The golden glow of summer has come to the Northern Hemisphere. It’s about time for your cats to explore the outdoors to get a breath of fresh air and some kind of freedom they’ve been craving for. Now, what if your house is located just near a busy road? What if the outdoors were actually dangerous for roaming cats? Luckily, there’s a solution: outdoor enclosures in the form of cat patios or catios, for short.
Indeed, “catios” are the most exciting thing for cat lovers at the moment. Leading the move is Catio Spaces, a Seattle-based business dedicated to designing cat patios. Their designs are actually downloadable and easy to follow. You only have to use basic materials, and some of these outdoor enclosures are simple window installations. Meanwhile, you can have variants that go by the backyard or on a deck, as well.
What’s interesting is that some cat owners have built catios that are too impressive to set aside. In fact, they’re totally inspiring. These cat lovers took the simple concept to the next level. As a result, they’ve made cozy spaces for their beloved furry friends.
So, do you own indoor cats? Given the safety benefits of these outdoor enclosures, would you also build catios for your felines? Check out the most impressive catios we’ve found below. See if you could also make a furry hunter’s dream summer life come true!
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With a huge passion for cats, Cynthia Chomos founded Catio Spaces. She started the cat-loving company to enhance the life of cats while keeping them safe at the same time. For her, the outdoor enclosures had to look pretty as well.
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Dennis “Cathouse Man” Gallagher
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One dad made the family’s indoor cats some sort of a tower-bridge-treehouse combo for the felines to enjoy the outdoor exploration.
Meanwhile, Cynthia has shared more about the viral cat patios.
“Thousands of our award-winning DIY Catio Plans have been built by cat parents seeking outdoor safety and enrichment for their cats. We offer a variety of designs and sizes for a window, deck, patio, or yard that are easy to follow and fun to build. From small and simple to large and luxurious, there’s a catio to fit any home and garden. Our most popular plans are the Sanctuary and Haven that allow easy access through a cat door installed in a window, wall, or door. Catio Spaces donates 10% of plan purchases to animal and bird welfare organizations.”
Indeed, Cynthia delights in letting cats enjoy their own outdoor spaces. Well, isn’t it just beautiful to make a living by making cats happy? Cynthia further explains:
“The most rewarding part of my work is witnessing my 4-legged clients step into a catio for the first time, breathing fresh air, feel the wind in their whiskers and see their happy tails exploring their new territory – and of course, receiving a headbutt or sandpaper lick on the nose by a grateful feline. I also feel good knowing my work helps protect birds and other wildlife.”
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For 6 years now, Catio Spaces has continued its venture with success. Cynthia happily shares:
“In the future, I envision continuing to create DIY Plans, design custom catios, speaking engagements and expand my relationships with animal welfare organizations, veterinarians, and cat behaviorists to educate cat parents on the many benefits of catios. As one of the founding organizers of Catio Tour Seattle, I will continue to support catio tours in other cities as catios are becoming a popular trend throughout the U.S. and Canada.”
Apparently, catios are going to stay here for good. Wouldn’t that be awesome? Just check out more of the sample cat patios by scrolling down below. Be sure to express your thoughts in the comments!
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A catio with a hanging bridge, some skyboxes, and cat tree!
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Some cat owners have spoiled their cats quite a bit. The felines can’t literally be outdoor cats, but they’ve built the next best solution! This was an area where foxes and coyotes are a real concern, plus they’re also next to a semi-busy road. So, they’ve got some hazardous factors out there for the cats.
As a solution, they’ve built this tent-tunnel system but set it up only when they (the owners) are around. The loving humans would also keep an eye on the cats, so they’re really kept safe.
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One human told about this gazebo where their cats love to hang out. The ginger on the hammock is named C3PO, and he lays there almost daily. This cat certainly knows how to relax the most.
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This catio is called the Gold Star Grotto, which is quite the apt name for this outdoor enclosure. It has been built for their 6 kitties which were previously feral.
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In the above, you’ll see an open window from the owners’ utility room (see right). They’ve bought a plexiglass cat door and positioned it in the window permanently. Now, their cats can have access to the patio, even in wintertime.
And, did you notice the wild grapevine? It grew as somewhat a cover of the top of the cat patio. It’s beautiful to see as it blends nicely with the owners’ garden. It would be fantastic to harvest some grapes from it one day!
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Cat owner Mark made these really long trails and high towers for the cats to walk along. You’ll see how high the felines can sit and stroll in their cat jungle—it even has a roof! Like kings, cats love to sit high up and just look down on things below.
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Owners build cat patios because they love their cats. Of course! And, catios are perfect for their outdoor adventures. While we want these felines to explore the outdoors, we would also want to spare the birds.
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Someone’s in the jungle.
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Do you want to spare your cats some privacy? This catio has some cat privacy shields! Plus, there’s driftwood.
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Source: Catio Spaces