Four lucky cats, named Loki, Chestnut, Bubble and Little Blue, will have their very own room in their owner’s new Melbourne house (right). Picture: Marque Homes.
A Melbourne couple are building their dream house complete with a paw-sitively amazing cat cafe-style room especially for their beloved pet felines.
While Jay Wang and Sophy Lim not yet sure exactly much they will spend on the cat cafe’s fit out, their Camberwell-based builder Marque Homes has put the overall project cost at $2m to $2.5m excluding landscaping.
The residence featuring an elevated pool terrace will be constructed in Melbourne’s south east with the completion date set for 2027.
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Mr Wang said while the home’s entire interior would be open to his and Ms Lim’s four cats, named Loki, Chestnut, Little Blue and Bubble, the cat room would be dedicated solely to the pampered pusses.
While it’s still at the design stage, the room was inspired by cat cafes where diners can interact with cats, a concept that’s incredibly popular in Japan which has more than 300 such venues, according to Guinness World Records.
Plans for the room, which will measure roughly 10sq m, include climbing apparatuses, resting spots, storage space and window platforms where the moggies can enjoy outdoor views – all with a focus on using natural and organic materials.
An artist’s render of the cat cafe room concept. Picture: Marque Homes.
Another render of the how the finished house in Melbourne’s south east will look, once the build is completed. Picture: Marque Homes.
The couple’s cats are ragdoll brothers Loki and Chestnut, a Russian blue named Little Blue and Bubble.
“The cat cafe will be their base, where they can relax and play,” Mr Wang said.
“Indoor cats can get bored very easily, so wanted them to have more space.”
Mr Wang said although he and Ms Lim’s cats enjoyed plenty of cat trees and toys in their current home, the new house would be a major upgrade for them.
Apart from the cat cafe, the couple are planning a separate large playground for their pet rabbit, a grey dwarf bunny named Zhizhi, at their property.
Marque Homes, a boutique custom builder within the wider Victorian-based residential building company Mirrastone, has dubbed the house “Felix the Cat Oasis”.
An artist’s render of the concept for the cat’s room, which will feature natural and organic materials. Credit: Marque Homes.
Loki and Chestnut relaxing in their current home.
Marque designer Arsen Baglayenko said while he had worked on dwellings with dog baths before, this was his first-ever project with a cat cafe room.
Mr Baglayenko added that the costs of installing a dog bath could vary from a few thousand dollars for incorporating one into an existing room, to tens of thousands of dollars for an additional room fitted with custom joinery.
But no matter whom the home is being designed for, whether they be humans or animals, he always enjoys the creative process.
“Marque loves personalising our homes to suit the whole family’s needs, creating special places for everyone to enjoy,” Mr Baglayenko noted.
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