Bathroom Configuration

Though fun and largely intuitive, there is more than meets the eye in crafting a highly functional catscape, especially in a small space. This page explains the reasoning behind each decision made for the configuration shown below.
The inspiration for this catscape was three-fold:

Before Arlo & Boris came along, Annabelle had the place to herself and would frequently jump up onto the narrow window sill to watch the deer, squirrels, birds, and other cats that wander along that side of the house. Once Arlo saw how Annie used the window sill, he claimed it for himself. Annie is also a little older now, so the jump is a little more difficult for her. Therefore, I wanted to create a path that would ascend to the window sill gradually and that would provide multiple levels for looking out. Frequently, I strive to obscure hierarchies by constructing an optimal viewing spot that is NOT the highest position on the catscape.

Given how much Annabelle and Arlo like to sit at the window sill, it made sense to make it a wider platform for them there.

Boris has a lot of fur between his toes, so he never even tried to get up to the window sill, which is slippery as well as narrow. But I could see he was jealous of his siblings having access to that vantage point. So the sloping approach up to and down from the window allows him to participate in the fun.
Here is the view from the highest shelf of the catscape. The highest shelf brings the cats up to the top of the cabinet for additional elevated real estate. Someday, that may serve as a segue to a continuation of the catscape around more of the room.

The catscape was limited to the midpoint of the window because the closet door has to open all the way in order for the deep drawers to slide out.

Meanwhile, I wanted the lowest shelf to allow access to the ledge immediately beneath it as well as to the back of the toilet for multiple entrance and escape routes to/from the catscape if needed. In fact, the lowest shelf is also easily reached to and from the toilet lid, which tends to be Arlo's route.
Of course, here is Boris leaping onto the pole directly from the toilet lid! But I design these configurations with the future in mind, when the cats are older and less agile.
Where the hammock ended up, I was going to arrange two small shelves in a V-shape to hold extra toilet paper rolls, but the cats are always the priority, so I decided to attach the hammock to the U-clips instead. Arlo discovered it right away.
The pole and top shelves are sloped intentionally.

It's similar to a chair. One that has a rigidly horizontal seat and vertical back is far less comfortable than one that slopes down and back slightly.

An extraordinary feature of the CatScapes system is that shelves and poles can be positioned and stabilized at any angle, to emulate nature.

This creates organicity and interest for the cats, encouraging them to rest in different positions and to utilize different muscles than they otherwise would.

Notice here, I actually cut and attached the carpet to cradle the cats when they rest on this shelf.
The possibilities become truly infinite...
Last but not least, because the three shelves and pole are rigid and interconnected firmly via the brackets, the configuration is incredibly stable. Even though I am the not the builder on the team, and only one or two of the sixteen wall screws landed on a stud and I didn't even bother wall anchors, this configuration is completely solid on the wall, giving the three cats confidence to jump and climb with all of their weight and intensity.

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