From Forest to Felines — The Hardwoods That Make Our Cats Special
Every cat we create begins with a carefully chosen hardwood. From warm domestic favorites to bold exotic species, each wood brings its own personality, color, and character — helping us create pieces that are truly one of a kind. Below you’ll find the woods we work with and why we choose each one.
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We work exclusively with solid hardwoods — both domestic and imported — never softwoods, plywood, or composites.
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We begin with rough-cut lumber, allowing us to preserve natural thickness, character, and the unique personality of each board.
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Hardwoods allow us to shape finer details and achieve the smooth, refined finish that defines our work.
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Each board has its own unique coloration and grain pattern, making every cat figure truly one of a kind—perfect for customers seeking distinctive, artisanal products.
Black Walnut
Black walnut is a North American hardwood, known for its deep, rich color and striking grain patterns, making it one of the most sought-after hardwoods in fine woodworking. Its natural range of warm brown to dark chocolate tones brings a sense of elegance and sophistication to our cat figures.
Why We Choose It:
In our workshop, black walnut is a favorite for pieces where we want bold contrast and strong visual character. Its tight grain allows for clean shaping and fine details, while its natural luster gives each finished cat a refined, timeless look.
American Cherry
American Cherry is known for its warm reddish-brown tones and smooth, straight grain, giving it a classic and refined look that works beautifully in handcrafted pieces. Its natural luster and silky finish bring a quiet elegance to our cat figures, while the wood’s color deepens over time, developing richer character as it ages.
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Why We Choose It:
We love American Cherry for pieces that call for warmth and timeless style. Its smooth grain allows us to shape clean feline curves and achieve a soft, refined finish. We especially love how the color matures over time, making each cat feel even more personal and unique as it ages.
Hard Maple
Hard Maple, native to North America, is known for its light, creamy color and fine, even grain, giving it a clean and timeless look. Its smooth surface and subtle character make it an excellent choice for pieces where simplicity and clarity of form take center stage. The wood’s natural durability also helps ensure long-lasting beauty in finished pieces.
Why We Choose It
We reach for Hard Maple when we want a bright, clean appearance that highlights the shape of the cat itself. Its tight grain allows for crisp detailing and smooth curves, while its strength makes it ideal for pieces meant to be enjoyed and handled for years to come.
Canarywood
Canarywood is an exotic hardwood native to Central and South America, known for its stunning natural color and dramatic grain. With vibrant tones ranging from golden yellow and orange to deep reds — and sometimes even hints of purple — no two boards ever look exactly alike. Its bold appearance makes every piece feel lively, distinctive, and truly one of a kind.
Why We Choose It:
We use Canarywood when we want a cat figure to make a strong visual statement. The natural color variation gives each piece its own personality, and the smooth finish allows the wood’s striking patterns to take center stage. It’s a favorite for customers who are drawn to something colorful, expressive, and unmistakably unique.
Bubinga
Bubinga is an exotic hardwood native to Africa, known for its rich reddish-brown tones and dramatic grain. With natural depth and subtle purplish undertones, it has a bold presence that immediately draws the eye. Its smooth texture and natural luster give finished pieces a refined, almost luminous quality.
Why We Choose It:
Bubinga is perfect when we want a cat figure to feel especially striking and sophisticated. Its strong grain patterns add visual depth, and the wood finishes beautifully, enhancing both color and character. It’s a favorite for pieces that are meant to stand out and feel truly exceptional.
Zebrawood
Zebrawood is a tropical hardwood native to West Africa, instantly recognizable for its dramatic striped grain that resembles the markings of a zebra. Its bold contrast of light and dark lines gives it a striking, exotic appearance, making every piece visually unique and full of character.
Why We Choose It:
Zebrawood is our first choice when we want a cat figure to make a bold statement. Its distinctive striping naturally draws the eye and adds strong visual energy, allowing the wood itself to become part of the design. Each piece feels lively and one-of-a-kind, making Zebrawood a favorite for customers looking for something truly different.
Padauk
Padauk is an exotic hardwood native to Central and West Africa, known for its vivid reddish-orange color and striking visual warmth. Over time, the color deepens into richer tones, giving finished pieces a bold and distinctive presence. Its smooth surface and natural luster make it especially eye-catching in handcrafted work.
Why We Choose It:
Padauk is a wood we’ve used occasionally when we want a piece to have strong color and personality. Its vibrant tone makes every cat stand out, though we tend to work with it only in limited quantities. Because demand varies, Padauk pieces appear from time to time and are usually offered as special, limited additions.
Jatoba
Jatoba, also known as Brazilian Cherry, is a tropical hardwood native to Central and South America. It’s known for its rich reddish-brown color and smooth grain, giving finished pieces a warm, refined appearance. As the wood ages, the color deepens, adding even more depth and character over time.
Why We Choose It:
We choose Brazilian Cherry when we want a cat figure to feel especially warm and substantial. Its rich tone and smooth finish highlight the natural curves of our designs, creating pieces that feel both elegant and timeless. The wood’s strength and natural beauty make it a standout choice for customers who appreciate bold, classic hardwoods.
Leopardwood
Leopardwood is an exotic hardwood native to Central and South America, known for its striking grain pattern that resembles the spots of a leopard’s coat. Its bold texture and natural shimmer make it instantly eye-catching, giving each piece a distinctive, almost patterned appearance that stands out from more traditional woods.
Why We Choose It:
We work with Leopardwood when we want a cat figure to feel especially unique and full of character. Its dramatic natural pattern adds visual interest without needing extra detail, allowing the wood itself to become part of the design. Because availability is limited, Leopardwood pieces appear only occasionally when we find just the right boards.
Bolivian Coffeewood
Bolivian Coffeewood is an exotic hardwood from South America known for its rich, warm brown tones and subtle natural contrast. Its smooth grain and deep coloration give finished pieces a grounded, earthy elegance that feels both distinctive and refined. It is indeed from coffee bean trees that are no longer productive.
Why We Choose It:
Bolivian Coffeewood is selected when we want a cat figure to have warmth and depth without overwhelming grain patterns. Its rich color creates a calm, sophisticated look that pairs beautifully with the natural curves of our designs. Because it isn’t always easy to source, pieces made from this wood tend to appear in limited quantities.
Tigerwood
Tigerwood is a tropical hardwood native to Central and South America, known for its dramatic striping and bold color contrast. With flowing patterns of golden brown accented by darker streaks, it brings strong visual energy and a sense of movement to each piece.
Why We Choose It:
We choose Tigerwood when we want a cat figure to feel bold and expressive. Its naturally dramatic grain makes every piece unique, allowing the wood itself to become a defining part of the design. It’s a favorite for customers who love strong character and eye-catching detail.
Ambrosia Maple
Ambrosia Maple is a distinctive North American maple known for the unique streaks and color variations created naturally within the wood. Soft gray, tan, and brown markings give each board a one-of-a-kind appearance, adding organic character while keeping the clean, bright feel maple is known for.
Why We Choose It:
We choose Ambrosia Maple when we want a piece that feels both clean and naturally expressive. The subtle markings add personality without overpowering the design, allowing each cat figure to feel unique while maintaining a soft, classic look. No two pieces are ever exactly alike, which makes this wood especially fun to work with.
Wenge
Wenge is an exotic hardwood native to Central Africa, known for its deep chocolate-brown to black color and dramatic dark grain. Its naturally bold appearance creates strong contrast and gives finished pieces a modern, sophisticated look. The wood’s dense texture and rich tone make it instantly recognizable among exotic hardwoods.
Why We Choose It:
We choose Wenge when we want a cat figure to feel especially bold and refined. Its deep color adds strong visual contrast, allowing the shape of the design to stand out beautifully. Because it’s not always easy to source in smaller sizes, Wenge pieces tend to appear in limited quantities when the right boards become available.
