A Proposal for
Cat Post Office
Premium Cat Scratching Post
Cat Post Office & the Engineering Validation Engagement
Cat Post Office is a UK-based product business founded by Adam Cornish. The Cat Post Office product is the company's first physical product: a premium cat scratching post built around an abrasive internal core that passively files a cat's claws as the cat scratches, designed specifically for claw maintenance for indoor cats.
The product is targeted at a gap in the market between commodity scratching posts and the heavy furniture-style cat trees. The differentiators are the height (a full stretch dimension of approximately 900mm), a stable base of approximately 400 to 500mm square, the abrasive internal core for passive claw maintenance, and premium materials and finish throughout. Target retail is in the range of GBP 70 to 80, and target compliance is BS EN 71 as a quality benchmark rather than a regulatory requirement for the pet category.
Adam has produced an initial working wooden prototype with emery-style file wrapping and an outer sisal sleeve. The functional concept is validated. The aesthetic and final construction are not. Initial technical sketches and a set of AI-generated visualisations have been shared with our team alongside the discovery call held with Nick Cunningham.
C2W and Shield Works have been engaged to take the product through the engineering work needed to convert that working concept into a manufacturable, premium consumer product, with Shield Works as the manufacturing base in China. This proposal covers Phase 1 of that program, titled Engineering Validation, following the NDA already in place between our teams.
Program Targets
The following reflects current working assumptions drawn from the brief and the discovery call. The pilot run and first production volumes will be reconciled and validated through Phase 1.
| Item | Current working assumption |
|---|---|
| Engineering Prototype Quantity | Approximately 5 to 10 units across construction variants for design validation |
| Pilot / Marketing Launch Run | To be confirmed in the Development Roadmap; indicatively a small first production run within the funded development envelope |
| First Mass Production Run | To be confirmed in the Development Roadmap once unit cost is established |
| Target Unit Cost | To be validated through the Phase 1 Indicative Quotation, with target retail of GBP 70 to 80 as the working anchor |
| Target Timeline to First Pilot Units | Approximately 4 to 6 months from Phase 1 completion (indicative) |
| Target Markets | United Kingdom primary, premium consumer positioning |
| Funding Status | Self-funded; further investment open once production costs are clearer |
Six Phase 1 Deliverables
Phase 1, Engineering Validation is the first paid engagement in the Cat Post Office development program. The work is engineering-led: an independent assessment of the existing concept and prototype, a focused engineering workstream on the abrasive core and outer sleeve construction, a DFM, DFA, and DFX engineering assessment across the full product, supplier engineering engagement with indicative pricing, and a Development Roadmap that consolidates the output into a costed phase-by-phase pathway to qualified mass production manufacture.
Duration: approximately 6 working weeks from confirmation.
Phase 1 consists of the following six deliverables.
A working technical session with the Shield Works R&D team, not an introductory call. We walk through the product concept and existing prototype, the AI-generated visuals and design intent for the base, Adam's commercial and retail goals, the BS EN 71 compliance benchmark, and the trade-offs across abrasive core construction, outer sleeve, base architecture, and packaging, and agree the engineering priorities and workstreams before work begins.
Written, annotated assessment of the existing concept, the working prototype description, and the supplied visuals, with specific engineering findings and a ranked list of recommended design directions. Where the existing concept is workable, we will confirm it. Where revisions or alternative routes are required, we will set them out with reasoning. This deliverable replaces a CAD and BOM audit at this stage of the project, since no production-intent CAD or BOM yet exists; CAD development is scoped within Phase 2.
Dedicated engineering workstream on the central technical question on the product. The abrasive core that passively files claws is the engineering feature that differentiates the product, and its construction interacts directly with the outer sisal sleeve, the post structure, the base interface, and the consumer assembly architecture. The workstream addresses material selection for the abrasive core (emery-grade composites, grit-bonded fibreboard, ceramic-loaded polymers, textured composites, or off-the-shelf abrasive media wrapped around a structural core), retention of the outer sisal sleeve over the core, durability under repeated claw load, replaceability of the consumable surfaces if required, and the tool-less consumer assembly architecture between post and base. Output: documented engineering position with trade-off analysis and the recommended manufacturing direction for Phase 2 confirmation.
Written assessment covering DFM and DFA across the post, abrasive core, outer sleeve, and base sub-assemblies, the tooling strategy for any moulded or machined components, materials and finishes direction for the base as the aesthetic differentiator, tool-less assembly mechanics between post and base, flat-pack split-shipping architecture and packaging direction, the BS EN 71 alignment assessment, and a structured risk register with mitigations. Preliminary at this stage against analysis and supplier data; full DFM execution, drawing release, and supplier qualification testing sit in Phase 2.
Qualified supplier shortlist drawn from our Shield Works supply chain and wider network, with first-round engineering engagement to confirm capability and capacity across the abrasive core, sisal sleeve sourcing, structural post (engineered wood, metal, or composite), base manufacture in the chosen material and finish, and packaging. Indicative unit pricing at multiple volume tiers, benchmarked across the shortlisted suppliers. Accuracy is subject to the defined level of readiness for manufacture; final unit costs are locked against specific supplier quotes as the Phase 2 development phases progress.
The 25 to 35 page consolidating document that carries the Phase 1 engineering output forward into Phase 2 and through to qualified mass production manufacture. This is the full Route to Market Plan for Cat Post Office.
- Phase timelines and phase management costs across the full development program.
- Shield Works resource allocations and core deliverables across sampling, development, design optimisation (full DFM, DFA, DFX), prototyping, pilot run manufacture, mass production, and scaled production.
- Consolidated written output of the Phase 1 engineering work, including the design feasibility findings, the abrasive core workstream output, and the DFX assessment.
- Component-level bill of materials with material specifications and qualified supplier direction.
- Mechanical engineering and DFM plan across the post, core, sleeve, and base.
- Finishing and materials plan for the base as the aesthetic differentiator.
- Prototyping and iteration plan with validation gates.
- Tooling strategy and indicative tooling investment budget.
- BS EN 71 alignment guidance and any other relevant pet product quality benchmarks.
- Flat-pack packaging direction and indicative packaging cost.
- Pilot run manufacture plan with QC gating criteria.
- Mass production pathway and scaled production goals.
- Risk register with mitigations and owner assignments.
Note: Phase 1 is the first phase of the Cat Post Office development program. Phase 2 and subsequent development, tooling, certification, and production work is scoped and costed within the Development Roadmap for Adam's approval before any execution begins.
What Sits Outside Phase 1
The Phase 1 fee covers all six deliverables in Section 3, including engineering work, design feasibility assessment, the abrasive core workstream, DFX assessment, supplier engagement, indicative quotation, and the Development Roadmap. The following are excluded and would be scoped and costed within the Development Roadmap itself or handled directly by Adam.
once a supplier set is confirmed and production begins, C2W and Shield Works operate as Cat Post Office's manufacturing partner. Adam receives a single unit cost for each unit that covers goods, assembly, quality control, supplier management, packaging, and logistics coordination. These are not billed as separate service fees. The Phase 1 Supplier Engineering Shortlist and Indicative Quotation is specifically designed to establish those unit costs with confidence before any production commitment is made.
Phase 1 Payment
| Stage | Fee | Payment Trigger |
|---|---|---|
| Phase 1, Engineering Validation | $4,500 USD | Payable in full on project confirmation |
How We Keep Phase 1 Honest
Why C2W and Shield Works
From Confirmation to Phase 1 Delivery
This proposal is non-binding at this stage and is intended to give Adam clarity on cost, structure, and what Phase 1 will actually produce. If you are happy with the direction, we can move to invoicing at your convenience and proceed from there.
Best regards,
Mark Jacobs
CEO, C2W Group / Shield Works
June 2026