When Peter Cohen purchased his home in 1988, there were a couple of feral cats living on the grounds. One was struck and killed by a car and then the other was hit by a car but survived, becoming an indoor cat. So she’d have company, he adopted two more cats. Then cats became a habit. By the time the rescue cat population at the house hit fifteen, creative carpentry had transformed the place into a feline playground. Fortunately for all involved, it’s a nice, spacious house!
The first catwalk was installed up near the ceiling in 1995 and many more followed. These are well-built and well-designed so they can also serve as architectural elements that enhance the living space. All the rooms are connected to the catwalk network and some of the cat door entrances are done up as animal mouths. A particular favorite (of the cats) is a shark: the teeth cut by the carpenters give a cat’s back a good scratching! The house has an indoor koi pond and while the cats enjoy watching the fish, incredibly, none have been eaten.
Fifteen cats is a lot for one house, but they’re well cared for. There are 22 litter boxes, some of them in closets with special ventilation systems. Cat food alone easily runs $100 a week. A fleet of five Roombas help deal with all the cat hair. As Peter’s partner Manuel Flores says, “After a certain point, there’s no turning back. It’s like this is their house and we’re living there with them.”
For Peter, all the effort is worth it. “So you can’t really feel ever there’s 15 cats because they never assemble in one group. And they’re very calming, so I like them because when you come home and if you’re stressed, you sit down, two or three will come and sit down and purr. It just relaxes you.”
How do you like this home that’s become something of a sanctuary for rescue cats? Let us know in the comments section below and be sure to like and share!
