Bringing a Cat Home: A Renovation Proposal for Cat-Friendly Living [8]

KEY2 Cat’s room ——Independent Cat House · Part 3

CASE·1 Connecting Upper and Lower Levels to Allow Cats to Play Freely

Mr. and Mrs. Guo are planning to renovate their decades-old home, and they have made it clear that the entire project is for the comfort of their three cats. While many people associate cats with being less active and requiring little space, the couple believes that cats, like humans, deserve not only a spacious, free-moving environment but also cozy corners where they can enjoy solitude. With this in mind, they have decided to completely refurbish and remodel their home, which they’ve lived in for decades, to create a comfortable living space for their beloved cats.

·Minimalist Cat Room with Clever Hidden Designs

Due to the narrow and elongated layout of the old house, the space was cramped and poorly ventilated, making it difficult for the cats to live comfortably and have room to move freely. To prioritize the cats’ comfort, the designer opted for an open-space layout, choosing to remove all partition walls on the first floor. This created a more open atmosphere, improving both ventilation and the overall feel of the space. More importantly, this design allowed natural light to reach deeper into the space, solving the issue of insufficient lighting and ensuring the cats could bask in the sun indoors.

All the design decisions were made with the three cats in mind. Of course, the owners prepared a dedicated cat room for them. However, the second floor had limited usable space due to the high ceiling design on the first floor, offering only half the area. To expand the usable space, the designer reworked the original high ceiling area, creating a multi-functional space that serves as both the master bedroom and a study. The original room was naturally transformed into the cat room.

The design of the cat room is kept simple and not overly complicated. The lively atmosphere is brought in through blue walls, while the main material used is the comfortable-to-touch cypress wood. To ensure the cats’ safety when jumping up and down, the designer created cat steps, jumping platforms, and pathways along the main wall, cleverly forming hidden corners where the cats can find their own relaxing spots.

·Fun-Filled Pathway Design: The narrow space was planned with an open layout, not only creating a sense of openness but also providing more room for the cats to move. The wall features a combination of wooden cat climbing steps and aluminum ventilation ducts, creating an interesting and varied vertical pathway for the cats to explore.

Analysis of Cat House Design

·Cat Pathway Design: Reserved Width for Turning Around

While wider cat platforms make it easier for cats to move, the spatial perception of the residents must also be considered. Therefore, the width of the platforms is designed to be approximately 30-40 cm, providing enough space for the cats to turn around comfortably without compromising the overall sense of space.

·Cat Pathway Design: Dual Pathway Vertical Layout

Considering that cats typically do not move backward while using a cat pathway, the design should allow for a path that starts from the main entrance, goes upward, and then gradually descends toward the interior. Similarly, a design from the inside to the outside is also feasible, ensuring that there is a pathway with dual entry points. This caters to the cats’ natural behavior while also preventing traffic jams on the pathway, especially with three cats in the home.

·Cat Pathway Design: Strengthening the Load-Bearing Capacity

Since the cat pathway is relatively long, additional support structures are added at both the end and middle sections. This strengthens the load-bearing capacity of the pathway, ensuring that even when the cats jump on and off, adding sudden weight, there is no concern about the pathway breaking.

·Cat Room Design: Cozy Cat Nooks in Every Corner

The main design of the cat room is composed of steps, jumping platforms, and cat pathways, with intentionally varied heights to maintain a sense of novelty for the cats as they move. Box-shaped spaces are also incorporated, creating cozy corners where the cats can feel secure and rest comfortably.

·Cat Pathway Design: Connecting Upper and Lower Floors with a Cat-Only Passage

The jumping platform design on the first-floor wall also serves as a cat pathway leading to the second floor. The opening on the second floor is located beneath a highly concealed daybed, catering to the cats’ natural instinct to hide.

·Safety Protection: Openings Processed to Ensure Security

Since the aluminum ventilation ducts are made of metal, the designer specifically used an outward fold at the openings to ensure that the edges are not too sharp, preventing any injury to the cats while they walk and play inside.

·Safety Protection: Floor-to-Ceiling Screens with Grooves to Prevent Falling Hazards

The window in the study is the favorite viewing spot for the cats. To prevent the cats from falling when the window is opened, the screen is secured in a groove, allowing the window to open only on one side.

·Cat Nook Design: Hidden Small Holes as the Best Hiding Spots

The small hole intentionally carved under the stairs was originally meant to place the litter box. However, in practice, the cats preferred to use it as a hiding spot, and it has now become their favorite place to hide.

·Safety Protection: Cat Door for Free Entry and Exit

The cat door features a rare horizontal pull design, which allows owners to prevent the cats from entering when desired. Additionally, this design solves the issue of heavy doors that could be difficult for cats to push open or might get stuck in the middle.