture in my rather small condo–but I do have a few select items, including the Moderncritter bent wood scratcher. I have to say, it is one of the most beautiful pieces of furniture that I own. The quality was immediately obvious the minute I opened the box. This is not a toy or another throw-away cat item. It is actually a piece of furniture that will last for many, many years.

When I ordered it, it was unclear exactly how it attaches to the wall. It turns out that the mechanism is fabulous! It has a unique wall mounting system with a two-part bracket that is incredibly easy to install and even comes with its own level to help you hang it perfectly. It’s brilliant!

As you can see above, Mackenzie has claimed the scratcher. He likes to hop up on it whenever I’m sitting on the sofa–precisely why I positioned it there. The craftsmanship is excellent and I love that you can replace the FLOR carpet tiles if they get worn or just to change the color and pattern to match your decor. If you’re looking for a very special item that your cats will love–and you will, too–the Moderncritter scratcher is the perfect thing.

Available directly from Moderncritter.

Introducing the brand new modern cat scratcher from moderncritter. This elegant bent plywood form stands three feet tall and can be configured in a variety of ways — hang it on the wall to create a raised perching shelf, lean it against the wall requiring minimal floor space, or lay it on the floor for cats who prefer horizontal scratching. Made of molded plywood with walnut veneer and finished with a clear matte lacquer, the moderncritter scratcher is designed using FLOR carpet tiles as the scratching surface. Carpet tiles are easy to change when carpet becomes worn or just to customize your scratcher to match your decor.

Completely made and assembled in the USA. Available directly from moderncritter.

Last year Apartment Therapy held a pet decor contest, requesting submissions from readers showing creative solutions to common pet decor problems at home. This entry is for a set of climbing shelves that fit perfectly in a modern interior. Made from floating shelf units purchased at West Elm and Home Depot and topped with Flor carpet tiles, this minimalist solution maximizes space while providing indoor cats with a great way to get some exercise.

Source: Cat Stairs Pet Decor Contest Entry at Apartment Therapy

One of the newest companies making modern furniture specifically for cats is Portland, Oregon-based Square Cat Habitat. Not only do they seem passionate about creating beautifully designed pieces, but they are committed to reducing their impact on the environment by using earth-friendly materials whenever possible. So far they have incorporated sustainable bamboo plywood, water-based finishes, and recycled packaging materials into their products.

The product line includes Bastet (pictured above) a multi-use piece combining perch, bed, scratching surface, and play station. Additional pieces are the Buddha wall-mounted shelf perch and Itch, an attractive scratching surface that can be mounted on the wall or used on the floor. All three items make use of removable carpet inserts that are easy to clean and replace, plus they offer an alternative to cardboard scratchers, which can make such a mess.

All products are made in the USA and can be purchased at the Square Cat Habitat web site. This company seems to be off to a good start. I look forward to seeing what they come out with next.

Itch and Buddha are both currently available at Amazon.