Silver Pet Care, Toys, Supplies and Products for Animals Design · 2021
Neko Goten Cat Tower
by Hitomi Otake
- A' Design Award 2021 Silver Winner in Pet Care, Toys, Supplies and Products for Animals Design
- Awarded April 15, 2021
- CLIENT: Design:DESIGN Iris Co., Ltd. /Client:FURUSAKI Co., Ltd.
- Estimated Number of Design Views: 36,500
- Verification code 59CEAF8099 · Verify this award
About Neko Goten Cat Tower
Neko Goten is a cat tower designed to resemble high-end furniture. The structure is made of oak and cedar wood from Fukui Prefecture in Japan and is finished by hand by furniture craftsmen. Neko Goten measures 2200 mm in width, 600 mm in depth and 1800 mm in height. The design combines a staircase, a clawing board, a clear hemisphere, a roller, a spherical shelter, a feeding area with storage and a bed area. The compact play area suits rental homes, cat cafes and clinics where renovation for cats is not possible.
Press Kit
- Unique Properties
- It is a very luxurious cat tower that your cat can play with safely.
It has been designed with a comfortable environment for cats to live in, and the look and feel of the interior and the gravity of the interior are carefully considered to please the cat as well as the owner. - Dimensions & Packaging
- Width 2200mm x Depth 600mm x Height 1800mm
- Tags
- Cat Furniture, Cat Tower, Cat Design, Pet Furniture, Pet Design, Cats, Wooden Furniture, Japanese Furniture, Japanese Crafts, Japanese Design
- Production Technology
- "Neko Goten" is a product that makes use of wood from Fukui Prefecture and the skills of furniture craftsmen. It is made of oak and cedar wood and finished by hand by craftsmen.
- Design Challenge
- It was developed for use in rental houses, cat cafes and veterinary clinics where home renovation for cats is not possible, but its large size and various functions make it difficult to fit into Japanese homes.
It is difficult to assemble and deliver, so it is necessary to consider packaging and delivery methods such as shipping to overseas locations. - Project Duration
- The project will begin in Tokyo in January 2020, with completion in June 2020 and a Japanese crowdfunding launch in July 2020.
- Operation Flow
- This product has a staircase on the left side with a hole in the ground and a clawing board next to the staircase. The cat can relax in the clear hemisphere above it.
In the middle, the cat runs on a roller, and the upper sphere is the cat's home.
The lower part on the right side is the cat's food area, where he can store his plates and food. Above that is the cat's bed area. This is a play area for the cat that can be climbed up the stairs above it or played on the catwalk. - Research
- It's a design that has been researched and researched to ensure that cats feel comfortable playing in the "Neko Goten", with a variety of opinions taken into account, including the habits of cats, the environment surrounding cats, and what people who own cats are looking for in a cat owner.
- Inspiration
- "Neko Goten" is a new product developed in cooperation with FURUSAKI Co., Ltd. This is a new product development project using wood and craftsmanship from Fukui Prefecture. "Neko Goten" is a cat tower that resembles high-end furniture where cats can play safely. It is a compact cat play area that can be placed in a Japanese rental house or cat cafe. It is a gem made on the basis of understanding the behavior of cats and was designed with attention to detail.
- Image Credits
- Photo:FURUSAKI Co., Ltd.
Colors of Neko Goten Cat Tower
Get Neko Goten Cat Tower
Comprehensive Product and Brand Design Services
We transform ideas into award-winning designs across product, space, and brand identity. From innovative furniture to commercial interiors, our Tokyo studio brings Japanese craftsmanship and contemporary aesthetics to projects that captivate audiences and elevate brands.
G0E3 ShopGrand Interview about Neko Goten Cat Tower
Our client, the co-developer Furusaki Co.,ltd., is located in Fukui Prefecture, Japan, and makes wooden furniture. They asked us to develop original products using local wood, so we started talking about making the highest-quality, modern, wonderful furniture for cats that would be accepted worldwide, using the traditional woodworking techniques of Japanese furniture craftsmen.
e got ideas from episodes of people who love cats and how people who love cats design their homes, and also thought about what is needed to make even small Japanese homes, such as rental housing and cat cafes, comfortable and relaxing for cats. We also wanted to create a beautiful exterior that would allow people to enjoy the beauty of the Japanese cedar from Fukui Prefecture, so that the interior would not only be pleasing to cats but also to their owners, and we paid close attention to the appearance and sense of depth of the interior. To achieve this, we repeatedly used CG and video to verify the balance.
We have created these cat towers with reference to the architecture of cat lovers and the interiors of cat cafes in Japan, while also considering the environment in which cats can play and live comfortably, and with an understanding of their natural behavior. In particular, the transparent hemispherical structure is placed at the top so that cat lovers can look at the soles of their cats' paws from below, and it is a space where cats can also sleep in peace. In Japanese rental housing, it is not easy to make a catwalk because you can't even hammer a nail into the wall. “Nekogoten” can be placed to create the best space for cats.
Compared to a standard cat tower, this product is quite large, but it is also attractive because it can be customized to suit the needs of cats, such as the fact that various elements can be used separately, as well as being safe, so it can be used in limited spaces such as rental housing in Japan and cat cafes.
By using laminated wood with a natural striped pattern made from a combination of Japanese red pine and Japanese white pine from Fukui Prefecture for the steps, we were able to achieve a wonderful level of detail without the need for painting, and we were also able to use some sturdy oak wood to enhance the strength of the product. It would have been difficult to develop such a wonderful product without the traditional woodworking techniques and knowledge of the furniture craftsmen of Fukui Prefecture.
As there were cat lovers on the project team, we asked them about the habits of cats and the needs of cat lovers. After it was completed, we tested it again and again to see how cats would play with it, and we were relieved that it was accepted.
The word “nekogoten” means “the finest house for cats” in Japanese, so in that sense it is a product that is like a small building, where cats can exercise, rest and eat in safety. I think it is the result of the skills of wonderful craftsmen that they were able to express the spatial design between different functional areas in a single product.
The most important thing was that the furniture was made using local wood from Fukui Prefecture in Japan, and that the furniture was made by woodwork furniture craftsmen using their traditional craftsmanship to make original products for cats, so it is not a consumable product, but rather a gift for cats that will last a lifetime. In that sense, it is not a cheap disposable pet product, but rather a product that can remain in the home of a cat lover as interior decoration even after the cat is gone, along with memories of the cat.
The spherical house was made without using nails for the safety of the cats, and the size of the catwalk and steps was verified many times to ensure that the cats could play safely. Because it is difficult to assemble and deliver, we feel that it is necessary to consider packaging and delivery methods, such as shipping overseas.
There are many disposable pet products in the world. Of course, there are many things that are consumable, but things like furniture for pets made from thinned wood, like this “Nekogoten”, can be a gift for a pet that will last a lifetime, and I think that they will be loved for a long time as products that allow both the owner and the pet to live comfortably.