Feline groovy

Let Kitty rule the roost from high atop his own cat habitat. It's easy to build an indoor retreat he'll love. Here's how.

I have been constructing and renovating for nearly two decades, and in that time I've had the privilege of working on everything from mansions for corporate CEOs to much-needed housing for Habitat for Humanity. Recently, however, I knew my moment as a contractor had truly arrived: I helped build a house for a cat.

Actually, this turned into a cat habitat within a house. Friskies, the cat-food manufacturer, enlisted me -- along with Frank Bielec, a designer from TLC's "Trading Spaces," and Pam Johnson-Bennett, a cat behaviorist (who knew that profession existed?) -- to construct the ultimate in feline-friendly living quarters. Along the way, I learned valuable lessons anyone can apply to a house or apartment; that should come in handy, because an estimated 70 million cats now live in the United States.

Being a dog owner myself, I had to begin with the basics. First, cats are not like dogs, which came as news to me. Dogs like to lie under tables or sprawl on their backs in the middle of the living room waiting for their bellies to be scratched, but cats love to be elevated so they can survey an entire room. Think of it as the little bit of panther in them yearning to be free.

The easiest way to build a good habitat for them is to help them fulfill this most basic of instincts. Start by purchasing inexpensive wall shelves. A good option is the streamlined Lack shelf by Ikea (ikea-usa.com), which sells for about $15 and has no visible brackets when mounted. The goal is to create steps from the ground up to the top of the refrigerator, or the top of a bookcase where you're willing to let your cat hang out for the day. It's like building him his own "Lion King" "pride rock." Position the shelves no more than 6 to 8 inches apart. You also should glue or staple pieces of carpet remnants to the shelves, which will give your cat something to grab on to as he jumps. This is especially important if he has been declawed.

If you're feeling more ambitious, you could look into adding a bay window in a room. This is a fairly large renovation that might easily cost $1,000. But done right, it certainly will increase the value of your home. For cats, the appeal is obvious; you'll probably find Fluffy alternately sunning himself on the window seat and sitting alert on the lookout for birds.

Finally, consider some home entertainment options for your furry feline friend. Did you know many cats love videos? You can purchase VCRs set to operate on continuous loops, as well as DVDs that show outdoor scenes, such as birds at a feeder, which you can leave on to entertain your cat when you're not home. These efforts will be worth it: A happy cat does make for a happy household.

Lou Manfredini is the author of an upcoming series of home-repair books by Ballantine and a contributor to the Today show.