">HomeOwnerNut

Today it began to snow outside. The yellow tabby that chases ducks in my yard left tracks across the whited lawn. Just about the time I got to wondering where all the local strays go when it freezes, I discovered an article on a recent design  contest held by the New York City Architects for Animals organization. Entries from some of the more respected of the city’s architecture firms are already in service on the streets of Manhattan.

Uptown pets only need apply

Photo by Carole Milker

According to contest sponsors, designer Frank Lindemann’s “Brown Tubes” pictured above is the “Waldorf Astoria of feral cat shelters”. Minutes after it was positioned outdoors, it was filled with meowing strays. Read more about the contest at The Architectural Record.

Pre-fab architecture for tabby

Photo by Gulf Coast Pet Supplies

Feral cat aid societies across the country want you to be considerate of less fortunate scamps this winter. If your conscious calls, you can buy a pre-fab kitty condo for the winter. This heated K&H Outdoor Thermo-Kitty Camper sells for $44.14.

Ugly is Eden to a mouser

Photo by Alley Cat

Your cat shelter need not be a glam product. Ally Cat Allies is a national stray animal advocacy organization that has posted detailed instructions for building your own insulated kitty shelter out of plywood and a roll of insulation. You can do it yourself or hire a contractor.

Cathouse on a hot tin roof

Photo by Cozy Winters

Feeling particularly generous? For $99 you can buy this portable heated shelter from Cozy Winters that uses a 20-watt dispersion heater operated by a thermostat. It’s a pad that’s just large enough to heat the undercarriage of your guest.

Bed and breakfast

Photo by North Jersey.com

Perhaps this is your preferred way of helping out. However, cat hoarders can really strain the budget in the winter. In New Jersey recently, Parsippany officials busted a woman who had 32 cats in a one-bedroom apartment. The cats, officials say, were breeding. Duh!

None of the greatest historians and anthropologists can pinpoint the date when humankind built the four-legged chair with a solid back to lean against. From 40,000 B.C. in China to 2680 B.C. in Egypt, men and women apparently made do with sitting on the ground or on raised mounds, stones and animal hides.

The earliest remnants of backed chairs were found in the tombs of Tutankhamun, wooden seats made with expert craftsmanship. It took until the American 1940s before Barcalounger began making the first recliners suitable for vegging in front of the television.

We’ve come a long way from Pharaoh seating. The old King would simply tut-tut these modern examples of furniture.

Designs that make a splash

Photo by Yanko Design

Designer Michael L. Wendel has found a way for anyone to perform a cannonball right in their own living room. The Splash Lounge Chair is molded from pink insulation foam and then slathered with four coats of Elmer’s glue. Spray on chopped fiberglass and finish with a coat of Bondo…and presto!

The handiest chair you can buy

Photo by Design Home Online

Many of the newest Ukranian designs are user-friendly, witness the warm greeting you get from this chair created by Oleksandr Shestakovych. Check out his portfolio at Behance.

The Russian crossover

Photo by Design Milk

Designers in Russia are also dashing out curiously playful furniture. This cross-legged chair by Vladimir Tsesler is actually a tripod. You’d have to try it out to see if it’s comfortable. I can imagine a fur coat draped across the back (faux mink, of course).

In the clover

Photo by Design Milk

This White Clover Chair by Driade was designed by Ron Arad. The seats, made of polypropylene mono-block, can be used inside the house or outdoors, where you can match them in a selection of hues to match your house siding colors. View more examples of Arad’s designs at Unica Home.

You may now be seated!