Japanese firm turns homes into perfect cat pads
As the number of cat lovers increases in Japan, so too does interest in homes designed specifically for living with felines. Some people have renovated their homes by adding walkways for cats while some have attached guards over windows to prevent their pets from escaping.
Because cats love climbing and jumping onto high places, the Wannyan Kenko Jutaku Kenkyujo design office, based in Tokyo, offers housing solutions so people and their pets can live together.
“Owners should understand the nature of cats before creating a living environment (for them),” said Mitsuru Shimizu, who heads the office. He added that clients often ask him to install catwalks in their homes.
Akemi Mizushina lives in Tokyo with eight cats and recently refurbished her condominium’s living room. She set up bookshelves around the walls so her cats can walk on them and added a suspension bridge that traverses the room. These catwalks are partially made of glass so she can see the fluffy tummies and plump pads of her pets from underneath.
“Warm air flows upward in winter, and my cats climb to higher places to snuggle,” she said.
According to Shimizu, it costs from 500,000 yen (about $5,700) to install a catwalk. Customers can choose colours that suit their furniture and walls. The sections of the catwalks are made in a factory in advance and are then usually installed in a day.
“Cats throw up, so it’s important to install catwalks at a height you can reach by stepping on a chair,” Shimizu said. He also takes orders to install guards across windows and entrances.