Functional & Fabulous Feline Furniture

{Images from Square Cat Habitat}

Owning a cat can be a real pain - they scratch furniture, demand attention when they want it, ignore you when they don't want attention, and eliminate the need to own an alarm clock (Oliver goes insane around 5am - ugh). Still, perhaps the most difficult part about owning a cat is finding a scratching post or cat tree that does not completely offend one's personal aesthetic. Enter Square Cat Habitat, a Portland-based company devoted to creating cat furniture that "would accent existing modern decor rather than distract from it." The company offers a variety of modern cat products fashioned from renewable or recycled materials. Prices range from $30 to $550 - meaning we can all afford something. Yay!

Flat, Fuss-Free Feline

I am so tired of vet bills. I mean, I love Walter and Ollie, but this is getting out of hand. I think it might be time to fork over $15 for the Cat Flat Pet, a screen-printed, cardboard cut-out of an adorable feline - hold the vet bills.

Good Golly, Ollie

My cat Oliver Lucas, Ollie for short, has had a rough go of it lately. Apparently, the poor guy has feline cystitis, which is basically an irritation of the urinary bladder. Suck it, bladder infections! At any rate, the little fur ball will pull through...his life just sucks for the time being. So, why did I feel compelled to share this info? Well, while I was pursuing the latest issue of Nylon I spotted this editorial titled "ollie cat" and it reminded me of my boy - so, there you have it. Oh, and by the way, does anyone else thinks it's odd that Marc Jacobs makes skateboards?

Kitty Condo

On my recent trip to Oakland, my friend and I stopped in on Red Hound, a pet store for stylish four-legged friends located on College Avenue. In the window was this very modern cat tower by the Union City-based pet product company Otis and Claude. Available in two color palettes - warm (pictured above) and cool - the tower comes with five stack-able boxes constructed of wood and cotton fabric. When stacked on top of one another, the tower is 73.6 inches high and way more stylish than those cat-tree eyesores you find at your average pet store. They range from $290-$325, depending on what store you buy them at.

Purrrrrfectly Fabulous

I just back from the River City Cat Clinic, where I had to dole out $195 in vet fees, shots and flea prevention for my cat Oliver (aka Ollie). It's really too bad because my co-worker just sent me a link to these fabulous modern cat beds by Etsy seller likekittysville. They're fashioned from vintage fabrics and wood, and at $74 they're not even that expensive. Oh, well. Guess Ollie will have to go without.

Check out photos of some happy kitty (and small pup) customers here.

Flora, Finally

As the owner of one plant-eating cat, I have been living (sadly) without plants in my apartment for more than a year. I'll be honest, 2009 was kind of a shitty year and I blame that partially on my lack of flora. Then, my dear friend surprises me with a beautiful terrarium - complete with antique bunny figurines. Problem solved! Plants in my apartment and all Oliver can do is stare at them and drool.

Now that I've discovered the brilliance of the terrarium, I plan to stock my apartment full of them. Etsy seller TortoiseLovesDonkey has some adorable mini terrariums for next to nothing. So cute! She also sells a three-month air plant subscription, where she ships three air plants to you every month for three months. Love it!

If you're interested in assembling your own terrarium, ReadyMade offers some simple instructions.

Pampered Pets Travel in Style

Sleepypod mobile pet beds/carriers are quite impressive. They feature a nylon bed with plush padding and a washable liner and have a removable dome top that can be added when you and your pet are on the go. The carriers have both shoulder and hand straps, for easy carrying. Oh, and when you're in the car, simply strap a seat belt around the carrier so your pet can travel in safety. The carriers are available in six colors and two sizes, and are suitable for cats and dogs under 15lbs. Damn, my boy Walter is too big!