These adorable little mice are all made with recycled men’s suit fabrics. Leave it to the folks at Martha Stewart to come up with something this cute! You can make your own with the complete instructions and download-able pattern over at Martha Stewart.com.

When Charlene and her husband moved into a 5th floor apartment in Singapore, they were worried that their three cats Tyger, Neem Neem, and Xiaomao would have trouble adjusting to a smaller space, so they incorporated all sorts of cat-friendly features into the renovation. Inspired by The Cats’ House, and also by the cat-friendly Japanese house design, they added climbing shelves, walkways, and openings in the walls leading from one room to the next. As you can see, their cats made themselves right at home.

The walkways allow the cats to easily access the tops of several cabinets where Charlene has placed rungs and mats for them to nap on.

The color scheme in the apartment — green, blue, and cream — was inspired by the cats’ eye color.

Instead of using carpeting on the shelves and walkways, Charlene and her husband chose an anti-slip tape by 3M, which looks like an excellent option for keeping kitties safe and for easy cleaning. Charlene says it’s a cinch to clean the tape with a vacuum or a damp cloth. Great idea!

Here’s a fun and easy summer IKEA hack for your cat. Jo found this decorative hat shaped bowl in the decor section at IKEA. She had a feeling that her adorable orange tabby Frank would like it for a bed, and she was right. It seems to be the perfect size and shape. Franks loves to lounge in his new summery hat bed. Jo plans to make a nice fluffy round cushion for the bottom.

Hilary from Vancouver created this pair of window perches for her two boys Hank (orange) and Truman (Tuxedo) and they seem to be a perfect fit! She used the trusty old IKEA Ekby Bjarnum brackets and Jarpen shelves mounted just below the window sill. To create cozy cushions that don’t slide off the shelves, Hilary smartly stitched some twill tape to the corners of two faux sheepskin cat beds and tied the beds to the shelves. Nice solution! And they can be easily removed for cleaning.

Jessie had some old weathered wood and an idea to make a rustic looking coffee table. Little did she know that it would be the perfect lounging area for her cats. The little patch of grass and the catnip garden are a perfect touch. (Don’t worry, she sealed the wood so the paint chips won’t flake off.)

Here’s a link to Jessie’s original post.

Antonio Rosa da Silva is an architect — and Moderncat reader — from Portugal (check out his portfolio, it’s amazing!). When he recently remodeled his home, he created this sleek built-in area for his two gorgeous Norwegian forest cats. The area houses both the litter and the food and water, but with a distinct divider between the two, since we know that most cats don’t like to dine right next to where they do their business. This arrangement seems to work well for these two lucky moderncats.

Moderncat reader Andrea really wanted a neko chigura after seeing it posted here last month, but since they don’t seem to be available in the US, she decided to make her own. She used 1/2 inch piping and 1 inch strips of calico fabric with a coil basket weaving method to create a shape similar to the traditional Japanese neko chigura cat beds. I love the photo above with her two cats testing the unfinished design with a hole in the top!

Andrea ran into a structural challenge, since her cats kept sitting on the top, causing the basket to cave in. She tried to reinforce the sides, but eventually gave up and dismantled it to create two separate beds, which seem to work quite nicely.

I hope that Andrea can figure out a way to reinforce the basket to achieve a similar structure to the original neko chigura. If she does, perhaps she will share her design with us.

Read all about Andrea’s project over on Craftster.

Here’s a sweet solution for creating a DIY litter box hider. We’ve seen other DIYs using cabinets with entry cutouts, but instead of cutting a regular old square, what about making a cool cat silhouette – very nice!

via Apartment Therapy | Thanks to Melissa for the find

Dave is an architect and a photographer and, boy, does it show in these gorgeous photos of the cat tower that he and his girlfriend Alison made for their two new arrivals Milo and Lyra (there are only two, although the photo above shows one Milo and six Lyras!) The best part is that this beautiful and functional cat climbing and scratching tower made excellent use of reclaimed and inexpensive materials, costing under $40.

Using the remains of an Ikea wardrobe, some old carpet tile samples, waste cardboard rolls, heavy string, and pine edging, Dave created this sturdy structure that can be expanded in all directions as the kitties grow and need more room to play. Dave even created a 3-D model of the tower before construction, just to make sure it would fit in the space.

Thanks to Dave and Alison for sharing this awesome DIY project. You can see more photos on Flickr.

Kim and her boyfriend took a trip to IKEA in search of something they could hack to create a window perch for their cats. They ended up in the baby section where they found a simple two-shelf changing table called Sniglar.

Kim knew she wanted a narrow napping spot for the cats to perch on, so they cut the table in half and attached it to the wall. Then Kim made two custom cushions with some gorgeous mod fabric, and there you have it! To see more photos, check out Kim’s Flickr album and be sure to visit Kim’s blog to see the cool pottery display shelf she made with the other half.

Moderncat reader Stephanie sent in these photos of her cats with some truly eco-friendly cat toys. Stephanie recently purchased a FURminator and gave her kitties Miko and Rodney a good grooming, resulting in lots of loose fur. Instead of throwing it out, Stephanie rolled the fur into tight little balls that have the texture of felt, and voila! free, recycled cat toys that are not only durable and fun to play with, but they match each cat perfectly! Miko and Rodney love them!

Stephanie says that if the kitties give the hairballs too many bunny kicks, all you have to do is roll each toy in your hands to re-form the ball. You can even add a little catnip in the middle of the ball for extra fun.

Moderncat reader Sari is at it again! Last time she showed us her awesome DIY cat tower, that was based on Colin’s Kitty Catsle. This time she used her signature green and white to create a stylish and functional litter box hider with a good old IKEA Besta shelf unit. By cutting two holes in the shelf — one in the side and another in the divider panel — Sari created a little runway for her two Egyptian Maus, Mauno and Eppu, to enter and exit the litter box. Some carpeting on the walkway shelf helps trap the litter and a motion actived LED light over the box sheds some light on the subject. There’s even room to store a few bags of clean litter. With a sleek wall mural and coordinating sculpture by Eero Aarnio, this is a Moderncat-worthy litter center!

I couldn’t resist sharing a few more photos of Mauno and Eppu that I found on Sari’s blog.

Moderncat reader Eva sent in these photos of the cat shelves and sisal scratcher that she made for her two beautiful Ragdolls, Ezra and Aurum. I love the cushions she used and how she added Velcro to hold them in place. Below, Eva describes how she made everything.

I always thought most scratching and climbing trees are not so attractive or, if they are nice to look at, very expensive. So I decided to make my own for my two Ragdoll cats Ezra and Aurum.

Things you need;
- wooden board of at least 2cm thick in whatever size you want
- sisal carpet
- strong and big enough brackets
- big wall screws and plugs
- little screws (for the brackets and shelves)
- cushions
- velcro
- sewing equipment
- water-based carpet glue
- water-based stain
- sanding paper
- tacking machine
- drill

After I sawed the wood into the sizes I wanted, I started by drilling holes in the 2×40x120cm wooden board (for the screws later), sticking sisal carpet on it with water-based carpet glue, and tacking the back for extra strength.

I sanded and stained the wood shelves (also water-based, of course) and tacked one side of the Velcro on the wood. Then I had to sew the other side of the Velcro on the cushion at the same place (hated that job, but it turned out great!)

I attached the brackets to the shelves and everything onto the wall with big, strong screws and plugs. Make sure to choose brackets that can hold the weight of your cats when they jump, since the weight is much more when jumping.

Now my two cats can jump, scratch and climb all they want! The thing they love most is to sleep on the cushions and climb up the sisal board and I just love looking at my two babies playing

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!

IKEA Hacker recently posted two new litter box hacks. The first one is my favorite IKEA hack so far. Romina and her husband, who are both architects with an eye for modern design, made this beautiful litter box concealer with a Besta shelf unit, Besta Holmbo door, and Capita legs. By simply cutting the middle vertical panel in half, they created a passthrough for the cats to enter and exit their private litter box area. Well done!

The second litter box hack is nice, too. It uses the Norrebo storage bench with only the front panel of the drawer and a cute kitty face cut for the entrance.

Get all the details over on IKEA Hacker. Thanks to Moderncat readers Rupe and Rebekah for the heads-up.

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.

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.

It’s not exactly modern architecture, but this DIY Cardboard Cat Playhouse from MarthaStewart.com could be a good starting point for you to test your design skills. Follow the step-by-step instructions provided here to create this kitty abode using the simplest materials and tools.

Totally retro and very fun, take a look at these cat beds made from re-purposed vintage suitcases from Etsy seller Vintage Renaissance. Check your local thrift store for some languishing luggage and let your creativity go wild!

Thanks to Melissa for the tip.

Do you have a new feline family member? Well, make sure to let the world know, and do it with some Martha-approved style. You can get directions and download a template from MarthaStewart.com for these lovely DIY pet-adoption announcements. What a nice way to welcome your new arrival.

This cute bird pattern showed-up as part of a beautiful bird mobile last year on the blog for Spool, a nifty looking fabric shop in Philadelphia. Moderncat reader Carly sent in a link to the downloadable pattern and has made some herself, stuffing them full of catnip. They are a great way to showcase bits of your favorite fabrics.

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.

Two pieces of carpet, six rivets, some sisal string, and a little work will get you this awesome DIY car(pet) cat bed. Portuguese industrial designer Helder L. Santos just posted this to his Coroflot gallery, and I think it’s brilliant! You’d have to choose a carpet that looks good on both sides and has a substantial thickness, but the possibilities are endless. Can’t wait to make one myself!

Get the complete instructions here. Thanks to Moderncat reader Katrika for finding this one.

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.