Beyond Hardware: Why Fabric is the New Standard for Catellect

Materials matter when a device becomes a permanent resident.

When we began designing Catellect, we weren't just building a smart collar.

We were designing an object that would live with you—and on your cat—quietly, intimately, for years.

That realization led us to a difficult question: What does it mean to choose materials for a device that never really leaves your home?

The Longest Stay

A cat collar isn't a seasonal accessory.

It's a 24/7 commitment.

It rests against skin and fur while they eat, sleep, and explore.

It's also a visual constant—it's in your peripheral vision, in your living space, and in every candid photo you take.

This makes material choice more than a technical spec. It's a lifestyle philosophy.

In the world of consumer electronics, plastic is the default. It's cheap, light, and predictable.

But when we looked at it through the eyes of a cat, "predictable" felt wrong.

Plastic is rigid.

It's a clinical barrier that doesn't adapt to a living, breathing body.

It's cold to the touch and grows "louder" as it scratches and degrades over time.

We had to ask ourselves: If your cat could choose, would they ever choose plastic?

Plastic solves engineering problems. It fails the empathy test.

Fabric changed the narrative immediately.

Unlike plastic, fabric doesn't resist the body—it moves with it.

Tactile Comfort: It warms to the skin and yields to every stretch and curl.
Visual Silence: It replaces "technical noise" with domestic softness. It doesn't look like a gadget; it feels like home.
The "Invisible" Experience: For the cat, it's the difference between wearing a device and wearing nothing at all.

Plastic works. Fabric cares.

At Catellect, we believe the best technology is the kind you stop noticing.

Not because it's boring, but because it belongs.

We chose fabric because when a product is meant to stay for years,

how it feels is just as important as how it functions.

Dieter Rams, Ten Principles for Good Design https://www.vitsoe.com/us/about/good-design

Don Norman, Emotional Design: Why We Love (or Hate) Everyday Things https://jnd.org/emotional-design/