Pre-orders for the Cat Cellar White will begin on Monday, May 18th.
Product Name: Cat Cellar
Color: White
Price: ¥36,000 + shipping
Over the past few months, we've seen a noticeable increase in inquiries asking us to release a white version of the large-sized Cat Cellar. We'd like to frankly explain why it has taken so long to launch the full-sized Cat Cellar White and why it will be priced slightly higher.
Up until now, furnya has offered the Cat Cellar mini in white. This brighter color has been a popular choice for customers who want a scratching post interior that blends seamlessly with white furniture in their living rooms or bedrooms, without disrupting the overall aesthetic of their space.
Gradually, we began receiving more requests from customers who had purchased the mini white, asking if we could also offer a large-sized white version to complement their living room as a centerpiece, or because they wanted to unify their prominent furniture with white. Additionally, new customers frequently asked, "Don't you have a large white size?"
The color of furniture is one element that sets the overall atmosphere of a room. For customers who unify their furniture with white, we believe they wish their scratching post interior to join that arrangement. At furnya, each time we received such feedback, we internally discussed "if there was any way we could respond." However, we couldn't immediately say "yes" because there were several hurdles to overcome in creating a full-sized white Cat Cellar.
Why White is Difficult to Produce
You might think that adding another color variation would be easy, but honestly, creating a large white Cat Cellar was an extremely difficult challenge from a manufacturing perspective.
The reasons are manifold. First, the white cardboard is not painted; instead, we use a special white corrugated cardboard (Milldan). Typically, white material for the corrugated (wavy) part of cardboard is not readily available, and there aren't many materials that meet our standards for interior-grade quality. Given these material constraints, if the size increases and more material is used, the cost naturally goes up.
Next, the painting process requires special attention. While regular scratching posts often use white cardboard, we use wood for the surface and apply a painted finish. Imperfections like color dullness or uneven coating are easily visible, requiring meticulous work to achieve a satisfactory finish for delivery. Furthermore, from a manufacturing perspective, white cardboard is generally 5mm thick, which is thinner than the 8mm thick cardboard we usually use. To achieve the same height and strength, we must stack more layers. The lamination process for each unit naturally increases. The time taken for each painting step and each layer is visibly longer compared to our standard Cat Cellar. Even the current Cat Cellar mini White requires considerable effort to produce.
The biggest hurdle was the size limitations of our processing machines. The cutting process for Cat Cellar has always been outsourced to partner companies. However, due to the specialized nature of white cardboard, it was difficult for those factories to procure and stock the material themselves, requiring us to bring it to them. On the other hand, bringing the material to the factory would significantly increase intermediate transportation costs, clearly raising the prime cost. Therefore, realizing this was far more challenging than imagined.
The compatibility with materials, the processing width, and the difficulty of handling lot sizes all compounded, making it hard to find a path to meet these requests. After much deliberation, furnya decided to introduce new large-scale processing machines in-house. This was to establish a separate production line capable of cutting large white sizes. Of course, this incurred costs. Neither the prime cost nor the effort would decrease. Nevertheless, the decision was made to "invest in the equipment if a method exists."
Due to these factors, the full-sized Cat Cellar White will be offered at a slightly higher price than the standard Cat Cellar.
This is because the raw materials, processes, and equipment cannot be produced at the same cost as before. However, the effort in painting, the lamination process, and the investment in processing machinery have all been undertaken with the premise of creating a product that "can be used for a long time."
The fundamental qualities that Cat Cellar values, such as the lightness unique to reinforced cardboard and the way its wavy shape conforms to a cat's body, remain unchanged, while the option of white is newly added. We hope you will consider it as a new option for creating a unified white living room, something that was not previously available in furnya's product lineup.
If you have any questions regarding your consideration, please feel free to send us a message via our official LINE. Our customer service staff will respond to you.
