Our Craftsmanship

Each cave starts as loose merino wool, layered by hand and felted with hot water, soap and a great deal of patience. The walls are built up until they hold their dome shape on their own, then the entrance is cut and the edges are finished by hand.

No two caves are exactly alike. The grain of the felt, the exact shade, the way the dome sits — these small differences are the mark of something made by a person, not a production line.

Step 1 — Laying the wool. Soft merino fibres are laid out in thin, even layers, alternating direction so the finished felt is strong in every direction.

Step 2 — Wet felting. Hot water and soap are worked through the layers by hand. The fibres lock together and the wool begins to shrink and thicken into felt.

Step 3 — Shaping the dome. The felt is worked over a form until the walls are dense and even, thick enough to stand on their own with no frame inside.

Step 4 — Cutting the entrance. The opening is cut by hand and the edges are rubbed smooth, so there is nothing sharp or rough for a cat to catch a claw on.

Step 5 — Drying and finishing. The cave is reshaped while damp, left to air-dry slowly, then brushed and checked — every cave is inspected before it is packed.

The whole process takes hours per cave. It is slow work, and that is the point: felt made this way keeps its shape for years, where a machine-pressed shape goes soft and floppy within months.