Interview about Mocats Multifunctional Cat Furniture, winner of the A' Pet Care, Toys, Supplies and Products for Animals Design Award 2023
The Mocats (Modular Cacoons for Cats) are modular elements for feline environmental enrichment and are made up of a series of pieces of Cardboard and Plywood, joined by an internal structure. The cardboard pieces form the floor, the ceiling, and the internal walls of the modules; while plywood pieces form the internal structure and external walls. This multifunctional and eco-friendly furniture, allows cats to scratch, climb, hide, observe, sleep, and play; and can adapt to the different lifestyles and spaces within the homes.
View detailed images, specifications, and award details on A' Design Award & Competition website.
View Design DetailsWe chose cardboard and plywood because they complement each other perfectly —cardboard brings lightness, flexibility, and sustainability, while plywood adds strength and durability. Together they allow us to create a product that feels warm and natural, yet strong enough for everyday use. Both are renewable materials, and by designing precisely, we minimize waste and avoid unnecessary additives. This combination also allowed us to maintain the modularity and adaptability we envisioned, while keeping the product eco-friendly.
As architects, we see spaces as dynamic and adaptable. We approached MoCats the same way we would design a home —thinking about flow, hierarchy of spaces, and how the user (in this case, the cat) interacts with their environment. Modularity came naturally to us because it’s a solution to changing needs, small spaces, and customization —something we often deal with in architectural projects. It also allowed us to give owners flexibility to adjust the product to their cat’s personality and their own home.
What amazed me the most was realizing how differently cats perceive the world. Their senses are highly developed, and they experience their surroundings in a way that’s completely different from us —with their whole body, and from another perspective. Their instinct to seek height, to feel in control of their territory, to separate certain activities —all come from their wild ancestry, because cats are not yet 100% domestic. That instinct is still there, and if we ignore it, behavioral problems and even health issues can appear.We also learned that no two cats are the same —what works for one might not work for another. That’s why we emphasize observation as the most important tool. By simply watching how a cat moves, rests, or reacts, you can learn what they really need. MoCats was shaped by this philosophy: creating something that adapts to each cat, rather than forcing a single way of use.
Cats see their home as their entire world —and within that world, they naturally separate activities like eating, using the litter box, and hunting behaviors into different zones. But when it comes to climbing, observing, hiding, and resting, we believe these should all be available in the same place, so the cat can choose what they want to do at any moment. We don’t want to force specific activities —we want to give them freedom and control.Even more importantly, we designed all of these activities to integrate scratching and marking. Visual and scent marking are vital for a cat —it’s how they claim the space, feel secure, and maintain a sense of belonging. That’s why MoCats ensures that no matter how you reconfigure or move the modules, the cat can always mark and feel ownership. That creates positive behavior and reduces stress —it helps the cat feel “in their natural freedom,” even while living indoors.
We spent a lot of time experimenting with joinery techniques, laser cutting, and optimizing geometries to achieve strength without relying on glues or harmful coatings. The assembly system itself is one of our proudest innovations —we designed it entirely from scratch. It’s what makes MoCats work: it allows infinite configurations, keeps the structure stable, and makes it intuitive for owners to assemble without tools or adhesives. Even our finishes are minimal —we trust the natural beauty and resilience of the materials, and the integrity of our unique assembly system.
Cats communicate with each other through scent and non-verbal signals, and with humans through vocalizations —but part of what makes them feel secure is mixing their scent with yours. We thought it was only fair that, just as they adapt to communicate with us, we should also adapt to communicate with them —through scent. That’s why we designed MoCats to be assembled from scratch: to let owners unconsciously leave their own scent on the modules during the process, while the cat does the same. This helps create a shared territory, where both feel they belong. The modularity also invites humans to keep interacting and rearranging, creating new moments of bonding over time.
We approached stability as if we were designing a real building. The entire structural logic is integrated into the system: the plywood panels work like columns, the rods that hold everything together function as beams, and the locking anchors make the whole piece behave as a single, cohesive structure. Stability also depends on the shape and proportions —we developed widths that only allow certain heights, while wider versions can safely go much taller. Just like in architecture, as the base gets wider, the thickness of the rods and the cardboard “floors” increases proportionally to support more weight. The key is that all of this comes together thanks to the anchoring system, which unites the modules into one stable whole.
I believe digital manufacturing will democratize good design. It allows designers to create thoughtful, customizable products that can be fabricated locally or even at home, reducing shipping and waste. MoCats shows that it’s possible to make pet furniture that is both sustainable and elegant —I hope it inspires others to see eco-design not as a compromise, but as an opportunity for creativity and better living.
We wanted owners to feel like they were building something for their cat, not just buying an object. The assembly becomes a shared moment —the cat explores and claims the pieces while the owner puts them together. Cats love mixing their scent with ours —it’s how they feel secure and connected. That’s why we made MoCats modular and to be assembled from scratch, so both human and cat leave their mark on it, creating a shared territory that strengthens their bond.
Being both architects and cat owners means we see both sides clearly —we want beautiful spaces for humans, but also functional, enriching environments for cats. That’s our vision moving forward: to keep creating products that respect the needs of both species, with designs that feel at home in any space while truly improving the lives of the animals we love.
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