As having a dozen or so cats roaming around free-range style outdoors would cause him inordinate worry, Cohen set out to make his own home as cat-friendly as possible without losing the essential charm and livability that attracted him to the property in the first place. Step one (in 1995) was installing catwalks along the inner walls, and if they look great that may be partially due to the $40,000 – $50,000 Cohen estimates he spent on them! Expensive or not, there was more in store: the catwalks were augmented by spiral staircases, tunnels, perches and more.
“The catwalks are for the cats but they’re also for me,” explains Cohen. “They’re architecturally interesting, the colors are complementary and we always try to do something interesting with the shapes. Our house was built for us AND our cats. The catwalks are fun for the cats, giving them lots of places to explore and hang out.” When Cohen’s cats need a little privacy, they can retreat to a host of specially designed odorless closets fitted with 22 litter boxes. Sounds like a swell, no-smell place to live!
