The Ledger reported on the college’s plans for six new, over-the-top, custom-made concrete blocks to provide shelter for a local feral cat colony with a population of more than 100 kitties.
And these structures will have a fairly notable pedigree. They’re designed by the same New York architectural firm, Mesick Cohen Wilson Baker Architects, which has done reno work on several Wright buildings on the campus. The Alpha Chi Omega sorority will be involved in the upkeep, fundraising to supply food and keeping an eye on the cats with the help of the SPCA of Florida.
A look at the design (image from Florida Southern College):
But don’t call the buildings cat houses. The preferred term for the 5-foot tall shelters is “cat cafe” as the creatures just stop by for a drink, meal or a snooze instead of setting up permanent residence. Another aspect of the project is capturing and spaying or neutering the cats at the college to help bring down the high number of feral cats both at the campus and in Polk County.
Now that Parliament Hill’s feral cat buildings have officially closed, it looks like the new cat cafes will be the most impressive shelters in North America. We can’t help but hope this inspires more connections between animals and architectural masters. Perhaps a Frank Gehry-style kennel will be next.
