I Can’t Get Over This Micro Apartment Designed Specifically for a Cat and a Parrot

It’s basically Tweety and Sylvester, IRL.

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Sure, you may love your pet. You might buy them a special bed or give them treats every day, but would you ever design your entire home around them? For one couple, the answer to that question was a resounding absolutely. According to Dezeen, Hong Kong’s Sim-Plex Design Studio designed the ultimate minimal apartment with the comfort of a cat and a parrot in mind, and we can’t get over it.

At first glance, this 453-square-foot apartment is simply an example of smart small-space design. It was developed so that a young couple who live with an elderly parent could have a flexible living space with enough privacy for everyone. Limited square footage aside, another element added additional complexity to this design: The couple owns a parrot, and the parent owns a cat. Notoriously, these two animals do not get along—just turn to Tweety and Sylvester for proof. The solution, then, had to come in the form of a design that paid an unprecedented amount of detail to animal relations.

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courtesy of Sim-Plex Design

“After consultations with the owner, Sim-Plex decided to place the parrot cage on the low cabinet in front of the large window of the living room, which is closer to the master bedroom,” Sim-Plex explains of the design. Most crucial of all, though, is the fact that the living room sits on a raised platform and can be closed off from the rest of the space: “The three-fritted glass sliding door [can] also be closed when the parrot is out to prevent direct contact between the parrot and the cat. The wood platform of the living room also helps reduce the chance of the cat walking toward the parrot’s area.”

Yes, that’s correct: This apartment was designed with the utmost aim of preventing direct contact between a parrot and a cat.

Throughout the rest of the home, versatile light maple structures make up sitting areas, storage nooks, and, of course, places for the cat to roam freely. A lot of work has been done, indeed, to create an impressively designed space all for the purpose of keeping a cat and a bird at a safe distance from each other, making a harmonious haven for the two species at odds. That’s why we feel a particular pang of regret when we must duly note that cats, unfortunately, can jump.

Nature may have its own instincts, but we have to show some respect for a design that does its best to create a new order for the animal kingdom. If you wouldn’t go as far for your furry friend, might we suggest simply getting some mid-century-style cat furniture instead?

See more inspiring small spaces: No Closet, No Problem: Armoires Are Cool Again The Best Living Room Furniture for Small Spaces, No Matter Your Budget How to Have a Cool Coffee Table When You Don’t Have Room for Much Else

Rebecca Deczynski

Writer/Editor

Rebecca is most often found digging through troves of vintage treasures, both in-person and online. Ask her to recommend a good book to read or an obscure Instagram account to follow, and you won’t be disappointed.