Simple, natural materials make the best cat trees, and that’s exactly what the folks at Mountain Cat Trees use to create their products. Made from real trees with the bark removed and natural sisal rope, these are some of the most eco-friendly cat trees and scratchers I’ve ever seen.

All products are handmade in the North Quabbin region of Central Massachusetts. The trees used for production are locally harvested from downed trees or timber cutting and forest management. Absolutely no carpet is used on any of the Mountain Cat Trees scratchers or cat trees.

If your aesthetic is more treehugger-modern, then make sure you check out these beautiful, earth-friendly and cat-friendly products.

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!

Great news for Moderncat fans Down Under. Ree-Yong’s Copenhagen Collection will be available in Australia starting on June 4, 2009. Sydneysiders will finally be able to get their paws on this gorgeous contemporary cat condo, plus if you order before June 15, you will receive FREE DELIVERY in the Sydney area for a limited time.

The Ree-Yong Pet Lifestyle collection is currently being offered in Signapore and now in Australia exclusively through Glamorpuss.

Moderncat reader Alexis sent in photos of some terrific DIY projects, all inspired by things that she read right here. First, she and her husband did an outstanding job creating this beautiful litter box hider. Due to space limitations, they needed a litter cabinet with an opening in the front, rather than on the side. They decided to build a custom wooden box (sized perfectly to fit their automatic litter box) using these directions from eHow. Then they borrowed an idea from this project on Instructables to place a grate inside the cabinet that helps reduce litter tracking. Finally, they used sticky-backed shelf paper to cut out the tree and bird silhouettes for decoration. After a little testing, Alexis noticed that the kitties were bypassing the grate and jumping straight out of the box, so she fashioned a barrier out of wood to create a passageway to the door.

I think the manufacturers of litter box hiders could learn a thing or two from this excellent design!

Alexis also made a recycled cardboard kitty pad and installed some nice climbing shelves inspired by several posts on Moderncat, including Julie’s shelves and this popular IKEA hack.

Great job!

Jake and Karen have done it again! Remember their awesome DIY Modern Cat Platforms? Well, this time they designed and built an ingenious windowsill perch. Odie and Suzy really enjoyed looking out the office window, but the accommodations (see below) were less than optimal. So Jake and Karen set to work. Their challenge was to design a perch that fit in with their modern style, worked well for the cats, and did not cover the vent in the floor directly below the window.

The perch is constructed from solid pine using biscuit joints. Careful consideration was given to the design of the perch. It makes excellent use of space by providing a comfy spot on top plus a cozy nook inside. Peep holes provide opportunities for paw pokes and all the edges are rounded to soften the look and make it safer for the cats. A nice soft cushion (made with reused feathers from an old pillow) tops off the perch. What a lovely spot for keeping an eye on the neighborhood!

For more photos and all the details, please visit Jake and Karen’s website.

This just showed-up in my in-box (thanks, Elbereth!) and I haven’t seen it before. It’s the Tall Egg Cat Climber Tower Condo from WhiskerStudio. It’s made of solid birch plywood finished with non-toxic water-based stain and clear lacquer. The shelves and the vertical scratchers (located above the first and second shelves) are covered with 100% natural woven sisal attached with non-toxic adhesive. The whole thing measures 72″ tall by 23″ wide by 18″ deep. It ships flat and you have to put it together, which they say will only take 30 minutes, but I guess that depends on how much IKEA assembly experience you have.

Available at Amazon.

Again, the Moderncat readers have voiced their opinions and the folks at Urban Pet Haus are thrilled with the feedback. Out of a record-breaking 945 total votes, the Curve perch is definitely the most popular with CC coming in second place. UPH plans to manufacture all three designs, starting with Curve. More information will follow on pricing and availability.

BONUS: Two Giveaway Winners Selected

In the meantime, not one, but two lucky winners will receive a large Curve perch. Chosen in a random drawing the winners are:

Anne (comment #638)

Gloria (comment #706)

Thanks to everyone who voted. On the ballot later this month will be the Urban Pet Haus bed designs.

This beautiful modern cat tower from DKcat is handmade using eco-friendly materials and reclaimed wood, perfect for your eco-conscious moderncat. The bamboo plywood structure is formaldehyde-free and the platforms are covered with low-VOC, recycled content carpet. The posts are made from reclaimed wood elegantly wrapped in natural sisal rope for scratching. The Platform C tower comes with either a square or rectangular upper platform and is available in chocolate or blonde wood with tan, grey, or multi-color carpet.

Platform C is the first product from DKcat. Additional eco-friendly modern cat products are in the works.

Urban Pet Haus was so thrilled with the feedback from Moderncat readers on their pet stairs, that they are asking for your opinion again. This time you get to vote for your favorite perch design and one lucky winner will be selected to receive the winning design. There are three elegant options to choose from, so please leave a comment on this post with your vote. The winner will be chosen in a random drawing on May 7. Here are the choices:

*This giveaway is now closed.*

Moderncat reader, and AT Unplggd contributor, Sonia sent me some photos of the cool kitty perch she made using a wine box and some Ikea shelf brackets. Sonia’s moderncats Dim Sum and Gizmo love hanging out next to their mom’s desk while she works. I love the photos below of Dim Sum peeking out of his perch!

You can see more photos here and check out the cool charity t-shirts for Sonia’s Brooklyn-based animal rescue Feral for Life.

These two new products from The Refined Feline are all about saving floor space, which is always welcome in a small home. The contemporary cat tower nestles into a corner and provides kitty with 72 inches of vertical climbing shelves with fabric cushioned platforms. Pair the tower with some of the cat shelves and you’ve got the perfect place for your moderncat to lounge without taking up an inch of floor space.

The Refined Feline is currently taking pre-orders for these two new products. The tower and the shelves are expected to ship at the end of July, but if you reserve yours now you can lock in the introductory pricing and get free shipping. More information here.

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.

This month we have another beautiful designer offering for the Moderncat monthly giveaway, a Curve bed by Akemi Tanaka! These elegant wall-mounted beds offer kitty a very stylish and comfortable napping spot, as Akemi’s three cats demonstrate in the photo above. The snap-on cushion provides padded comfort and has a removable, washable cover that comes in a variety of mod fabrics. Available in walnut or maple veneer, both are finished with non-toxic linseed oil.

Make sure you’re signed-up to receive Moderncat email updates in order to be entered to win the monthly giveaway. And because so many international readers have made this request, if an international winner is chosen Akemi has agreed to ship overseas if the winner would like to pay the extra postage. The drawing will take place on March 31.

Moderncat reader Karen sent in photos of this fabulous cat-friendly installation in her office which she has dubbed the “CubiCat.” It was created with Cubitec shelving, a completely modular system that allows you to configure a variety of levels and depths. Karen assembled the shelving to include tunnels and perching surfaces along with storage areas for office supplies. The shelves are made of super-strong durable polypropylene with each shelf supporting up to 55 lbs. Available in translucent white, orange, and lime green.

Karen’s cats Rolling Stone and Peanut Butter sure do love their CubiCat! And it looks like the folks at Cubitec liked the idea of a CubiCat so much, they created a special CubiCat shelving package.

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.

Introducing the newest player in modern pet design, Urban Pet Haus. Just launching their website today, this company promises to make its mark on the world of modern pet design. With a variety of product concepts on their site, the folks behind Urban Pet Haus are planning to turn to you, the modern pet owner, for feedback on exactly which designs they should put into production. And of course they are turning to Moderncat readers first!

Current concepts include super stylish perching shelves, streamlined beds, and ultra cool scratching surfaces, all designed to complement a modern interior perfectly. They are also working on some luxe feeders as well as several enclosed cat dwellings, ideal for an afternoon cat nap. The designs that I’m most excited about are the modern pet stairs. This is something that no one else has tackled. Stay tuned to Moderncat for more information about the Urban Pet Haus stairs, coming soon! In the meantime, please leave a comment here with your feedback for the Urban Pet Haus team. They’d love to hear from you!

Introducing the newest Moderncat fave, Caboodle Corrugated Habitats for Cats from InPlay Products. I spotted this the other day in my local pet boutique (The Noble Beast in Phoenix, thanks ladies!) and I loved it immediately. Made from double-wall corrugated cardboard, this structure comes packaged in a neat little box and assembles into a 20″ x 20″ x 30″ three-story interactive playspace. You can even customize the design by knocking interior passageways into the ceilings/floors. The sleek lines and simple materials make this a kitty condo perfect for a moderncat household.

The reduced packaging already makes this a green product, but add the fact that the condo is made from completely recyclable materials, the white portions are printed with non-toxic soy based inks, and it comes with three “tumblorz” cat toys made from scrap material — this is eco-kitty’s dream home!

The designers of Caboodle obviously achieved their goal of creating a modern, environmentally-friendly, affordable, and non-imposing cat condo that is appealing and entertaining. All that and it’s sustainably manufactured in the USA. Caboodle is available at fine pet boutiques nationwide or it can be purchased directly from caboodlecats.com.

BONUS GIVEAWAY!

Of course we have one to giveaway! Would I let you down? Please leave a comment on this post telling us what you think of Caboodle and you’ll be entered to win. The winner will be chosen in a random drawing on February 1. This giveaway is limited to addresses in the US and Canada.

Here’s a nice moderncat IKEA hack from Joachim in Stockholm. The project uses the good old Bjarnum brackets and Jarpen shelves (in oak) topped off with pieces of an IKEA wool carpet. On the very top shelf sits an IKEA Bastis cat bed, which is, I’m guessing, the most coveted spot in the house.

More details and photos here.

Do you remember Colin’s Custom Kitty Catsle? Well, Sari from Helsinki, Finland was so inspired by Colin’s creation that she made one of her own for her Egyptian Mau named Mauno. Sari used the same structure but painted hers and added some fun grass stickers. Great work, Sari and thanks to Colin for the inspiration!

If you read Finnish, you can get more details here.