The Refined Feline
 | |
| Private | |
| Industry | Cat Furniture |
| Founded | 2004 |
| Founder | Joshua Feinkind |
| Headquarters | Omaha, NE |
| Website | therefinedfeline |
The Refined Feline, is a USA-based modern cat furniture manufacturer which was first established and launched in New York in 2004. The company specializes in products geared toward cats and cat owners including cat trees and towers, cat wall shelves, hidden cat litter box furniture, cat beds, and scratching posts. The company is currently headquartered in Austin, Texas.
The Refined Feline is best known for its stylish yet functional cat products. Their products have won multiple awards for their ability to cater to the needs of the cat in aesthetically pleasing designs important to many cat owners.
History
The Refined Feline was established in 2004 by Joshua Feinkind to focus on offering innovative and modern products for cats and cat owners. The inspiration for the company was a cat named Kerpal. Feinkind, dissatisfied with the unappealing cat trees on the market, with their shag carpet and poor designs, sought to create chic furniture for Kerpal. Realizing other cat lovers shared his desire for cat furniture that was attractive, he launched The Refined Feline, intending to create a line of cat furniture products that were affordable, easy to maintain, and blended in with fine home decor.
The Refined Feline launched its first product, the Lotus Cat Tower in 2005 at the H.H. Backer Pet Trade Show in Atlantic City, NJ. The Lotus, a modern cat tree with a bent wood design and multiple platforms, was well received and production soon began.
Its success led to other products launches. The following year, Refined Litter Box, a litter box cabinet furniture line,was introduced to allow cat owners to hide their litter pan and control odor. Complete with a storage drawer and external litter catch. In 2006, The Lotus Cat Tower and Refined Litter Box were awarded the Editor’s Choice Award by Cat Fancy.
2008 saw the Kitty Ball Bed and Igloo Pet Bed brought to market. Constructed in poly rattan, the Kitty Ball Bed provided a raised cat bed while the Igloo offered a place for cats to sleep that was enclosed and close to the ground. The Kitty Ball Bed was awarded the 2008 Editor’s Choice Award by Cat Fancy.
By 2010, The Refined Feline delved into the cat wall shelf space with the launch of the US-made Cat Clouds Cat Shelf. This 12 gauge steel cat shelf provided dual platforms to perch and included soft faux sheepskin pads with magnetic bottoms. It was awarded Pet Age’s 2010 Pinnacle Award.
To complement the Lotus Cat Tower, in 2015 the Lotus Leaf and Branch Cat Shelves were introduced. The exposed wood and curved design mimicked the cat tower’s. Customers appreciated its thick, sturdy construction, and consistently rated them 5 stars. They soon became one of the company's best sellers.
The Refined Feline continued to innovate, expanding its line with the A-Frame Cat Bed and the Calypso Everlasting Cat Scratcher. Noticing cats were sitting on top of air vents to keep warm in the winter and cool in the summer, the A-Frame was designed with holes in its platform to allow airflow from air vents. Plus the large sisal scratch panel and wood top made this an excellent side table. The Calypso was born from observing that standard cat scratching posts began to wear after a few months of use. Inspired by unique twisting sculptures seen in Viet Nam, the Calypso looks more like art work than a cat scratcher. Plus its poly rattan material will never fray and will keep its contemporary look over time.
At Cat Con 2018, the Crystal Clear Lotus Cat Tower was promoted as the world's most expensive cat tower. This ultra luxury cat tower, priced at $5000, duplicated the shape of the wooden Lotus Cat Tower, topped with faux fur cushions, and built by a US based master craftsman in high grade acrylic.
In 2019, the Purrrrfect End Table was introduced as a combination night stand, cat scratcher and cat bed. Its 20” diameter platform top easily supports common night stand/end table items while its cylinder design provides tall curved places for cats to scratch. The hollowed center allows cats to curl into the enclosed space and lay upon the thick 3” cushion.
A year later the modern Metropolitan Cat Condo was introduced and almost immediately became one of The Refined Feline’s most popular products. This bookcase like cat tree boosts a metal frame and stepped wood substrate platforms topped with a soft cushion or faux fur. Its most compelling feature is the option to mix and match colors of the metal frame and the platforms to allow cat lovers to truly match the cat furniture to their home’s modern decor style. There is also an option to add accessories like a food bowl or a hanging cat toy.
2020 was also the launch of the next generation enclosed litter box, the Refined Cat Litter Box Deluxe. This new version gave the user the ability to customize the style of the litter box cabinet like no other one on the market. Customers could choose not only size and color, but door panels (Modern, Cottage, Shaker, or Farmhouse) as well as feet (Mid-Century Modern, Round, Tulip, Square, or Tapered). Along the internal plastic litter liner to capture stray litter, the Refined Litter Box Deluxe established itself as a premium product.
The Refined Feline continues to grow, increasing its line of modern cat furniture products.
In 2015 the company's founder, Joshua Feinkind, was recognized by Pet Age Magazine with their Forty Under 40 Award.
Products
The Refined Feline offers a wide range of cat furniture products built to serve the needs of the cat, such as platforms to climb, soft beds to lay in, shelves to perch on, and scratching surfaces to claw, while designed to blend in with a home’s fine decor rather become an eyesore.
Cat Towers, Trees, Condos
- Lotus Cat Tower
- Metropolitan Cat Condo
Cat Wall Shelves
- Lotus Leaf and Branch Cat Shelves
- Cat Clouds Cat Shelves
Litter Box Furniture
- Refined Cat Litter Box
- Litter Catch
Cat Beds A-Frame Cat Bed
- Igloo Pet Bed Deluxe
- Kitty Ball Bed
- Purrrrrfect End Table
Cat Scratching Posts
- Calypso Everlasting Cat Scratcher
Press
The Refined Feline has been covered in news articles which feature the rise of modern cat furniture. The Refined Feline was first featured in a New York Times article “Good Design, Happy Cats?”[1] The Washington Post featured the Crystal Clear Lotus Cat Tower describing it as “designers are creating stylish, even glamorous, furniture.”[2] Other magazines blogs have reviewed products such as Hauspanther.com[3], Pet Age[4], The Cat Nip Times[5], PetLady.com.[6] The Refined Feline was also featured by Cat Con Worldwide for the best cat products of 2020[7] and Medium as a recommendation for cat futunish for small space.[8] The Refined Feline was also featured on Medium.com stories regarding “How Pet-Related Businesses are Being Affected by COVID-19“[9] and litter solutions for new cat owners.[10]
Testimonials
“I've been wanting cat shelves for a while, but I haven't found anything that fits in with my decor. We really love the look of the Lotus! Our cats took to it right away (with some strategically placed treats). Their play isn't limited to the shelves, unlike some less-sturdy cat furniture we've used. They can run on the shelf and leap one to the Lotus Leaf without losing speed. So fun to watch!” - Michelle R.
“I purchased the Smoke litter box cabinet with the litter tray and could not be happier. I initially bought this to hide a second litter box as well as serve as a sturdy base for a small 13-gallon aquarium. The materials are high quality, came with very easy-to-follow instructions, and the parts even included a full-size screwdriver. The cabinet is extremely well-made, strong, and both of my cats use it daily. Attractive piece of furniture.” -Regina
“I’m pretty darn impressed with Calypso Cat Scratcher. It looks great, was easy to put together, and was delivered very quickly. Took my cats a few days to realize they could scratch it, but once I rubbed some catnip/silvervine on it, they were all over it, and now even my super picky one uses it regularly and isn’t going for the furniture. Totally worth the money and my husband loves that it doesn’t look like cat furniture.” - Kamryn
“All my pets love the Kitty Ball Bed. I’ve had it for over a year and it still looks new, with no damage or signs of wear. My giant 20lb cat has plenty of room, which was my biggest concern. It’s more than I like to spend on pet products because they will usually get destroyed, but the cat ball has been worth it!” -Casey
Awards
- 2006 - Cat Fancy Editor’s Choice
- 2008 - Cat Fancy Editor’s Choice
- 2008 - SuperZoo Product Showcase Award
- 2010 - Pet Age Pinnacle Award
- 2015 - Forty Under 40 Award 11[11]
In the media
References
- ↑ Colin, Chris (11 October 2007). "Good Design, Happy Cats?". The New York Times. Retrieved 16 April 2021.
- ↑ Koncius, Jura. "Custom wood kennels and memory foam beds: Welcome to the wild world of modern pet furniture". Washington Post. Retrieved 16 April 2021.
- ↑ "New Calypso Poly Rattan Modern Cat Scratcher from The Refined Feline • hauspanther". hauspanther. 3 July 2017. Retrieved 16 April 2021.
- ↑ "The Kitty Ball Bed by The Refined Feline". Pet Age. Retrieved 16 April 2021.
- ↑ "REFINED FELINE CAT SHELVES • The Catnip Times". The Catnip Times. 24 April 2016. Retrieved 16 April 2021.
- ↑ "The Cat's Out Of The Bag Now At The Refined Feline | Petslady.com". petslady.com. Retrieved 16 April 2021.
- ↑ "catconworldwide". 1 October 2020. Retrieved 16 April 2021.
- ↑ Feinkind, Josh (15 March 2021). "What Furniture You Need For Your Indoor Cat in a Small Apartment". Medium. Retrieved 16 April 2021.
- ↑ Feinkind, Josh (26 February 2021). "How Pet-Related Businesses are Being Affected by COVID-19". Medium. Retrieved 16 April 2021.
- ↑ Feinkind, Josh (26 February 2021). "Adopting a Cat? Here's the Scoop on the Cat Litter Box". Medium. Retrieved 16 April 2021.
- ↑ "Pet Age's 2015 Forty Under 40". Pet Age. Retrieved 16 April 2021.