Office Design Hauspanther Style

I thought I’d share one of my own environmental design projects with you. Ever since I moved into my condo and set-up the office, the cabinets over the desk have been off limits. I think at first I thought I was going to display breakable things up there, but I never did and I finally realized that the space makes a perfect cat perch. They just needed a way to get up there.

So, on either side of the cabinets, I added two little steps for the cats to go from the desk to their new perch on top of the cabinets. I used the Wall Attach Steps from Whisker Studio and I absolutely love them! They are perfect little platforms for cats to climb from one place to another. They measure 8.5″ deep by 9.5″ wide and attach to the wall with pelican brackets. The rounded shape is elegant and I like that there are no sharp corners. These shelves do not have carpet on top, but instead have grooves to provide a little traction.

The Whisker Studio Wall Attach Steps are also very affordable. They come in unfinished MDF for just $10 each, unfinished birch ply for $14 each, clear-coated birch ply for $17 each, and espresso stained birch ply for $22 each. Save some money by purchasing the unfinished steps and painting or staining them yourself. The brackets are $10 a pair if you purchase them with the steps, but you can also pick them up at your local home improvement store for a little less (I paid $7.50 a pair at Home Depot).

I added a strip of sisal with a non-slip backing to the top of the shelves. The cats love the texture and I think they are more likely to go up there with the non-slip covering. I buy sisal rug remnants on eBay, which can be easily cut to any size with just a pair of scissors.

As you can see, everyone loves their new perch (of course, Ando is still on the desk). I’d like to encourage all of you to look around your home for existing surfaces that — with just a few minor changes — can be turned into awesome projects for your cats. And please be sure to submit your photos!

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The artwork on the wall over the desk is from (l to r): The Dancing Cat, CZM, and Matte Stephens.