See the Surprisingly Beautiful Ways These Cat Owners Transformed Their Homes for Their Pets

U.K. architecture firm Scenario Architecture was offered a challenge from a couple who had no children but three cats, and wanted their new London home to incorporate “some fun spaces” for their felines. As a result, a little cat-sized walkway was created in the space between the wall and ceiling, with small entry corridors from one room to another (seen at top centre, just to the right).

“A single wall division provides privacy for the shower room and acts as a catwalk on the top for the cats to enjoy,” notes the architects’ website.

This renovated Brooklyn row house was designed by architecture firm BFDO, with the project appropriately named “House for Booklovers and Cats.” According to the firm, the homeowners “wanted the house to provide accommodations for their two shy but inquisitive cats – including ways for the cats to slip away from unexpected guests.”

In the resulting design, BFDO envisioned this clever built-in bookcase that doubles as an elevated pathway for cats, boasting a secret entrance to the upstairs level.

There’s no denying that the feline occupants of this home truly have the run of the place.

A discreetly hidden trapdoor provides cat access to the upstairs bedroom – and can be closed for those times you don’t want to be awakened with a sandpaper-y tongue on your cheek reminding you it’s time for breakfast.

Located in Seoul, Korea, this home – designed by Korean architects OBBA (Office for Beyond Borders Architecture) – has been dubbed “100m2” and includes a small staircase built for the homeowners’ cats.

“The house is small but every nook and corner of the space is efficiently used,” note the architects on the firm’s website. “At the attic of the house is a study or a movie screening room, and the stairs that lead to the attic functions as bookshelves.”

Japanese architect Akira Koyama of Key Operation Inc. recently designed a house for a young family, which included a pet cat, in the densely populated Taishido district, west of Tokyo. The design integrates wall passages and special cat-friendly shelving.

The project

includes “small openings and steps” that were specially “created for the family cat to freely move between the rooms.”

The idea, notes the architect on the Key Operation website, was to leave “the ample staircase, which doubles up as a library, as a place of quietude for the rest of the family members.”

Another Tokyo home, this one has similarly been devised by Japanese design studio do.do to incorporate cat-friendly spaces, such as the clever cat pathway pictured here.

The staircase includes a small kitty door through which cats can pass to access the path.

The design of this Tokyo home from Japanese studio Takeshi Hosaka Architects includes a special open air “outdoor” area right in the middle of the home, allowing cats to go outside without actually leaving the house.

The design of this home, located in central Taipei and designed by Taiwan-based ST Studio, the owners of this 45-square-metre loft wanted shelves on which to display collectibles while also looking for areas where their cats could play.

The result is this adjustable shelf system, which has a dual purpose of serving as a “playground” for the homeowners’ cats. T”hey can jump in between shelves, which are staggered at different heights, and rest on them,” notes the firm on its website.