This is a combination of cat bed and storage chest based on the Chain Chomp character from the Super Mario Bros. I own a cat furniture company “Catastrophicreations”, and we’ve always been huge fans of Mario. I believe Super Mario Bros 3 is the best video game ever made. I’ve played around in the past with ideas to incorporate my favorite game in our furniture. We used to make a Super Mario Cat Complex, which was a hit with our cats.

I wanted to design something that could sit in a room as art, but also have a practical use. The box that Chain Chomp’s attached to has hinges mounted from the inside to hide them, but to let you open the box for storage. At first, I really wanted to make a litter box, because in my opinion most litter boxes are very ugly. I liked the thought of people showing off their litter boxes, rather than hiding them in some back room or closet. Once I started on the Chain Chomp, however, I realized it would be a little too small for a litter box. It was the perfect size for a covered bed, though!

Our cats were a little hesitant at first, but they quickly got over their initial fear of a giant gaping mount with huge teeth. Now they use it as a go-to spot for naps.

More info: Etsy | catastrophicreations.com

My cat Ickle scoping out the threat level

Chain Chomp started out as a giant Styrofoam ball

I wanted the body to have a metal texture, so I used a product for making set props and then covered everything in many coats of epoxy

The body has the eyes, teeth, and inside the mouth all have a gloss finish to give them a wet look

For me, Chain Chomp was a labor of love

After all the layers of different products, Chain Chomp is super durable, but still very light

I made sure all the products were completely non-toxic and pet safe