Now that pets are widely seen as members of the family, it’s no surprise that homes are being designed to accommodate them. And the cool Cat Cave is the perfect example of this pet-friendly interior design trend.
With new homes and communities filling up the landscape, how do you pick the right one for you? Of course, there are a few important details that help you determine the right fit for you: Location; price; size; how many rooms does it come with; is it equipped with a Cat Cave?
Pet parents are growing in number… and with that, their voices carry greater influence in every market. And that includes the new home market. You can laugh all you want, but you’re missing the boat (not to mention a demographic with more disposable income to spend). And that’s why I love what Brookfield Residential is offering in their new home communities – an upgrade that caters (or catters!) to the feline aficionados.
Related:Top 10 Luxe Dog-Inspired Home Renovations
The Cat Cave promises to be a home design element your pad won’t be able to do without. It’s cute, cozy and cat-tastic! The option is only available through the builder – but after looking at the photos of the home itself, I’m extremely tempted to make a move! (I added a few drool-worthy photos to the article so you could see the temptation for yourself).
After I cleaned up all the drool and resolved myself to the fact that I couldn’t just up and leave to live in one of these opulent homes (yet… but a girl can dream), I sent off a few questions to Brookfield Residential kitty-loving team for the inside (litter) scoop on this feline design.
Q: Where did the idea of the Cat Cave design come from?
A: The idea was the brainchild of Brookfield Residential’s Vice President of Marketing, Mercedes Meserve, a cat owner herself who observed that so much of home design is geared towards dogs instead of felines. “For a long time, we’ve been offering options for dogs, but cats need their own place too,” says Meserve. “Hence, the Cat Cave. It gives cats both privacy and access for their litterbox.”
Q: Who designed the original Cat Cave?
A: The in-house architects of Brookfield Residential.
Q: What does the Cat Cave come with?
While the homes at Huntley are luxury residences, the cat amenity has a simple elegance: A concealed area, strategically located, with a stylish feline cut-out for the cat door. From there, owners are free to trick-out and personalize the cat zone in a way that suits their pets.
Q: Is it a standard option in all of the communities you build?
A: This isn’t a standard option; however any resident can opt for the Cat Cave at Brookfield Residential’s new-home neighborhood, Huntley at Greenwood in Tustin (Orange County, California). A cool side note: this community is located on a 1,500-acre site of former Marine Corps air station. The cost for the Cat Cave option is $300. Right now, they are exclusive to the new Huntley neighborhood, but we’re testing their popularly for future communities.
Q: How are the Cat Caves being received?
The neighborhood is just opening, but we have received an enormous amount of inquiries from cat owners who are passionate about their pets.
Q: And the most important question: What do the cats think of all this?
It turns out cats LOVE having a sense of privacy while using the litter box. The cut-out accommodates their need for not being seen while doing their business without triggering a feeling of being trapped inside.
