This is a lovely product for cats lovingly made in Lithuania which I have had the privileged of reviewing because I was contacted by kivikis™. As Charlie was no longer my cat companion, I asked my neighbor, Holly, to ask her two Siamese cats – one a blue point and the other seal point – to review it.
When I took it to her apartment and placed it on the floor, within 2 minutes both cats had jumped into it and started arguing about who had rights of occupation 😉 Success, I thought, in an instant. It comes in 5 colours: dark grey (the one you see), birch green, sand brown, sky blue and snow grey. It also comes in a range of sizes. The one reviewed is large.
I left the cat house with Holly for 2 days and on my return asked Holly for her feedback.
She sad that her cats preferred to jump in and out of it, using it a temporary place to stay and an object to play with rather than a place to rest and snooze for long periods.
Holly felt the base could have been more padded. She said it looked a bit ’60s in appearance. In other words retro 😉
She gave it 6.5 out of ten. I’d be a little more generous judging by her photos and the eagerness with which her cats jumped into it. At this stage I give a 4 out of 5 (using the Amazon review ranking method).
It should be said that Holly and her husband are raising twins who are still babies. This may have made her cats more inclined to be active.
I also very much like the appearance. It is very functional, practical and modern. Cats need a place to hide. It is an essential piece of kit in the multi-cat home. The kivikis™ cat house would seem ideal for that purpose. I’d have thought too that it would fit nicely on cat tree.
I’ll be reviewing it myself when I am have a cat to care for. Some pictures taken by Holly except for the one at the end which is mine.
Cleaning
From kivikis…..
The handmade wool felt cat house is durable and easily cleaned. You can wipe off the dirt with a clean, dry cloth or soft sponge with water and soap. Or you can wash your cat house in a washing machine using hand or wool wash programs.
You can use a vacuum cleaner too. Wool has a natural self-cleaning characteristic, so a full bath is rarely necessary.
You have a very cool designs. We do produce handmade felt cat caves and dog houses, toys and more. Visit our website :
http://www.pethousenepal.com for details.
I will start fostering cats at the end of the week starting Oct 27th 2014 and will be using the cat house as a hiding place for the foster cats.
“It is an essential piece of kit in the multi-cat home. The kivikis™ cat house would seem ideal for that purpose.”
Why do you think that?
And, how many should I buy? 15? 18? 20?
I like the concept a lot but would prefer if it was made of quilted material for cleaning purposes as Ruth pointed out.
What makes it keep its shape? Are there some sort of studs that can be removed?
Multi-cat homes need some hiding places for the more timid cats. This is good for that I believe. You’d only need a few because most cats probably wouldn’t need to hide in a cave. Also they would need testing to see if the cats who wanted to find a hiding places actually used them.
It is quite rigid as well as having some flexibility. It has a nice firmness but it has softness too. There are no studs. It is a complete unit without any joins or metal – just wool.
I’ll ask the manufacturers about clearing it. I’ll guess and say it can be cleaned in the washing machine (especially the super-large American versions).
Dee, I have added a paragraph on cleaning it. It comes direct from the sellers.
Hmm different but what happens when it needs washing? Made of wool you’d think it might sag or shrink. In the second from the bottom photo the opening looks a bit saggy already.
I had never thought about washing….strange that 😉
Good point Ruth. I don’t think you wash it except in a dry cleaners I guess. It actually feels nice to handle.
Imagine getting flea eggs in the wool!!!! With the best care in the world, cats can still pick them up.
Interesting point. I think it would need cleaning regularly. I’ll ask kivikis how it can be cleaned.
Too bad it doesn’t come in human size.. It looks comfy.. Something i could see me jumping into after a long day… My cat would love it, but i think he would also devour it as he is pretty active with his teeth and his nails to dismantle and take things apart.. Wonder just how sturdy one of those things are?
Now you mention that I can see the attraction. No distractions so good sleep. Back to the womb style.
As for sturdiness, it is good. It feels well made. It is an interesting product. I would see it as being very durable and I like the naturalness – all wool and hand made. That is attractive to me.