When scratching posts were no longer cutting it for Stefan Hofmann and his girlfriend’s cat, the cat owner took the matter into his own hands — he began building incredible indoor playgrounds for felines.
Hofmann, who is a carpenter from Germany, is the founder of the design firm Goldtatze (German for Gold Paw). The firm’s custom-made kitty jungle gyms are fashioned from natural materials and are meant for cats who both yearn for the outdoors and are accustomed to the high life.
"As every cat is so special, so should their environment. With our Gold Paw range we take this into account. We revive cats' rooms with luxurious yet natural elements that rival the ‘outer’ world,” Hofmann told news agency Rex USA.
Designed to fit the shape and size of a room, Gold Paw’s unique kitty playgrounds include scratching posts made from real tree branches, wall-mounted walkways, hammocks and suspension bridges.
Check out our photo gallery to take a tour of Hofmann's amazing kitty playground.
Before Stefan Hofmann built the kitty playground, his cats were tearing up all his cushions and curtains. Thankfully, the playground seems to be curbing their bad behavior.
“The cats absolutely love their home and are always occupied, zipping around from obstacle to obstacle and using up all their energy," he told Caters News.
Hofmann first created a scratching post out of a tree branch for his girlfriend’s cat, and the idea for a feline playground grew from there.
"It quickly became clear to us that the natural scratching post would not be enough, and so we developed in the following months more and more items that could be a complete cat room from our hallway," Hofmann told news agency Rex USA.
So what are all those fun things in the kitty playground? “We currently have the ceiling natural scratching post, a wall antler bowl, a half-high natural cat tree mounted on a floor den and suspended ceiling bridges," Hofmann says.
Coming up with interactive furniture for cats seems to be just as enjoyable for Hofmann as it is for the cats.
"I kept thinking, what would be exciting if I were a cat, maybe a big risky leap from one shelf to another, or a little cove for them to snuggle into when they get tired,” he told Caters News.
The handcrafted furniture may not fit every cat owner’s budget, but if you want cat furniture that’s functional, well designed and truly unique, then it might be worth it. The beautifully woven basket starts at $619, and a wall hammock is 319 euros.
