Felis: Identifying Opportunities for Change

Abstract

Although many cats are loved and well cared for by enthusiastic and compassionate owners, tens of millions of cats suffer from human neglect and ignorance, leading to low adoption rates and high euthanasia numbers across the world. Of all cats that enter shelters, 70 percent are euthanized. In addition to the millions of cats that reside in shelters, there are approximately 50 million stray and feral cats, compared to 76 million pet cats in the United States.

This thesis serves to identify, understand, and analyze the diverse roles cats play in the lives of humans and general ecological well-being. It is necessary to critically and creatively analyze the human relationship to cats throughout history, as well as how contemporary architecture and urbanism has and is continuing to do cats a disservice through an inattention to and neglect of their needs. The central question I will seek to address is: How can accommodations be designed to provide spaces that promote a happy and healthy environment for cats and for humans and enhance the relationship between humans and cats?