What do you do when you have five cats, each with a different need? Well, in this case, a well-designed playground on the balcony with play and behavioral elements for every cat.
Meet Bowie, Honey, Whiskey, Sir Guinness, and Kopi-O. Bowie is the most senior and chillax, so having a place to chill is key. Honey, the only girl in the group, loves snuggling in soft furnishings. Kopi-O, a big fella, fancies himself the protector and boyfriend of Honey, and likes to perch near her. Sir Guinness has only three legs, but that doesn't stop him from going full Monty in climbing and exploring. Whiskey, like Sir Guinness prefers high perches and hideouts.
Before we came in, this was the set-up.
There were a number of issues with this. The bridges in the centre broke apart quite quickly. Honey's favourite perch, the hammock was far too deep and she had difficulty clambering out. It had several holes after just a few months' of usage as well. The design of the posts also limited the cats' movements, restricting them to only a few shelves. After consulting with the owner, we drew up the key elements for the new playground.
Two hideouts, one for Whiskey and the other for Guinness; a new hammock perch for honey with a larger platform near her for Kopi-O to hang out; clear climbing and scratching structures for the active ones, routes designed to help Guinness access the higher structures, and a cabinet to store food and such.
Here we are, testing the structure in the workshop. Creating the hammock perch for Honey was a challenge. The original hammock was a thin piece of fabric stapled to a flimsy frame. Clearly we needed a better solution. After days of R&D, we finally settled on a design that would be secure and comfortable, with a sturdy canvas backing and inner fleece lining. The curved cat box and hideout was a fun project. The owner gave us her preferred design and our craftsman cut the cat silhouettes by hand. This would turn out to be Guinness' preferred hideout!
Finally, to provide more perches and exercise elements, we added two curved shelves. To our delight, our cat clients love the new playground. Honey took to her new sturdy hammock. Guinness surprised us by claiming the top spot! That indomitable spirit is something we can all learn from. Whiskey took the second cat house, which gives him a great view of the city. Kopi-O takes turns on the various other perches and shelves. Bowie, being the senior, is happy to lounge where the others are. Here are Whiskey and Guinness checking out their playground for the first time. Guinness impressed us for sure!