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.

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

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.

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.

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!

This past week was ICFF, the International Contemporary Furniture Fair, one of the largest shows of contemporary design, held annually in New York City. Apparently, the pet offerings were a bit slim this year, but designer Akemi Tanaka showed a prototype of this stylish and minimal new cat perch, called Curve. The molded plywood shelf attaches to the wall and was originally designed as a window seat. The pad snaps in place to keep kitty from sliding off. No pricing or availability info yet, but I will be sure to post an update when it is.

via Apartment Therapy and Green Modern Kits

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.

This is Climb, a super-cool cat condo from Otis and Claude. These stackable cubes are covered in cotton fabric and come in two awesome color combos: WARM - black, white, orange, pink and yellow, and COOL - brown, white, green, blue and beige. The modular pieces let you stack them however you like, and all the cubes nest in one another for easy storage.

Both color combos are available at Amazon.

This very architectural form is the Necobaco cat tree, new from Japanese pet furniture design company Clavo. The tree is apparently customizable and is resin treated to protect it from scratching. The combination of carpeted cantilevered shelves and hollow boxes offer a variety of spots for cats to climb around on and snuggle into.

It looks like the company offers a smaller matching cat bed, however both seem to only be available in Japan.

via Apartment Therapy

Another Moderncat favorite from the Global Pet Expo was the streamlined and stylish CatVantage modular cat tree system. There are lots of great things to call-out about this product. First, it’s designed to take up very little floor space by extending between the floor and ceiling with a unique, modular design that can fit ceilings up to 10 feet. Also, the products used in the CatVantage are earth-friendly, using 100% recycled PVC for the components of the central column with carpet-covered birch steps.

The pieces of the tree fit together to form a sturdy staircase leading to a large loft at the top. An optional sisal scratching pad can be attached to the tree and the company is currently working on other add-on components.

The PVC and birch model (shown to the right above) is currently available by calling the folks at CatVantage. They are also developing an all-wood version (pictured in the video above) that will be out later this year.

This month, we are thrilled to be giving away the newly designed cat tree from the folks at TrendyCat. This beautiful and practical cat tree is like nothing you’ve seen before. It has two levels with large 16″ by 18″ cushioned perching shelves. The shelf supports are sisal covered scratching posts, with the tallest one measuring 30″ for maximum kitty stretching. It has a solid base for stability and is constructed with high quality bolts–no staples!

Like all the other TrendyCat products, the new cat tree is made of sustainable bamboo and birch hardwoods, and is finished with a durable, non-toxic satin finish. TrendyCat products never contain particle board or MDF and each one is handcrafted in the USA.

The winner will get to choose either the natural or the caramel finish. Sign-up now for your chance to win this terrific giveaway! (This giveaway can only be shipped to the US or Canada.)

This is a very exciting time to be into stylish cat products! There are lots of new companies appearing and I’d like to introduce you to the latest — Cat Livin. Just launching today, this brand new company has a hip vibe and some cool looking products. One of their first releases will be a door-mounted sisal climber. It easily attaches to any door, making it a great space saver. The simple, clean design is perfect for an urban loft or modern home.

And for a little play time, Cat Livin gives you “The Rat,” a streamlined, oversized wool toy stuffed with organic catnip. Design that both you and your cat can appreciate.

Also included in the initial launch are some fun feeding and snacking items like “The Garden” organic grass and a stylish feeding mat.

Cat Livin is based in southern California and was started by Angela & Jeremy Moser. It looks like they plan to expand their offerings to include more great products for living, eating, playing and cleaning (stylish and functional litter gear I hope!) Products will start shipping in April. Pre-order now directly from Cat Livin. And when you visit their site you will be treated to some awesome music by Los Angeles artists Evolve (great stuff!)

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.

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.

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.

Something new from IKEA, this is the Bastis Blond scratching post and climbing tree. This is a large item, standing almost 71 inches tall. Made of rattan on a steel frame, the tree mounts to the wall with the shelves hidden behind the large scratching surface. You’ll have to make a trip to your closest IKEA to check it out in person, since it is only available in stores.

Craft maven Martha Stewart comes through again with two more DIY cat items. This time we have a heated cat bed and this woodsy cat tree. Both are certainly minimal and could fit nicely into a modern home. The cat tree would definitely make a good conversation piece. Directions for both are on marthastewart.com.

If you’re looking for eco-friendly options in cat towers as well as clean, contemporary design, then these models from TrendyCat may be just the thing for you. Handmade in the USA from solid bamboo with absolutely no particle board or MDF, the TrendyCat towers are some of the greenest cat furniture I’ve come across. The towers are available in three sizes ranging from 3 feet to 5 feet tall, and come in two finishes, the lighter natural color and a darker caramel color, which is actually produced by caramelizing the bamboo during the manufacturing process, not simply by staining it. The bamboo is finished with non-toxic satin polyurethane.

The medium and tall towers shown above both include two cantilevered sisal-covered shelves, perfect for perching or scratching. Replacement shelves can be purchased separately if the sisal becomes worn over time. All three models, including the small tower, have padded cushions, which are also replaceable.

These towers are a bit of an investment, but they offer the kind of quality that is sure to last for many years.

Available directly from TrendyCat.

This sleek reinterpretation of the cat tower from The Refined Feline brings a touch of Zen into the modern home while satisfying several of kitty’s needs–all in one piece of furniture. The Lotus Cat Tower stands almost six feet tall and includes multiple surfaces for climbing and lounging, a vertical sisal panel for scratching, a padded cushion for sitting, and a cubby for napping or hiding the litter box. With so many features it is sure to become a popular hangout.

Available at Amazon

Thanks to Moderncat reader John for sending in photos of a great DIY project that he and his wife tackled. They decided to extend a wall in their bedroom, creating a separate area for a window seat and, at the same time, adding some architectural details designed for their cat Lupe. The idea was to integrate the cat-friendly elements in such a way that they would not be obvious.

The project includes a long shelf above the bed connected to another shelf inside the alcove by three small square windows. These windows allow Lupe to pass through the wall at ceiling height, something every cat would love to do. Both shelves are carpeted for Lupe’s comfort. Three small shelves in the alcove provide steps to reach the upper level. Halogen lights covered with glass shades create a toasty napping spot on the shelf in the alcove.

For more photos of this project, visit John’s Alcove Construction Flickr set. Lupe sure is one lucky cat!