Bespoke Features

Below are some of the more popular bespoke features & options but because Hicat® products are made-to-order we are able to fabricate to any customer specific request so if you have something particular in mind then please get in touch

Peep Hole Repositioning

Peep Holes can be repositioned from their normal position at the back of the unit to the left or to the right up to 90º - Peep Holes can actually be positioned any where on a unit but keeping them to the sides or rear of the unit at the same height as Access Holes works best as playing through them from shelf positions inside the unit is more comfortable. 

You can advise on any Peep Hole adjustments in the Makers Notes section when placing an order - there is no charge for repositioning Peep Holes as we now cut & finish these details after the unit is wrapped.

Poke Holes

In addition to Peep Holes small Poke Holes can be added to Full Shelves & Recessed Tops - one is typically centred in each shelf or top but they can be repositioned & you can also specify more than one to each level noting that they can be sized up from their 40mm diameter but this paw size hole works well for playing & poking through.

Compartment Customisation

Compartments can be customised in position, height & depth from their recommended specification.

Compartments can be re-positioned to suit building features, furniture or just to make things more comfortable for you & your cat when playing - Compartments need to be centred at minimum of 400mm apart & at least 300mm from the top & bottom of the unit

Compartments can also be re-sized by increaseing the height to allow your cat stretch up inside the unit or increased in depth to give your cat even more seclusion - Extended Compartments can also be reduced in height to create a cosier sleeping area at low level..

Storage & Additional Compartments

A void below a Compartment can be used to turn this dead space into a Private Chamber or Storage Compartment by specifying a Climb-Through Compartment above - Storage Compartments with Worm Holes work well as the Shelf can be rotated with the aperture at the front of the unit to help with access into the space below noting that it’s also best to locate these Compartments at around waist height or lower so that the storage space is easy to get to through the access hole.

As standard the aperture in a Climb-Through Compartment is at the rear of the unit but there is an option to have the aperture to the front of the unit directly behind the access Access Hole opening again to aid entry into the void below - there is also the option of having a Worm Hole Shelf & a shelf with an oversized aperture centred in it noting that all Climb-Through & Worm Hole Shelves can be supplied with MDF/Twist Pile inserts to cover the apertures in Shelves to provide a Full Shelf sleeping area.

Additional Compartments have also been added on taller units to create 5, 6 & 7 hole units but please note that because of the fabrication methods used we can't rotate Access Holes in different positions around the unit (they have to face in one direction only, one above the other) - if you are specifically looking for a Fatcat with this feature then our Catapilla™ or SixToo™ could be an option or we can fabricate both Tomcat & Fatcat in sections as a Bespoke Feature option. 

Deep Recessed Top

Bobcat, Wall Mounted & Freestanding units can also have a Deep Recessed Top feature that increases the standard 60mm depth to 120m - this is an excellent feature to add to Fatcat for multi cat households where’s cats sleep together & makes a more comfortable recessed bed when added to Tomcat.

There’s also the option of having a Double Deep Recessed Top - this increases the depth to 180mm & is perfect if you want an even deeper bed or a top that can be filled out with bedding.

Going even deeper is also an option if you want to create an open chamber remembering that when the depth of the Recessed Top is increased it may impact on the internal height of the Compartment & Access Hole layout below so you may need to resize compartments, for example when specifying a Deep Recessed Top on a Freestanding Fatcat 4 the top Access Hole is still centred 300mm from the top of the unit so the internal height of the compartment reduces from 370mm to 335mm.

Polecat Wall Mount & Shelf Option

Wall Mounted Polecat units can be installed with an alternative 18mm Fixing Mount to the standard back fixed mount & is installed onto the top end cap - this is usually specified to compliment a Hard Seat Cat’s Cradle but we can also fabricate a 30mm Fixing Mount, which has a waterfall edge to soften the mounts profile & compliment the wrapped end detail on top of the Polecat.

There is also the option of having an integrated wall mount between a two piece Polecat section to enable an extension to be mounted that has a Recessed Top feature like our standard Wall Mounted Polecat - similar to the Polecat Wall Shelf on the Bespoke OOAK page we can also fabricate the wall mount as a larger integrated shelf or top cap in 18mm or 30mm profiles.

The offset from the wall in the same as the Wall Fixing Kit i.e between 80-200mm & the mounts are normally painted Black or White - the mounts can be fabricated to various shapes with Shelves normally fabricated 350mm deep & 450mm wide to give a comfortable sized sleeping & perching area.

Mini Disc Polecat

This ”no holes” Polecat is basically the same as the standard version but uses a small disc with a grommet for the install, which is fixed to the ceiling using nano gel tap, rather than having the grommet fixed into a ceiling hole - as noted in our CHAT blog this type of install is a last resort for customers who can’t drill into their ceiling & we would always recommend the standard mechanical install for our Floor-To-Ceiling units.

Retro Wall Mounted Polecat

Floor-To-Ceiling Polecat units can be installed as wall mounted with a Retro Back Fixed Wall Fixing Kit similar to the standard Wall Mounted Polecats - it looks the same but Floor-To-Ceiling units won’t have an internal collar to bolt into it uses a discrete cable to make the connection to the Wall Mount.

Worm Holes

Climb-Through Compartments in Fatcat units can be replaced with Worm Holes, which have the climb-through inset from the edge so can be staggered left & right inside the unit to create a ladder - this is a particularly good option to help elderly cats climb up & down inside the unit but because the aperture is inset slightly from the edge there is slightly less curling up space on the shelf compared to normal Climb-Through Shelf.

Recessed Tops can also have a Worm Hole so that climbing down inside from the top of a Freestanding or Wall Mounted Fatcat is an option - unfortunately Tomcat Recessed Tops can not be specified with this feature because of their smaller diameter.

Climb-Through Recessed Top

As an option to having a Worm Hole Recessed Top we can also fabricate Climb-Through Recessed Tops on Fatcat, along with Tomcat, to give a your cat a way up & down from the top inside of the unit - because this option has an exposed seam where external & internal finishes meet we only recommend adding this feature on units where there is a Access Hole Compartment at the top of the unit below the Recessed Top so that your cat can hop up onto the Climb-Through rather than climb up, which could make this seam prone to wear & tear.

End Caps

Standard wrapped ends can be replaced with Acrylic End Caps to give the unit a sharper more architectural feel - we can also produce end caps in sprayed MDF, aluminium & wooden finishes noting that because this design has an exposed carpet cut running around the end caps, which will be prone to fraying so will not wear as well as a wrapped end unit.

Add On Top & Recessed Tops

Floor-To-Ceiling Tomcat & Fatcat units that are being used as wall mounted units will have an exposed wrapped end detail on top, which can have a Top or Recessed Top retro fitted as an alternative to a Lid to give your cat a softer perch - these add on pieces can be fabricated in the same external finish as the unit but with a Twist Pile inset Top or Recessed Top with Deep or Double Deep height.

They are normally secured by fixing through the end cap from inside the unit but can also be installed with a couple of screws through the top into the end cap if the unit doesn’t have an Access Hole at high level to fix through - there is also an option to have a Fatcat sized Top fitted to a Tomcat sized unit but we don’t recommend this as the overhang between Top & unit exposes the wrapped end detail on the underside of the Top & this could be problematic in terms of wear & tear.

Fatcat Install Option

Customers with concrete or lathe-and-plaster ceilings that can't be drilled into have the option of using a Ceiling Clamping Kit or Ceiling Spacers to install their Fatcat - they are used instead of drilling a hole for the ceiling connector for the Hicat® to locate into.

Because Tomcat & Polecat have smaller footprints these types of install options are not available for these units, however will have previously used heavy duty Velco® to install units & this has been successful so please get in touch if you would like to enquire about this type of install.

Coir Internals

Another bespoke option is to specify the internals of the unit in Coir as opposed to Black Twist Pile - Coir is slightly better to grip than Twist Pile so if you think your cat will be spending lots of time running up & down the inside of their Hicat® then you may want to consider this finish noting that the shelves can be finished in the standard Black Twist Pile or Coir.

Bespoke Wool Internals

Wool carpets have also been used as internal finishes as a bespoke option - AVM Wool & Crucial Trading Mississippi have been used in Bobcat & Fatcat units noting that striped or ribbed finishes work best in terms of an invisible join on seams.

Ordering Your Hicat®

Please use the Order Form at the bottom of the Product Pages to order your Hicat® noting any bespoke features in the Makers Notes section & we will advise on the cost against the specification as part of the order confirmation.