How a ‘childless cat lady’ turned her home into a cat playground

BUFFALO, Minn. — Childless catwomen are one of the biggest stars of this election season.

JD Vance, Donald Trump’s vice presidential running mate, recently made headlines when a 2021 Fox News interview resurfaced in which he lamented “childless cat ladies who are unhappy in their own lives and the choices they’ve made, and therefore want to make the rest of the country unhappy too.”

But Mary Tan, a local cat lover, says that description is far from accurate: she and her three pets, for example, are very happy, especially considering all the work she has put into her home to make it a cat playground.

“Cats are my passion,” Tan said. “I try to elevate the status of cats. (…) I want people to respect cats and know that they are wonderful pets.”

Not only is it Tan’s personal mission, but it’s also the responsibility of Whisker Media, the public relations agency she runs. The former WCCO reporter has catered every aspect of her life, with her Buffalo home outfitted for her feline friends as well as the kittens she frequently fosters.

“It’s designed so that when I talk to customers, there are cats here, it’s all designed to be a super highway for them to climb and run around on,” Tan said of the elevated walkways attached to its walls.

A growing trend

Cats are popular with millennials and Gen Z, who find owning one much less hassle than owning a dog, Tan said. She’s seen her work representing pet companies at Whisker Media explode during the pandemic as demand for pet products, particularly cat items, has increased, she said.

In 2019, the American Pet Products Association estimated that total pet industry spending in the United States was $97.1 billion. This year, it estimates that figure is now closer to $150 billion.

According to a Forbes analysis, cat-owning households spend only about $653 per year on their pets, which includes food, veterinary care, toys, and grooming. Dog-only households spend more than $900 per year. The report also found that Gen Z is more likely to own a cat than millennials, Gen X, baby boomers, and the Silent Generation.

“Cats are more popular with the younger generation,” Tan said. “It’s very difficult for young people to afford a house these days. Cats are much easier to maintain and they don’t need as much space (compared to a dog).”

Darryl Michaelson of Purrniture Cat Furniture in St. Paul has seen a steady demand for cat furniture since he started his business in 1990. By chance, he signed up for a booth at the Minnesota State Fair, and after a few years, he was able to start operating out of a physical location because business was so good.

“I had a few kittens in my twenties and when I looked at what was available I realised that none of them were well made and many were more expensive than I could justify,” he said. “I thought I would make my own. I am a handyman and my approach was: I would go around the market and collect wood.”

Michaelson, who makes much of the furniture himself, said that in addition to making sure his cat trees aren’t rickety, he gives them a sleek, modern look with rounded edges that easily complement human furniture.

Her best advice for people looking for cat furniture is to look at where the cat likes to be, whether that’s up high or tucked away in a corner near the floor. The truth is, cats just want to be part of the family.

“For a cat to really want to use it and stay in it, it needs to be in a place where there are people, not in a back room where there’s no one,” he said. “A cat bed doesn’t need to be near a window. They’re happy where they can watch their family watch TV and eat dinner.”

The cat crawls

Franklin, an orange tabby, rushed up Tan’s wall, quickly jumping from a perch, squeezing through a hole in his desk and settling into a locker across the room. The cat then leapt to the floor and rolled over, showing his belly.

Here’s Tan’s home office, with a Whisker Media panel hanging above a wall filled with cat and kitten hideaways. Plus, there’s a clear cat bed hanging from one wall where Franklin often curls up.

The custom-made perches Franklin runs on hang on the wall above Tan’s computer and desk, allowing her cats to run and jump. Below are cat hammocks, perfect hiding spots for shy kitties. Behind the door to the room is a small cat tree with even more covered space.

By all accounts, the room is a resounding success.

“Kittens are just crazy,” Tan said. “They climb everywhere, and everything is a toy. So I put all my office stuff, like pens and papers, on a bench.”

The bench comes courtesy of contractor AJ Penkert, who has helped many families make their homes pet-friendly. He helped Tan, who moved into her home last year knowing she wanted to make it the best place for her cats, upgrade the space by installing pet-resistant flooring that can withstand even the largest feline. It’s scratch-resistant and easy to clean without retaining odors, he said.

“I work primarily with dog owners to install dog doors and kennels,” he said. “This was the first time I’ve ever set up a full cat room.”

The rest of Tan’s house is being renovated, she says, though she already has a large cat tree by a window so her cats can look out, cat art hanging on the walls and cat toys scattered around the living room. In her other office, across from the huge bookshelves downstairs, she has two small cat trees with beds overlooking the front patio. But all that doesn’t mean her living space is a cluttered mess.

“I went for a minimalist, modern look, partly to combat the image of the crazy cat lady,” she said. “When people think of women with cats, they think of a dirty house. With this design, I wanted to combat that.”