Brooklyn’s Prospect Heights may not be the first neighborhood that comes to mind when you hear the words “concrete jungle,” but the metaphor fits in a new way if you consider the penthouse home of Abigail and Max Frumes. High above the neighborhood’s tree-lined streets and handsome brownstones, two exotic felines prowl the couple’s new, 1,420-square-foot condo.

The cats—a pair of Bengals named Hobbes and Agnes—share the space with their human owners and the couple’s daughter. Their paradise is the brainchild of Studio Nato’s Nathan Cuttle, who tailored the design to the cats’ nature.

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Understanding Bengals’ proclivity for acrobatic heights and greater need for exercise and play compared to most domestic breeds, Cuttle included custom elements such as a white oak media console that doubles as a cat runway and replaces a pet store climbing tree. Hobbes and Agnes can perch here or go up to the mezzanine-like ledge that wraps around the double-height living space.

Solving the peskiest cat problem, Cuttle hid the litter box in the supply closet (trash shoot en suite) and cut a small hole in the wall so that the cats could easily access it. Although the cats may be limited by their inability to express verbal appreciation, their owners can see that the feline indulgences were worth the effort.

“They used to just chase each other along the longest hallway of our old apartment,” says Abigail. “Now they’ll have epic chases that go up and down the stairs, to the catwalk, running around, and then back down. It’s hilarious."

Project Credits:

Designer: Studio Nato

Construction: SHL Builders

Woodwork: TJ Woodworking

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This Brooklyn Apartment Provides the Perfect Playground for a Pair of Bengal Cats