Lox the cat is sprawled on a green sofa, bathed in warm lamplight, framed art behind him. It sounds like a typical living room scene - except Lox is a cat, and his living room is a converted cupboard in a New York apartment that he shares with another cat, Lottie.
Their owners, married couple Derek and Sarah, were inspired by cat behaviourist Jackson Galaxy's "superhighway" concept for indoor felines. Derek, 33, turned a high cupboard into a whimsical cat-sized replica of a human living room, accessible via scratching posts and perches. The whole project cost $200 (£150) and made them Instagram celebrities. "A lot of people ask where we got the cat tree," he says - or the pigeon picture, which is a fan favourite. Lox and Lottie are "up there every single day."
This is not an isolated case of pampered pets. Recent research commissioned by Dulux found that 81% of UK pet owners are now designing dedicated spaces for their furry friends.
Kiki Rowley, 38, from Gloucestershire, turned her under-the-stairs "dead zone" into a Mexican-themed nook for her two chihuahua-crosses Bella and Ruby, complete with miniature furniture, all for under £100. Though Bella has passed away, Ruby and new dog Dimitri still use the space. "While I'm chilling in the living room, they just go in there and have a little snooze," Rowley says.
Lauren Meyer, 39, a cosmetologist in California, built a Prince-themed "cat bathroom" featuring a Purple Rain motif after ripping out her built-in hamper to hide the litter box. "Every time I talk to my nieces on the phone, they're always like, can we see the cat bathroom?" she says. Next up: a gothic library-themed cat nook above her fridge.
Architect Jonty Hallett, based in the Cotswolds, says a built-in cat cubby he designed is his company's "most liked photo on Instagram." Tom Howley, who runs a Manchester-based kitchen design company, says pet-led design is booming, driven by social media. His company now frequently integrates built-in feeding stations, bed nooks, and low-level storage for treats - often engraving pet names into the furniture.
Some influencers have taken things to extremes. Jasmine Easton, 32, a Surrey-based "countryside pet mum of six," posted a video titled "I spent over £8,000 on my rabbit setup." She shows off two rabbit sheds connected via green tunnels to outdoor playpens, decorated in pastel hues with heart-shaped beds. "I know it's a lot of money, but I would do it again in a heartbeat," she says. "This is what rabbits deserve… they are complex, intelligent animals that deserve more than just a cage in the corner." She's also dedicated a room to her Bengal cats, admitting the amount is "over the top" but beneficial for her content.
Katherine Saballos, 37, a pet influencer in Tampa, Florida, has dedicated a whole room to her labrador Leia, complete with a single bed and a clothing rail for collars and harnesses. "I grew up not wanting children and I always wanted a dog," she says. Leia, independent by nature, takes herself off for naps there. Saballos acknowledges it might be "extra," but finds it fun. "It's fun!"