Multi-floor apartments: cat superhighways and pathways that actually get used

I have designed cat superhighways for apartments in Rome, Milan, and a few in London, ranging from a 60 m² studio to a 280 m² duplex. The design that works is the same every time: not the most elaborate, not the most expensive, but the one that respects how cats actually use three-dimensional space. After fifteen years of doing this, I can tell you which elements cats use and which ones owners waste money on.

This article walks through the system, the elements, and the design principles.

Why cats need vertical space

Cats are not small dogs. Their spatial psychology is closer to that of a small wild felid — an animal that uses height for safety, vantage, ambush, and territorial boundary marking. In a flat, you are providing roughly 1/30th of the vertical space that an outdoor cat would have access to. The cat that "has everything it needs" in a small apartment often doesn't, and the missing element is height.

Symptoms that the cat needs more vertical space:

Competing for floor space with other cats

Hiding under furniture rather than on top of it

Jumping on kitchen counters (counter-surfing)

Vocalising, especially in multi-cat homes

Knocking things off shelves (the cat is trying to add vertical interest)

Sleeping in high places (the wardrobe top, the top of the fridge)

Adding vertical space resolves most of these. A cat that can move from the floor to the top of a bookshelf without touching the ground is a calmer cat.

The four-zone system

A well-designed cat superhighway divides the apartment into four functional zones, connected by clear pathways:

| Zone | Function | Examples |

|---|---|---|

| Ground zone | Litter boxes, water, escape route | Bathrooms, hallways |

| Mid zone | Feeding, social, scratching | Cat trees, scratching posts |

| High zone | Observation, retreat, rest | Bookshelf tops, dedicated cat shelves |

| Vertical connectors | Pathways between zones | Steps, ramps, bridges |

The four zones are connected by continuous pathways. A cat should be able to go from any zone to any other zone without touching the floor. This is the design principle that distinguishes a true superhighway from a collection of cat trees.

Elements that cats actually use

Based on what I see in client homes, here is the equipment hierarchy from "always used" to "rarely used":

Always used

Window perches with a view — particularly windows with bird feeders, trees, or street activity outside. Position at cat eye level when standing (around 40–60 cm off the floor for most shelves). Even a small ledge becomes a favourite resting spot if the view is good.

Tall cat trees (160+ cm) — placed near a window or in the corner of a room. The taller, the more use. The cheap 80 cm cat trees from pet stores rarely get used because they are too short — the cat jumps onto the sofa and bypasses them.

Wall-mounted shelves with at least 25 cm depth — the cat can lie down on them. Narrow shelves (10–15 cm) are for stepping only, not for resting, and cats will not return to them.

Floor-to-ceiling scratching posts in living areas — preferably sisal rope, at least 90 cm tall. Cats stretch vertically when scratching, and short posts don't allow the stretch.

A dedicated "cat room" — even a small bedroom or office the cat can access freely. The single most effective enrichment element for indoor-only cats.

Often used

Bridge shelves between two walls — these are highly popular with the cats I monitor, particularly in hallways and above doorways.

Hammocks mounted under shelves — cats love a hammock below a window shelf.

Steps with a non-slip surface — for older or disabled cats who can't jump as high as they used to. Also useful for kittens.

Sometimes used

Cat wheels (the large 100+ cm size) — some cats love these; many ignore them. Worth trying if you have a young, energetic cat and the space.

Catios / window boxes — fantastic for cats that enjoy the outdoors, but require significant installation effort and aren't a fit for every apartment.

Cat grass planters — moderately popular. The cat chews the grass, then vomits on your carpet. Standard cat behaviour.

Rarely used

Small carpeted cubes or "cat caves" — designed for hiding, but most cats prefer real furniture (under a bed, behind a sofa) for hiding.

Hammocks mounted on the side of furniture — looks good, but cats prefer shelves where they have a view.

Suspended "donut" beds — popular in cat cafés, less popular in actual homes. The cat prefers a flat shelf or a cardboard box.

The superhighway design: a worked example

A 90 m² apartment in Milan, two cats (one confident, one shy), living room + kitchen + hallway + bedroom + 2 bathrooms. Client wants a "cat room" without converting a whole room to cats.

The design:

| Element | Location | Purpose |

|---|---|---|

| Floor-to-ceiling cat tree (180 cm) | Living room, against wall with window | Main high zone, view of street |

| Wall shelf (60 × 30 cm) at 50 cm height | Above the cat tree top | Connects tree to wall system |

| Wall shelf (60 × 30 cm) at 100 cm height | Continuing around corner | Step to high zone |

| Bridge shelf (80 cm span) | Across hallway, 150 cm height | Crossing without touching floor |

| Wall shelf (50 × 25 cm) | Above bedroom doorway | Bed access path |

| Window perch (60 × 30 cm) | Bedroom window | Second cat tree (different view) |

| Wall shelf connecting bedroom perch to hallway | Continuous path | Bedroom ↔ living room pathway |

| Floor-to-ceiling scratching post (sisal, 120 cm) | Hallway, mid-zone | Mid-zone scratching |

| Feeding station (raised bowls) | Kitchen counter | Mid-zone feeding |

| Litter boxes (one per cat, plus one extra) | Two bathrooms + hallway closet | Ground zone |

| Hide boxes (cardboard, 30 × 30 × 30 cm) | Under bed, behind sofa, on lower shelf | Retreat zones |

Total material cost: roughly €600–900. Installation time: 2 days for the wall-mounted shelves (drilled into studs or masonry with appropriate anchors).

The result: the cats can go from the bedroom window to the living room window via the wall shelves without touching the floor. The shy cat has a continuous retreat path from any social zone to the bedroom hide. The confident cat has multiple observation points. Inter-cat tension drops because each cat has its own zone.

What NOT to do

The mistakes I see repeatedly:

Carpeted cat trees — the carpet snags claws and is hard to clean. Sisal rope is universally preferred by cats and easier to maintain.

Single tall cat tree in a corner with no connection to other elements — the cat uses it once, then realises it doesn't go anywhere. A tree connected to a wall shelf becomes part of a system.

Wall shelves too narrow — under 25 cm depth and the cat won't lie down. Skip them.

Shelves at random heights — the system should be designed so the cat can move from one to the next in a single jump or with one step. Random heights = the cat falls, doesn't return.

Glass shelves — beautiful in design magazines, useless in practice. Cats need texture to grip.

No ground-zone safe space — if the cat has no place to retreat at ground level, the vertical system feels like an exposed perch. The cardboard box under the bed is non-negotiable.

Multi-cat considerations

In multi-cat homes, the superhighway becomes more important. The design principle is redundancy:

Two of everything, on opposite sides of the room

Two litter boxes per cat, in different locations

Two feeding stations

Two water sources

Multiple escape routes from any social zone

The "high-way" structure also helps in multi-cat homes: one cat can be on the bookshelf, another on the cat tree, both watching the room without competing for floor space.

I have a multi-cat rule that I share with every client:

"If two cats can't be in the same room without one yielding to the other, they don't have enough vertical space."

The cat that yields usually retreats to a hiding spot. The cat that wins usually blocks access to that hiding spot. The conflict is sustained. With a superhighway, both cats can be in the room with their own observation point, and conflict frequency drops by 50–80% based on the client reports I have received.

The bottom line

A multi-floor apartment with thoughtful vertical space becomes a far better environment for a cat than the same square footage laid out flat. The investment is moderate (€600–900 for a typical 2-bedroom), the design is straightforward (continuous pathways between zones), and the behavioural payoff is enormous. The cat that has height stops competing for floor space, sleeps in better spots, watches the world from above, and is generally calmer. The cats that owners describe as "just being cats" are usually cats without enough vertical space to express the species-typical behaviour they are trying to express.

---

About the author: [Elena Rossi](../Elena%20Rossi.md) is an IAABC Certified Cat Behavior Consultant with 15 years of practice, and former feline advisor at ENPA. She has provided in-home behaviour consultations to over a thousand families.