Chicago · Built in batches · November run

The bookcase your cat lives inside.

The Cat Case is a modular bookcase with a hidden cat tower running through it. We build it three times a year in Chicago: November, April and August. Reserve a spot in the November run with a refundable deposit, and we start cutting once the run fills.

Build yours How a run works
Walnut Cat Case by a floor-to-ceiling window with the Chicago skyline behind, carpeted side and cat-shaped hardware visible Full case, walnut. 31" × 62" × 12½"
0 of 40 modules reserved
0Run goes at 40 modules (10 full cases)
Nov 1Reservations close
Nov 3Go / no-go. Balance links sent
Nov 10Balance due
Early DecShips, in time for the holidays
Three runs a year: November · April · AugustMiss this one? Your reservation rolls to April.
What it is

A real bookcase. A hidden cat tree. Both at once.

The current case has square openings and stainless hardware. Classic modern design from the first edition to the improved current version.

Built in Chicago. 36 seconds, no sound.
Gray tabby stepping through the carpeted tunnel inside a walnut Cat Case, a small window beside it
Inside the tunnel
Close-up of a black cat peering down over the carpeted side of a walnut Cat Case in the sun
Carpeted sides, walnut face
Close-up of a birch Cat Case: a tabby cat in an upper opening, books and a framed 'Think inside the box' stitch below
Birch, current design
This run

Build yours

Every module is 31" wide, 15½" tall and 12½" deep, with openings that pass all the way through. Stack them, stand them on end, stagger them, put two columns side by side. What you build here is what we cut.

Drag a module to move it · drag the background to orbit · scroll to zoom
Start from
Add a module

Click a module in the builder to rotate, flip, duplicate or remove it. Modules drop to rest on the floor or on another module.

Wood
Finish
Your build
Overall size
ShippingQuoted by zip at confirmation
Estimated total
Deposit to reserve$25 per module. Credited to your balance. Refunded in full if the run doesn't go.
Reserve this build

Prefer Etsy? Copy your build code, buy the reservation deposit there with quantity = modules, and paste the code into Personalization.

Reserve

Hold your spot

Prices are estimates until the run is confirmed. You'll get a final invoice with shipping and tax before anything else is charged.

The model

How a run works

1

Reserve

Build your case, pick wood and finish. A $25-per-module deposit holds your place.

2

The run goes

At 40 modules we commit to materials. Below that, deposits come back or roll forward to the April run, your choice.

3

Confirm

You get an invoice with final price, shipping to your zip, and tax. Pay the balance by the due date.

4

We build

Cut, sanded, finished and packed in Chicago, then shipped flat. Screws and stainless steel brackets to assemble.

Out of the box

Flat-packed. One screwdriver.

Assembly walkthrough · 1:28 · sound on
In the box

Front and back panels, carpet side liners, stainless cat-head brackets, and the screws. Every part for every module, labeled.

What you need

A Phillips screwdriver. No glue, no dowels, no second person.

How it goes

Brackets onto the panels, carpet liners between them, screws through the sides. Stack and repeat. The video shows one full module start to finish.

Since 2017

In 99 backers' homes

The Cat Case started on Kickstarter, funded in a day, and shipped to 99 homes. Since then, more than 200 through Etsy and our personal site. These are some of them.

Double Cat Case in walnut, current design, with a white cat on top and another peeking around the side
Tabby cat climbing into a walnut module while a black-and-white cat watches from above
Bengal cat sitting on top of a pale wood Cat Case beside a plant
Maple double Cat Case in a playroom holding books, games and a toy dinosaur
White Cat Case in a sunroom with a tabby cat on top and a brass lamp beside it
Black cat looking out of a window opening in a birch Cat Case
Green-stained Cat Case full of cat books with a tuxedo cat on top
Oak Cat Case with white interiors and a woven basket in the bottom opening
White Cat Case in a backer's home with a black cat on top
Maple Cat Case in a living room with a cat perched on top
Dark walnut Cat Case with shelves styled with books and records
Cat climbing inside a Cat Case module
Walnut Cat Case with matching wall shelves
End view of a walnut module showing the carpeted interior
Questions

What people ask before they reserve

Is the Cat Case a cat tree or a bookcase?

Both. From the room it's a modular wood bookcase. Inside, carpeted tunnels run between the square openings, so cats climb, hide and perch inside it while the shelves hold your books.

How big is a module?

31" wide, 15½" tall, 12½" deep, in ¾" plywood. A full case is four modules, 62" tall. Modules stack, stand on end, stagger, or sit side by side; the builder above shows every option.

What woods and finishes are available?

Walnut or birch plywood, finished or unfinished. Unfinished birch takes stain or paint well if you want a color; one customer's is green.

How is it shipped and assembled?

Flat-packed. Panels, carpet liners, stainless brackets and screws are in the box. A Phillips screwdriver and no second person. The video above shows one module start to finish.

When will I get it?

Cat Cases are built in runs three times a year: November, April and August. You reserve with a refundable deposit, we confirm the run when it reaches 40 modules, and you pay the balance before it ships. The November run ships in early December.

What if the run doesn't fill?

Your deposit is refunded in full, or rolls forward to the next run, whichever you choose.

Will my cat use it?

The openings are 11" square with a carpeted floor inside, sized for cats up to large breeds. Owners report cats sleeping in the tunnels and perching on top within the first day.