Frame Your Feline was conceived by Kristina Hughes and Brian Vermeire as a creative solution to a common pet problem. The Los Angeles-based couple are avid cat lovers (parents to seven rescue cats) and found themselves frustrated with traditional cat furniture. After rescuing over ten cats over the years, they had numerous bulky, carpeted cat trees in their home that were hard to clean and took up valuable space. Hughes and Vermeire, both stand-up comedians by trade, decided to apply their creativity to reinvent the cat shelf into something more aesthetically pleasing. They envisioned a way to turn their cats into “living art” by integrating a wall-mounted cat perch with a picture frame. Working as a family (with help from Brian’s father, a skilled woodworker), they built early prototypes of a framed cat shelf in their home. By 2020, they were already testing the idea – even taking their own photographs of scenic backgrounds like flower fields and sunsets to use as interchangeable backdrops in the frames. After refining the design and confirming that fellow cat owners were intrigued by the concept, the founders officially launched Frame Your Feline in early 2022 with a dedicated website and initial product kits for sale.
Kristina Hughes and Brian Vermeire are the co-founders of Frame Your Feline, and each brings a diverse professional background to the venture. Hughes is an actress and comedian who has appeared in television and film including Boston Legal and Old School and is a former Miss Connecticut USA. Beyond performing, she has significant entrepreneurial experience – she was the co-founder and COO of Holdon Log, a company established in 2001 that provides organizational tools for entertainment professionals. Vermeire is also a veteran of the entertainment industry, known for his work as a stand-up comic and producer. He served as CEO of Holdon Log’s PerformerTrack online platform, working alongside Hughes in that business. Vermeire additionally runs OneBite Creative, a digital design and branding agency, through which he has expertise in web development and marketing. This combination of skills meant that when founding Frame Your Feline, Hughes and Vermeire could handle everything from product design and operations to building the brand’s online presence. They share responsibilities in the company: Hughes often leads community outreach and creative direction (she even contributes original artwork panels for the frames), while Vermeire applies his design and tech experience to the product engineering and marketing efforts. The venture is a family affair – even the founders’ parents and their young son have been part of the journey, whether by assisting in carpentry or offering inspiration during the creative process.
Frame Your Feline transforms a typical wall-mounted cat shelf into a decorative framed “art display” for your pet. Each Feline Frame Ensemble includes a sturdy platform for the cat and an outer frame with a swappable backdrop panel, creating the illusion that the cat is part of a framed picture.
Frame Your Feline offers several frame styles and hundreds of artwork panels featuring different themes. The panels include photographs of landscapes, cityscapes, paintings, and whimsical designs, many created by contributing artists and photographers. Every set comes with two frame shelves, the outer frame, mounting hardware, and at least two backdrop panels. Additional panels can be purchased separately.
They also sell accessories like Feline Step Shelves that help cats reach elevated frame positions and bundle packages for multi-frame setups. All products are sold through their online store and are built using furniture-grade materials.
2020 (Concept Development): Hughes and Vermeire begin developing the concept. They build early prototypes and start photographing backdrops for future use.
Early 2022 (Company Launch): Frame Your Feline is officially launched. The website goes live, and they begin selling kits online. The product is filed as patent pending.
Mid 2022 (Initial Buzz): The founders appear on cat-focused podcasts to share their story. Early feedback from the cat owner community confirms interest.
Late 2022 (Recognition): The product is featured on the Community Cats Podcast. The CatCrazy YouTube channel includes Frame Your Feline in its list of top ten cat products of the year.
Mid 2023 (Expansion and Events): Frame Your Feline exhibits at CatCon 2023 in Pasadena. Their booth attracts large crowds. The artwork panel library expands with help from contributing artists.
August–September 2023 (Kickstarter): A crowdfunding campaign reaches its funding goal. The campaign funds additional production runs and confirms demand.
2024 (Growth and Partnerships): Frame Your Feline becomes a sponsor of Mission Meow. The company prepares for a national TV debut.
April 2025 (Shark Tank Appearance): Frame Your Feline appears on Shark Tank Season 16, on April 18, 2025.
Kristina Hughes and Brian Vermeire actively promote cat adoption and animal rescue. They have supported local groups including Piper’s Helping Paws and are official partners of Mission Meow. Their content regularly highlights rescue cats and encourages others to adopt. Some shelter organizations use them to take more engaging photos of adoptable cats, making them more appealing to potential adopters.
