Alumni Why Kitties and their Owners Think Kate Benjamin ’93 Is the Cat’s Meow Stories You May Like Me-ow! Celebrating a Half-Century of Helping the Kitties Cornell Vets Went to Westminster—and Came Back with Photos! The ‘Mother of Shelter Medicine’: Vet Pioneer Lila Miller ’74, DVM ’77 The Human Ecology alum runs Hauspanther, an online magazine and store that helps humans keep their felines happy and healthy By Melissa Newcomb If you asked the 11 cats who share their home with Kate Benjamin ’93 to rate their lifestyle—assuming, of course, they could talk—they’d probably call it “purrr-fect.” Among their many amenities: tiers of shelving attached to the walls for them to frolic on, soft beds suspended for lounging, and handmade toys scattered about for their enjoyment. Creating an ideal feline environment isn’t just Benjamin’s hobby; it’s her business. She has spent nearly two decades teaching cat owners how to give their furry family members the best quality of life—without compromising on style or interior design. Benjamin's design for an animal rescue center in Arizona. Benjamin is the founder of and content creator for Hauspanther, an online magazine and store devoted to all things feline. (The name is a riff on “house panther,” an affectionate term for a black housecat.) In addition to articles on topics like promoting play and feeding an optimal diet, the site sells products—both outside brands and its own line of handmade toys. Offerings range from cat towers and scratchers to beds, treats, catnip, and more; there are also items for humans, like kitty-shaped earrings and a whimsical pendant declaring the wearer a “childless cat lady.” "House panthers" enjoying climbing structures and playing with toys Benjamin designed. “An indoor cat needs enrichment in their environment to thrive, and to act out their natural instincts and species-typical behaviors like climbing and scratching,” says Benjamin, who majored in design and environmental analysis in Human Ecology and is based in Phoenix, AZ. “But if it doesn’t look good, some people won’t do it—and then the cats won’t have what they need.” Benjamin’s design expertise has garnered coverage in major media including the L.A. Times, the Washington Post, USA Today, and O: The Oprah Magazine; her home was featured on “CBS Sunday Morning.” An indoor cat needs enrichment in their environment to thrive, and to act out their natural instincts and species-typical behaviors like climbing and scratching. Stories You May Like Me-ow! Celebrating a Half-Century of Helping the Kitties Cornell Vets Went to Westminster—and Came Back with Photos! (As the New York Times observes: “If there is a stylish product made for cats, chances are Kate Benjamin owns it or has written about it. Or both.”) Benjamin started Hauspanther as a blog in 2007 and, she says, it quickly grew to around 300,000 page views a month. But she realized that many of the products she was writing about came from Europe and often had hefty price tags—so she began encouraging readers to DIY their own and share the results. “You can get a shelf at IKEA for $2 and brackets for 75 cents, get a floor mat for $1.50, and cut it so you’ve made a non-slip surface,” she says. “And with under 10 bucks and a little creativity, you can make a couple of cool cat shelves.” Her work attracted the attention of celebrity cat behaviorist Jackson Galaxy, who hosted the Animal Planet reality show “My Cat From Hell” for 11 seasons. Benjamin guest-starred on six episodes, helping clients find creative solutions to curb problematic behaviors (a service she also offers as a consultant). During her undergrad days. In one episode, a pet had been scaling the kitchen cabinets of a luxury apartment in Austin, TX—then leaping onto the range hood, putting it at risk of being ripped out of the ceiling. Benjamin and her team installed a barrier to keep the cat from jumping, but made it look like an artwork by crafting it out of orange panels that seem to float; she also came up with more constructive ways for the kitty to indulge its climbing instincts. In addition to the show, Benjamin and Galaxy have collaborated on two New York Times bestselling books: Catification: Designing a Happy and Stylish Home for Your Cat (and You!) and Catify to Satisfy: Simple Solutions for Creating a Cat Friendly Home. Benjamin has also served as a design consultant to “cat cafés” and shelters, with the aim of making them welcoming to humans while putting the animals at ease, so potential adopters see their winning personalities. “Sometimes we’ll build what I call the ‘cat superhighway,’ which is a way for them to navigate the entire perimeter of a room without touching the ground,” says Benjamin, whose own menagerie includes kitties named Pico de Gato, Horacio Queso, and Feeties. “The best part of an installation is when you let the cats out and get to see the fun new things they do.” Top: Benjamin with pet cat Jeremiah Beandip. (All images provided; lead photo illustration by Ashley Osburn / Cornell University.) Published April 11, 2025 Leave a Comment Cancel replyOnce your comment is approved, your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *Comment * Name * Class Year Email * Save my name, email, and class year in this browser for the next time I comment. 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