The House That Spot Built
Written by: Christina Mehra, Staff Writer @ Vetcentric.com

Most people would laugh at the idea of letting their pet dictate the floor plan or interior design of their new home, but some pet owners have done exactly that.

Take Bob Walker and his wife, of San Diego , Calif. , for example. The Walkers are the proud owners of 12 cats and one dog. This is truly a situation where the cats don't live with the Walkers—the Walkers live among their cats (in what they appropriately call "The Cats' House.") Mr. Walker adapted the house to cater to the feline population by building, among other features, a 140-foot long catwalk running throughout the house.

The idea started in 1985, Mr. Walker said, when he and his wife made a scratching column for their cats (then there were only two of them) with a leaded glass top that divided the living room and dining room. The cats loved it. They would run along the backs of the couches, up the post and across the top—but one inevitably would get cornered by the other cat when the walkway dead-ended at the wall.

So Mr. Walker decided to extend the catwalk. And he didn't stop there—he continued to add feline-oriented features over the years. Thus began the concept for The Cats' House.

"They kind of teach you what you need," Mr. Walker explained.

Each room has cat-friendly additions, like the cat-sized spiral staircase in the TV room. For the cats to get from room to room, there are wall openings on the catwalk, some of them shaped like a cat's head or an Aztec star.

Cats want to be high up, Mr. Walker said. "They love having that vantage point. They feel safe up there."

Building a catwalk also helps utilize space more efficiently, he added. Although at nighttime the cats usually aren't found on the catwalk, but in the Walker 's bedroom.

The cats are not only allowed in the bedroom, they rule it. As proof of the cats' dominance, the Walkers set up a webcam to document their struggle to stay in the bed as the cats hog the mattress at night.

Most people, especially those who don't allow pets in the bedroom, may think The Cats' House is, well, a little over the top. In fact, at Walkers' abode, there are only two rooms where the cats are not allowed.

Believe it or not, the Walkers are not alone in their quest to design a pet-dominated home. And Norman Askins, Atlanta , Ga. , is personally acquainted with many of these animal-oriented homeowners.

As an architect, Mr. Askins has built many special pet features for his clients. For pet owners wanting a private place for their best friend to chow down, he has added dog-dining rooms.

In addition, Mr. Askins once built a climate-controlled dog porch for a celebrity.

It was a $50,000 addition.

"Oh, people are nuts," he said.

Some clients have requested special dog bathing accommodations including "a great big tub where you could wash them," Mr. Askins said. Others have ordered special mudrooms built for the dogs "with a drain to hose it down," in case the dog goes to the bathroom when the owners aren't home. Some of the pet facilities he's worked on have also been equipped with electric food timers.

Pet lovers will request outdoor structures for their pets as well. Mr. Askins has designed special pet houses for a senator's wife who had lots of backyard parties and wanted the pets to be included. Each animal had its own house with its name on it; even the goat had one with his name, Billy T. Sherman, emblazoned on the outside. "They were like doll houses," Mr. Askins said. "It was just kind of amusing."

Pet owners who don't want to splurge on features like the ones Mr. Askins designed can still take the needs of their furry friends into consideration when decorating. Interior decorator Roderick N. Shade, New York , N.Y. , who owns his own design company, said home owners with pets have specific animal conduct issues to keep in mind.

"Whenever I work with a client with a pet," Mr. Shade said, "I always consider the pet in specifying finishes or fabrics. Some pets are completely fine with fine finishes or fabrics, yet others you really have to consider what the ‘pet usage' factor will be. [For example] does the cat claw the upholstery? Does the dog use the sofa after a long muddy walk?"

Mr. Shade had a few other suggestions, especially for furniture that will be shared with pets.

"I might call for slipcovers that would be easy to remove and clean when needed," he said. "I have also designed throws that can be used exclusively for the pet—removed when the pet isn't using the particular piece of furniture. There are lots of different solutions to designing a space with regard to pet usage."

In addition to sharing your space, why not let the animal claim a corner for itself, Mr. Shade added.

"I think that most pets need a space to call their own," he said. "I have even designed pet beds and scratching posts [or] kitty roosts to coordinate with the rest of the room. Sometimes the pet itself will let you know where their favorite spot is."

Mr. Walker's cats have already claimed their favorite spots, he said: "[They] love to look down on us."

For pet owners attempting to make their homes more pet-friendly, Mr. Walker advised people "not to be afraid to cut holes in your walls." Rearrange furniture, give cats access to high points, like bookcases, and secure breakables. Once owners see how much their pets love the new arrangements, Mr. Walker said, they will want to make more accommodations for the animals.

As for why pet-owners would even bother going to such lengths and expense for their furry friends, Mr. Askins said, "People are nuts about their animals. They just love their animals."

--Managing Editor Jorie Green contributed to this article.

For more information:

Visit the Cats' house online .

View Roderick Shade's website .

*Article courtesy of VetCentric.com
Originally published October 31, 2004
Written by: Christina Mehra, Staff Writer @ VetCentric
For more information on this article, please visit http://www.vetcentric.com

Want an inside look of The Cats' House? Check out the book! The Cats' House is not exactly architecture or do-it-yourself art. The directions for reproducing his 110-foot series of catwalks, staircases, mouse (and other) holes, and shelves are admittedly sparse; a few architectural renderings and some minimalist instructions guarantee that an imitator will need to check other sources. But practical advice is in the description of how to secure treasured accessories and furniture, and there are some suggestions on remodeling (e.g., don't position the new feline aerie next to the curtains). Above all, it's the spirit that counts as well as the photographs; every one of the nine felines sharing the Walkers' lives is pictured rather contentedly walking, sitting, rolling over, and smiling on one of the structures.

Also check out Bob Walkers second book - Cats into Everything - Walker's follow-up to The Cats' House, records the endless fascination the stars of the show exert. From litter habits to excessive ear licking, no subject is taboo. The couple even went so far as to place a camera, set to flash every 13 minutes, over their bed in order to record nocturnal comings and goings.