2020 Summer Home and Garden

Page 14 2020 Summer Home and Garden Lincoln Daily News June 11, 2020 Creating happy pet playgrounds W hen Peter Cohen bought his California home in 1988 he basically inherited two feral cats already living on the property. Feral cats are un-owned domestic cats that live outdoors and avoid human contact. After one of the feral cats was killed by a car and the other one was hit badly by a car but survived, Cohen began to adopt cats from shelters all over California in order to keep the injured cat company. Once he started that, his world changed tremendously, or rather the cats’ world. Adopting a couple cats turned into 15 rescue cats living with Cohen and his friends. With the cats now making their home indoors, Cohen, a home builder, decided to construct the ultimate pet playground. By 1995 he had spent between $40,000 and $50,000 on catwalks that connect each room throughout the house. The cats enjoy chasing each other, sometimes in the wee hours of the morning, while Cohen says he finds the catwalks architecturally interesting. The house also features tunnels, platforms and perches for the cats to enjoy. “The cats make the house feel alive,” says Cohen. The beauty of it all is breathtaking and the happiness benefit for all parties involved is infinite. It’s really the ultimate pet playground right here. All other cats will drool at the lavish lifestyle of Cheesecake, Chocolate, Nutter, Butter, Crumple, Rumple, Cookie, Poppyseed, Cudo, Newie, Secret, Wasabi, Coffeebean and Donut. “This is their house and we are living here with them.” Manuel Flores adds in the video. CONTINUED u