Pet Cat Home Design Evaluation System: Based On Grounded Theory-CRITIC-TOPSIS

As pet cats assume an increasingly significant role in households, the variety of pet-cat home products on the market has proliferated. However, existing studies primarily focus on qualitative assessments of individual product functions or user experiences, and lack a systematic evaluation framework that combines in-depth exploration of user needs with quantitative analysis. To address this research gap and with the objectives of enhancing user satisfaction and guiding product development, this study constructs a user-needs–based evaluation framework for pet-cat home design. Semi-structured interviews with 12 pet-cat owners were conducted and analyzed via Grounded Theory to elicit four core requirements—Enhancing Pet Life Quality (A1), Ease of Cleaning and Maintenance (A2), Aesthetic Appeal (A3), and Safety and Reliability (A4)—and thirteen primary requirement elements. The CRITIC method was then applied to determine the weights of these dimensions (A1 = 0.30, A2 = 0.28, A3 = 0.27, A4 = 0.16). Four representative market products were selected and ranked using the TOPSIS method based on their proximity to the ideal and negative-ideal solutions, quantitatively evaluating their relative merits. Results indicate that pet owners prioritize Enhancing Pet Life Quality and Ease of Cleaning and Maintenance (combined weight = 0.58), providing focused guidance for designers on spatial layout and material selection. Aesthetic Appeal and Safety and Reliability also remain critical, pointing to specific optimization directions for product appearance and structural integrity. This study not only fills a methodological gap in pet-cat home design evaluation but also offers a practical model for weighting user needs and selecting optimal design solutions, thereby contributing to the standardization and refinement of pet home products.

@article{Qi2025,
  title     = {Pet Cat Home Design Evaluation System: Based On Grounded Theory-CRITIC-TOPSIS},
  journal   = {International Journal of Advanced Computer Science and Applications},
  volume    = {16},
  number    = {5},
  year      = {2025},
  publisher = {The Science and Information Organization},
  author    = {Yuzhe Qi and Hengwang Zhang and Yaping Liu},
  doi       = {10.14569/IJACSA.2025.0160516},
  url       = {https://doi.org/10.14569/IJACSA.2025.0160516}
}