What if you loved your cats so much that you rented out an entire studio apartment for them? It’s a cool idea right, if not a bit excessive?
That’s pretty much what happened with Louise and Tina, two felines that were originally named after the show “Bob’s Burgers.” These beloved felines have their own space complete with a bathroom and shower, an Apple TV — yes — and a cat tree.
What if we told you, however, that the apartment these two cats live in is located in Silicon Valley, and costs $1,500 a month? Yeah, as much as we love cats we think that’s pretty insane too. But there is a reasonable explanation for why the two cats live alone in their own apartment.
Why Do Louise and Tina Live Alone?
Louise, one of two cats, sits on top of a scratching post in David Callisch’s studio behind his home in San Jose, Calif., on Friday, Jan. 11, 2019. The cats owner is renting the 400-square-foot studio from friend Callisch. (Anda Chu/Bay Area News Group)
Louise and Tina actually belong to 18-year-old Victoria Amith, who had to leave for college at Azusa Pacific University in Southern California. When she headed off, she was unfortunately unable to bring her cats along — pets aren’t allowed in most dorms. Instead, she left them back at home with her father, who could properly care for them in the interim.
Eventually, her father — Troy Good — moved in with his fiancée. She had a dog, though, and this was a problem because none of the animals seemed to get along. Rather than force them to live within the same space, taking the risk that they might clash, Good asked his friend Callisch — the apartment and Airbnb owner — if he could rent out the space for the cats. The rest is history.
Some folks are, understandably, unhappy that the cats have an entire apartment to themselves as it shows the level of inequity in the Silicon Valley area, which has a large homeless population. But the cats definitely had to go somewhere.
Amith says that she plans to take her cats back soon, “I love my cats so much, I’m so attached to them.”
Regardless, it’s pretty interesting to see two domestic animals like these beautiful kitties living all alone. It harkens back to the idea of a pet-specific space or pet hotel if you will. Anyone want to help us open one?
Keeping an Eye on Pets with Smart Tech
It’s an interesting story, but it begs the question: How do you care for a pet that’s living alone? Surely, you can’t be there all the time?
The answer is with smart pet devices similar to Tabcat’s GPS tracker.
We’re not sure whether or not Good and his daughter have tech installed in the apartment to check in on the cats. Good did say that he likes to visit the space, both to spend time with the animals and to visit his friend — who owns the apartment.
Using modern devices, however, they could definitely keep an eye on the cats and even play with them remotely. Something like the Petzi Treat Cam, Furbo or Petcube Bites would allow them to administer treats to the cats and watch them through a live stream. These smart pet devices work great for dogs too, especially if you’re at work most of the day!
More conventional feeders, like Petsafe’s smart feeder, can help ensure that the cats have all their meals at the appropriate time.
Additionally, stimulating and interactive toys can help keep the animals entertained and fight off bad behavior that stems from loneliness. A great example of this is GOMI, which is a remote-enabled and autonomous toy for pets. The cats would be less inclined to scratch up furniture, walls and fixtures, instead spending their time playing with the toy(s).
Whatever the case, it’s certainly possible to keep your pets entertained and cared for, even when you can’t be there with them. Who else plans to rent out an apartment for their pets now?