The folks over at Carol’s Ferals (Remember them? They were the winners of the Catification Shelter Makeover sponsored by The Vertical Cat. We’ll be bringing you an update on that project very soon!) made this awesome cat climbing structure for their shelter by re-purposing a retail store fixture. This is a great example of creative catification! If you’re looking to make something totally one-of-a-kind for your cats, check out your local thrift stores or stop by an equipment liquidation or auction. You never know what you’ll find and with a little imagination, you can make something that both you and your cats will love.

Clearly the kitties at Carol’s Ferals and quite pleased with their awesome accommodations!

I’m so excited to tell you about a brand new book, available this week for the first time. If you love cats, crafts and modern design, then this is a must-have for your reading list! It’s Kitty Jones Kitty Crafts: Beautifully Designed Projects for a Cat-Friendly Home by Jen Curry, founder of Kitty Jones.

Jen has been making well-designed cat toys, scratchers, and other home goods with Kitty Jones since 2007. This book brings her ideas and inspiration to you, complete with beautiful photographs and easy-to-follow instructions. The book is divided into two sections: PLAY including DIY projects for making stylish cat toys, scratchers, hideaways and more; and HOME filled with feline-themed decorative items that don’t scream crazy cat lady.

Four adorable kitty models are photographed throughout the book, bringing the projects to life. The book is beautifully designed and an absolute pleasure to read. This is the perfect holiday gift for all of your crafty cat-loving friends!

ENTER TO WIN!

Here’s your chance to win a copy of Kitty Jones Kitty Crafts, plus the winner will get to choose one of Kitty Jones’ adorable catnip stuffed mice pictured below! All of the Kitty Jones fabrics are designed and printed in the Kitty Jones studio in Queens, NY using water-based inks and organic cotton canvas, so these are some of the best cat toys ever!

To enter, please leave a comment on this post. The winner will be chosen in a random drawing and announced on September 24, 2012. One entry per person. This giveaway includes free shipping to addresses everywhere!

I thought I’d share one of my own Catification projects with you today. Ever since I moved into my condo and set-up the office, the cabinets over the desk have been off limits. I think at first I thought I was going to display breakable things up there, but I never did and I finally realized that the space makes a perfect cat perch. They just needed a way to get up there.

So, on either side of the cabinets, I added two little steps for the cats to go from the desk to their new perch on top of the cabinets. I used the Wall Attach Steps from Whisker Studio and I absolutely love them! They are perfect little platforms for cats to climb from one place to another. They measure 8.5″ deep by 9.5″ wide and attach to the wall with pelican brackets. The rounded shape is elegant and I like that there are no sharp corners. These shelves do not have carpet on top, but instead have grooves to provide a little traction.

The Whisker Studio Wall Attach Steps are also very affordable. They come in unfinished MDF for just $10 each, unfinished birch ply for $14 each, clear-coated birch ply for $17 each, and espresso stained birch ply for $22 each. Save some money by purchasing the unfinished steps and painting or staining them yourself. The brackets are $10 a pair if you purchase them with the steps, but you can also pick them up at your local home improvement store for a little less (I paid $7.50 a pair at Home Depot).

I added a strip of sisal with a non-slip backing to the top of the shelves. The cats love the texture and I think they are more likely to go up there with the non-slip covering. I buy sisal rug remnants on eBay, which can be easily cut to any size with just a pair of scissors.

As you can see, everyone loves their new perch (of course, Ando is still on the desk). I’d like to encourage all of you to look around your home for existing surfaces that — with just a few minor changes — can be turned into awesome Catification projects. And please be sure to send me your photos!

. . .

The artwork on the wall over the desk is from (l to r): The Dancing Cat, CZM, and Matte Stephens.

I’m always on the lookout for attractive pre-made shelving that could be used to create cat climbing walls. Here are a few of my finds that you could easily mix and match to create a wonderfully creative cat climbing wall:

1. Creative Connectors Trio Wall Mount Shelves$35.95
   These shelves measure 15.75″ wide by 22.6″ tall by 6.71″ deep and could be used in combination with the others to create a great vertical walkway.
2. Melannco Espresso Nesting “U” Shelves, Set of 3$20.00
   These little shelves are only 4″ deep, so they might not work with larger cats, but petite cats could use them to navigate a narrow space, like a hallway. You’d have to experiment with your own cats to see if they would use them.
3. Creative Connectors Trio2 Wall Mount Shelves$35.95
   Measuring 31.5″ wide by 14.35″ tall by 6.71″ deep, use these shelves to create a fun stairway for your cats.
4. Creative Connectors Invisible Mount Corner Wooden Shelving $24.60 to $60.73
   This corner shelf comes in four different sizes and mounts with invisible hardware. The largest shelf is perfect for creating a destination point along your cat superhighway.

Some of these shelves may not be big enough for cats to curl up on, but they could be used to create the lanes of your cat climbing wall, linking from one destination point to the next.

PLEASE NOTE: You may have to add extra supports to some of these shelves to make them safe for your cats to climb on. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions for mounting the shelves securely. It’s always best to drill into the wall studs whenever possible.

Also, make sure to add a non-slip surfaces to the top. 3M Safety-Walk Gray Indoor/Outdoor Treadis a good option, or you could cut pieces of carpet or sisal and attach to the top of the shelves with Velcro. These Non-Skid Sisal Carpet Stair Treadswould also work really well.

Most importantly, watch your cats to see what they like and make changes to accommodate their preferences. And have fun creating something that both you and your cats will love! If you do create a custom cat climbing wall, please send in your photos, we’d love to see it!

Calling all creative cat guardians! There’s a new column on JacksonGalaxy.com called “Catification” showcasing, you guessed it, all kinds of fun DIY projects for creating feline-friendly environments. Jackson and I are here to tell you that you can accommodate your indoor cat’s need to climb, perch, play and relax — in a way that makes you both happy. Catification is fun and easy — and it’s one of the most rewarding things you can do for your feline family members.

So check out the new column at JacksonGalaxy.com today, and be sure to submit photos of your catification projects to share with other cat guardians. We can’t wait to see what you’ve done!

Moderncat reader Melissa found an old 1950s-60s TV literally on the curb in her neighborhood and decided to get creative! She gutted the thing, cleaned it up, and turned it into a stylish cat bed!

This kitty hideaway is finished with mod wallpaper and it even has modern art on the wall. Melissa added a faux flokati rug inside and a battery operated LED light strip at the top so the TV “turns on”. Gordon (on top) and Frog (inside) both love the groovy new hangout!

Thanks to Melissa for sending the pix!

I love these simple cat climbing shelves posted over at Saucy Dwellings. They used Ikea Lack shelves with a custom made shelf that wraps around the corner and leads to a window shelf over the front door. Brilliant!

Check out this awesome project from Lucia Martinez over at The Hairpin! It’s a rustic cat bed, complete with sisal scratcher, made out of an old wooden shipping pallet. Brilliant! Get all the details here.

Moderncat reader Ashii from Minnesota was looking for a very specific piece of cat furniture to accommodate the needs of her family. Ashii and her partner Ippocratis recently adopted a Siamese kitten named Sasha to keep their little dog Remy company. The two get along beautifully, however, they needed separate places for mealtime, because there was too much sharing going on.

Ashii wanted just the right piece of cat furniture, and it had to have modern style to fit with their decor. Here are her design criteria:

1. A stand which was high enough to place food out of reach from our extremely cat-like, tenacious, food monger dog.
2. ‘Cats only’ area where Sasha can get an aerial view, soak up some sun, or take a cat nap without interruption.
3. Modern design, so our apartment wouldn’t look like you took a wrong turn into animal alley.

After lots of searching, Ashii couldn’t find exactly what she was looking for so she took matters into her own hands. She designed this very unique and modern cat stand and found a local craftsman to build it for her. The stand is made of poplar wood stained espresso with brushed stainless steel bars. The pad on top is covered with sisal weave fabric and is attached with 3M Command Strips so it can be easily changed with the seasons or when it becomes worn.

The stand measures just over 4 feet tall, 13 inches deep, and 2 feet long. The total cost was $300, not bad for a custom design. It meets the family’s needs perfectly and Sasha (who might be the cutest thing ever!) absolutely loves it.

Thank you so much to Ashii for sharing this wonderful project!

Cat Daddy Jackson Galaxy recently moved into a new bungalow outside Los Angeles and he asked me to help “catify” the place with a little Moderncat style. He lives with his three cats, Velouria, Chips, and Caroline, and his little dog, Rudy. Jackson spends his days working with clients, helping them to see the world from a cat’s perspective, so this was his chance to put into practice some of his own advice for his feline family.

The top priority was to create a “cat superhighway” throughout the house. On any good superhighway, you have ample lanes to accommodate the flow of traffic, as well as on and off ramps. In a multi-cat household, sharing a lane of traffic can cause conflict. Cats shouldn’t have to compete for space on a one lane dirt road.

Jackson’s superhighway includes multi-levels: the floor, the ottoman, the bookshelf, and two levels of cat shelves. His cats have all kinds of options for traversing the space without facing a potential traffic jam.

In the living room, there are three perfect cat windows with big beautiful trees right outside, so we placed shelves from Ikea right under each window. Nothing fancy, but the cats love it! To keep the cats from slipping on the shelves, we placed sisal carpet remnants with rubber backing on top of each shelf. A simple solution that’s easy to keep clean and looks great.

To add a little designer touch to the highway, we used a Wave perch from Urban Pet Haus in the center of the wall between two windows. But by watching how the cats used the shelves, we noticed that the cats couldn’t quite get from the Wave to the middle window shelf or over to the bookshelf, so we added a couple of Itch Steps from Square Cat Habitat. These are perfect when you need just a little ledge for kitty to cross from one place to another, plus they have replaceable carpet tiles on top to prevent slipping. Now there’s a clear path along the entire wall that is used quite frequently.

We continued the highway in the bedroom with more shelves from Ikea leading from a low table up to the top of the dresser. Strategically placed cat beds and scratch lounges make for nice destinations along the highway for happy cats to stop for a nap.

In the office nook, again by watching the cats’ behavior, we found that the cats were using the desk surface as part of the highway, moving from the middle window shelf to the shelf above the desk by jumping on and off the desk. Instead of discouraging this, we accommodated the cats by placing sisal pieces with no-slip backing on the corners of the slippery desk surface. This is a great example of modifying an existing surface to accommodate the cats behavior.

As any of you who have both dogs and cats know, sometimes it’s necessary to separate them at feeding time (greedy dogs!) In order to address this issue, Jackson decided to use the top of the low bookshelf in the living room for the cat’s feeding station. To make it easier for the older kitties to reach the raised surface, we added a set of modern pet stairs from Urban Pet Haus. Now the cats can easily access their food while Rudy dines on the lower level.

Of course we had to showcase Jackson’s guitar collection, along with other personal touches. Overall, everyone is quite pleased with their new digs!

This is one of the most stunning cat-friendly interiors I’ve seen! So simple and elegant, the crisp white design sets off the gorgeous cats, showcasing them as the beautiful creatures they are. Moderncat reader Alinta clearly has an eye for design!

The placement of the floating white shelves creates a perfect climbing area for Alinta’s cats without being an eyesore. The shelves almost disappear. Who says you can’t accommodate your cat’s need to climb while still maintaining your sense of style? Nicely done.

It looks like Alinta added carpet pads to the top of the shelves to prevent slipping — always a good idea. And in the kitchen, she used the Cat Clouds Shelves from The Refined Feline. Elegant and modern, and it looks like the cats really enjoy them, too!

IKEA Hackers just featured this incredibly simple and brilliant kitty hideaway hack from a reader in Portugal. Simply take two GOSIG toy baskets, flip one over, sew them together, and you have the perfect kitty hideaway for just $10! Brilliant!

This is one of the most brilliant DIY projects I’ve seen! Moderncat reader David was looking for a mat for outside the litter box that would actually trap the litter to prevent it from scattering. He also wanted something stylish, so he searched the internet and found some excellent products that do just the trick. It’s perforated floor tile that snaps together to fit almost any size. It’s usually used for garage floors, workshops, decking and various commercial applications, but it is perfect for creating a customized litter mat!

David found two companies that offer these tiles at reasonable prices and in a variety of colors. The first is Swiss Trax where you can purchase a 2′ x 3′ sample doormat kit in your choice of colors complete with tiles, edges, and corners for just $34.95. David ordered the Ribtrax Garage Tile pictured above which I think is perfect. He also found Kiwi Tile, another company that offers a perforated floor tile in lots of colors. Kiwi Tile will send you two free sample tiles for just $10 shipping so you can see if you like it.

I’m so excited about this! I’m ordering some right away so we can test it out! Thanks, David!

We have a very fun prize for our October monthly giveaway! It’s the Whisker Studio Contoure Climber DIY Kit! This is the unfinished birch version of the Contoure Climber so you can finish it off any way you like. Stain it, paint it, stencil it — whatever floats your boat! Here are some examples of customized climbers:

If you’re not so much of a DIY person, the winner of this month’s giveaway will have the option of upgrading to one of the finished models of the Contoure Climber if they would like to pay the difference. Also, due to shipping costs, this giveaway only includes free shipping to addresses in the continental US, but other readers are welcome to enter if they would like to pay the extra shipping.

EXTRA CHANCE TO WIN!

To enter the monthly giveaway, make sure you’re signed-up to receive Moderncat updates via email. If you’re already getting the updates but you’d like an EXTRA chance to win this month, please leave a comment on this post. Complete details on the monthly giveaway here. The winner will be chosen in a random drawing on October 31, 2011 and contacted via email.

The folks at Hollywood Franklin are now offering DIY kits for those of you who have a little more time than money. The DIY kits are available for the Hollywood Franklin Cat Tower as well as the new Santa Monica Promenade shelf steps. Kits include unfinished MDF pieces that are ready to be stained or finished however you like. Kits also include the carpet tiles and mounting supplies.

Labor Day Savings!

Now through September 4 the Hollywood Franklin Tower is 10% off!

Lowe’s Creative Ideas put together an awesome set of instructions and a demo video showing you how to make this cool 3-section kitty condo using basic supplies.

It starts with a cardboard concrete form and a carpet runner. A little adhesive (look for one that says non-toxic when dry) and voila!

Visit the Lowe’s Creative Ideas website for all the instructions or check out this video to see how it’s done (if you can’t see the video below in your email, click here to watch it on the site).

Thanks to Moderncat reader Jim for the find!

Neko no Ie (The Cat House) was designed by Japanese architect Akira Koyama of the firm Key Operation Inc. This home, located west of Tokyo, incorporates several features to accommodate the family’s pet cat. Now that’s a Moderncat house!

Stepping stone shelves allow the cat to navigate vertically in the main living room, accessing small openings in the wall that lead to other rooms in the house.

Notice the wall openings to the left of the red staircase in the photo above.

This efficient use of space allows the owners to live in harmony with the feline resident.

Little touches like the sisal wrapped post in the office pictured above, are brilliantly integrated into the design. This would be a dream come true for any cat!

Via designboom & dezeen. Thanks to Moderncat reader Vivian for the find.

O.H.M. stands for Oi, Huyi, and Miao, three adorable rescue kitties who live in Singapore in their new modern villa that their people made for them. Check out all the colorful shelves and cool features, including the kitty skywalk, the most coveted spot in the villa. See more photos and details over on Oi and Huyi’s blog, Pawsomely Oi.

When I saw this on Design-Milk last week, I immediately thought, “This is a cat’s dream come true!” What kitty doesn’t love to sleep in an open drawer? This is part of a project by Sovrappensiero Design Studio for Italian office furniture manufacturer Manerba, taking old office furniture and creating new products from the parts.

Just think of the possibilities here! I want everyone to hit the thrift shops and see what you can come up with. Please send photos of your creations!

I know it may seem strange for me to be posting this after recently launching the new Palm Springs Lounge, but remember, the very high end design is meant to inspire everyone to be creative! So, I did just that by converting this vintage planter into a simple DIY cat bed. I had a custom cushion made to fit the planter, but you may be able to find an inexpensive ready-made cushion that will work just fine. Look for a large planter or other container at a thrift shop or vintage store, keeping in mind that cats like to fit into snug spaces, plus they like to peek out and survey the world around them. This cushion is about 5 inches thick, so it’s nice and comfy, plus it has a removable, washable cover. Mackenzie settled himself right in!

I’d love to see any creative DIY cat beds you have made. Please send photos to kate [at] moderncat [dot] net.

Do you remember Colin’s Kitty Catsle and Sari’s awesome copy that it inspired? Well, Moderncat reader Urs created another fabulous version. He wanted his to match the bookshelf, so he used laminated birch plywood, plus he added a scratching post. Perfect adaptations! Colin will be proud!

And as you can see, Urs’ cats are loving their new castle.

Jayne, designer of the beautiful retro cat beds from Like Kittysville, created these awesome climbing shelves in her garage using only scrap lumber, some of which she pulled right out of the dumpster. It goes to show that a creative design and some white paint can transform old scraps into a sensational kitty playspace!

The green fabric designates the kitty climbing shelves with storage above and below. The two kitty staircases are connected by a loft, shown below, that’s covered with soft padded blankets. Jayne says this is the cats’ favorite hangout spot. I’m sure they love it!

Jayne from Like Kittysville designed this fabulous climbable Christmas tree for her kitties. Here’s what Jayne had to say:

For years I’ve missed using my vintage aluminum Christmas tree, but don’t miss the kitty havoc that was decimating the tree and its vintage ornaments. I wanted a tree that’s not just cat-proof but cat-inviting. This tree has a Jetsons space-age look but is quite practical. It can be climbed but not knocked over. It can hold gifts, which saves floor space. The ornaments are cheap and easily replaced.

The tree is made of a single sheet of MDF (medium-density fiberboard). Its pieces slide together without any hardware, yet the assembled tree is as sturdy as a bookshelf. Its flat back can be placed against a window or wall.

The five shelves feature staggered semicircular cutouts which allow kitties to jump from one shelf to another. The shelves could also hold cushions for kitty naps. Styrofoam balls are the ornaments shown, but any kitty toys could be hung from strings threaded through holes in the MDF. After Christmas the tree can be taken apart and stored flat.

Finished size: 6 feet tall x 4 feet wide x 2 feet deep. Stored size: 6 feet x 2 feet x 3 inches.

For do-it-yourselfers, Jayne has made the pattern and instructions for making the tree available online. Thanks, Jayne!

Eleanor and her husband, a diplomatic couple who move frequently, prefer a simple, minimalist design aesthetic, and with five special needs animals who share their home, they were having difficulty finding just the right decor items that would suit their lifestyle. Items needed to be designed to fit their aesthetic, to function for the needs of their animals, and to be disassembled, shipped, and reassembled when moving. They finally hired a designer to create several custom pieces. Here are the results.

CAT STAIRS & WINDOW LEDGES

Their current residence is an adapted office space with cathedral windows and a very long, narrow hallway. The tall bookcases that line the hallway are natural perches for cats. To give safe access, they created a circular staircase, with carpeted treads, that allows even the older male cat to ascend easily, with intermediate platforms for resting along the way. It attaches to a bookcase with a simple wooden hook and a single screw, and has a detachable weighted base for stability. The steps have wooden supports, also attached by one screw, and the carpets are removed and replaced using a fine blade to lift, and a few points of strong adhesive to attach. Assembly or disassembly and packing take only minutes with a single tool.

The cathedral windows have deep brick tile ledges, so they created 12 lightweight custom beds to fit these ledges. The cats have comfortable places to lounge, sleep, and watch the world go by, and the beds can easily be packed, or even used as packing material, without adding weight to the container.

THE ULTIMATE CLIMBER & SCRATCHER

One cat, Gigi, survived panleukopenia, a usually fatal kitten disease. She is blind, deaf, and without sensation on one side of her body, and has limited sight and hearing on the other. This had to be taken into account in all designs. A large custom climber and scratcher provides a solid, carpeted inclined plane that all the cats use for scratching, which also allows the blind cat to climb safely to and from the perch on the top. It also has a lounging space on the base that allows a cat to sleep in complete privacy, while still keeping an ear on the environment.

The high level of the perch allows for access to a window, regardless of the architecture in any given residence. The wood stain and carpeting are the same as in all the other pieces, making this the key piece in the suite, linking the designs across the interior.

THE LITTER HUTCH

To accommodate the litter boxes, as well as create a storage space for litter supplies, they created three custom litter hutches. These simple black lacquered boxes have no exterior decoration. Entry and exit are through an opening on the side. The inside is fully carpeted, to assist in keeping litter inside the box, and the support framework is out of sight. The entire remaining wall is hinged inside, and secured with strong magnets, so that nothing disrupts the elegant line. However, it lowers flat, to allow easy access to the litter box, and rapid cleaning.

Since one of the cats objects to having his fur touch the inside wall of the standard covered litter box, oversized storage boxes replace the usual litter pan. For storage, a separate, smaller hutch stacks on top of the larger one. It is also carpeted and has a magnetically secured wall.

There are three sets of litter hutches throughout the interior. One set serves as a room divider in the living/entertaining room, another as a bookcase and bedside table, and the third is in a busy office, where it often ends up being the extra shelf that every office needs. Visitors are surprised to discover that these are not standard home furnishings, but cat litter hutches!

THE SAFETY BOX

Special needs animals pose their own issues. The blind cat needs a place to eat undisturbed and an environment that takes into account her vulnerability. She cannot be left unsupervised for long periods of time. Like all cats, she loves to run, to climb, and to get into things, however, unlike a fully sighted and hearing cat, she can fail to see a door, step casually off a table or shelf because she cannot see that there is nothing there, or fail to detect the approach of a threat.

Eleanor and her husband have two special needs dogs — not cat friendly. Normally, the dogs live in their own room, with a direct outdoor exit. However, “Privilege Time” upstairs is a part of their daily routine, and the cats need to be securely protected for that period.

The safety box is the solution to these issues. A completely secure environment, it contains three levels, joined by carpeted ramps that overlap the center of the base, so that there is no possibility of a cat falling any farther than 10 inches. Since the levels are cushioned, even if a fall occurs, the landing surface is soft.

The floor level contains a litter hutch fitted to a regular litter pan, the entry to which is masked by the ramp to the first level. There is also a lacquered food and water tray, for easy cleaning. A small, magnetically fastened entry door allows the cats entry and exit when it is open, but holds firmly in place when closed. The lower walls, also with magnetic catches, serve as flaps that can be lowered flat for easy cleaning access.

The roof of the hutch has a fitted cushion, attached with Velcro, easily removed for cleaning. A third, L-shaped level, in the center of the large Plexiglas panes, allows any cat in the box a full view of the environment. This level also has a soft cushion.

Three levels allows three cats to co-exist in a small space during the dogs’ Privilege Time without disagreements about who is lying on whose tail.

Measuring 41″ x 41″ at the base, the box is 52″ tall. It is constructed from lacquered wood and Plexiglas, with ventilation slots carved in the roof and the lower sides to ensure clean air, and to allow odors from the litter hutch to escape. The roof, attached by six screws, is easily removed, as are the Plexiglas panes and their frames. For shipping, it holds the disassembled cat perches, the steps and base from the cat stairway, and all the window cushions, with room left over for litter scoops, toys, a full tin of the lacquer and the remaining carpet, for repairs and touch-ups after a move.

All the cats quickly colonized the safety box, with the blind cat voluntarily spending most of her nap times inside. The older cat also loves the box, and they are often found curled around each other on the top level. The dogs, who used to run straight to the closed door of the room in which the cats were secured and bark insistently, run past the box, often in a frenzied search for cats, apparently unaware that the cats are watching them with varying degrees of disdain through the window of the box they have just passed.

Thank you so much to Eleanor for submitting these amazing designs. Eleanor writes, “Every one of these items was inspired by Moderncat. Before we began getting your mailings, I had bewailed the lack of ‘interesting’ animal furniture available for a reasonable price in the market. It never occurred to me to design and build my own. Seeing what other people had achieved, whether commercially or DIY, changed my whole attitude, and gave me a lot of ideas, some of which are still awaiting execution!”

When Daniel and Valeria were renovating their 1940s home, they wanted to include a special bed for their beautiful cat Lambi. They created this simple plywood box, which matches their newly installed floors perfectly. Add a soft cushion and Lambi couldn’t be happier. I love the simplicity. Read more about the project on Daniel and Valeria’s blog.

Daniel and Valeria write the design blog Hindsvik where they share insights and inspiration they’ve discovered while renovating their home. They also run the Hindsvik Etsy shop offering beautiful vintage home decor.

Thanks to Gerda for the find.