Meet The Mastermind Behind Square Paws: the most "Truly Unique Cat Furniture"

FROM CAT CHAT WITH CAREN AND CODY: A few months ago I had the pleasure of discovering the MOST "truly unique cat furniture" that I had ever laid eyes on. In my opinion, "truly unique" doesn't begin to cover the genius and talent that is behind the most CREATIVE, as well as "unique" cat furniture I have ever seen. I immediately fell in love. Today, I am thrilled to present to you the owner/creator of 

his name is Mario Arbore.  Mario's philosophy is " Here at Square Paws, we’d like to think that your cat's play-towers should be part of your home environment and not a completely foreign object. That’s why our cat towers and other pet pieces are made to delight both pet and owner."  10% of net profits are donated to agencies dedicated to animal rescue and refuge.

I am beyond smitten with the furniture at Square Paws, so much so, that I asked Mario if he wouldn't mind writing a guest post to give us some background as to how Square Paws came about, and how he came to create what is, in my opinion,  the most endearing, unique and creative furniture that exists in the cat world! I am thrilled that he accepted! Now, I proudly present, Mario Arbore

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In early 2014, I had come to a fork in the road in my career as an architect.  Having completed several long-term projects in New York and in Florida, I found myself with some extra time on my hands and asked a friend what she thought I should do next.  “Why not build cat towers?” she asked.

I scratched my head, wondering how I might approach the subject of cat towers.  I had purchased several of the garden-variety cat trees from the big box pet store chains in the past and had even tried my hand at making a small cat perch many years ago.  But this was different.  This occurred for me as an opportunity to “say something different” about cat furniture.  I pondered for a few days what I might do and what kind of design vocabulary I might bring to the subject.  In those early days, I began to take visual notes and sketch the various habits of my three cats, often measuring them while they slept or watching how far they would jump.

I noticed how two of my three cats preferred sleeping at the highest spot they could find, whereas the other cat preferred to hole up in a more cave-like setting.  Drawing upon my knowledge of architectural history, my first thought was to one of my favorite building types: a lighthouse.  It had the verticality most cats desired, while still allowing for a place to “cave.”  I found images of a lighthouse in Nova Scotia that I liked very much and immediately went to work designing the form and inner platforms for a kitty lighthouse.  Within a week, I had created the working drawings, then cut, painted and carpeted my first cat tower.  And, after watching my cats quickly take to climbing within its walls, I knew instantly I had stumbled upon an intriguing approach to making cat habitats!

The lighthouse opened up a wellspring in my mind of building typologies and iconic items that could be tailored to serve as jungle-gyms for curious felines.  Nautical themes led me to creating various lifeguard chairs.  The concept of a chair led me to creating a Royal Throne. 

Photo Courtesy of Square Paws
"Royal Throne"

Common household items like grandfather clocks and coffee pots became inspiration for new cat tower designs, all the while challenging me to fit a cat’s natural curiosity to climb and sleep safely atop their domain paired with a piece of sculpture that could enhance a person’s home rather than appear like an afterthought. 

Photo Courtesy of Square Paws
"Hickory Dickory"

Use of bold colors and different carpets became fun to experiment with, to see how various cats of different stripes and fur color might appear against the different backdrops.

Photo Courtesy of Square Paws
"Espurresso"

Indeed, one of the greatest joys I got in the process was the joy and wonder experienced by PEOPLE as much as cats!  The sheer idea of fashioning something such as a collection of musical instruments into a cat condo took many people by surprise and sparked their imaginations towards new possibilities.  And cats, being the sensitive animals that they are, are quick to react to a person’s loving, doting energy, and that’s good for both feline and human alike.

Photo Courtesy of Square Paws
"Musicat"

Photo Courtesy of Square Paws
"Ferris Wheel"

From an oversized stiletto shoe to a kitty Ferris wheel, from a cat-friendly potted flower to a peering giraffe, the journey thus far to explore and create new ways to enhance the lives of cats and their human custodians has been very rewarding, and we are looking forward to creating new Square Paws wonders for folks to marvel at!

Mario Arbore