How to Get Your Catio On
These enclosures can safely give your cat a taste of the outdoors
Julie Sheer
February 24, 2017
Houzz Contributor; journalist with more than two decades of experience as a graphics editor and writer at the Los Angeles Times and Chicago Tribune; outdoor guidebook author; lover of all things outdoors, nature and wildlife. Follow me at https://westcentric.wordpress.com/
Houzz Contributor; journalist with more than two decades of experience as a graphics... More
It’s the dilemma of every cat owner: how to let Kitty enjoy the outdoors without risk of the Great Escape. The outside world can be a dangerous place for a roaming cat, with the threat of predators, cars, poison and diseases. Not to mention the danger to wild birds, which outdoor cats kill in monumental numbers. Catios — or cat patios — are safely enclosed playhouses for felines that provide fresh air, mental stimulation and exercise.
Cats confined indoors are at higher risk for stress-related diseases, says Dr. Martine van Boeijen, a cat veterinarian in Perth, Australia. “An enclosed catio, which safely confines your cat to your property, allows your cat to have the best of both worlds.” Here is a basic guide on options for adding a catio to your home.
Cats confined indoors are at higher risk for stress-related diseases, says Dr. Martine van Boeijen, a cat veterinarian in Perth, Australia. “An enclosed catio, which safely confines your cat to your property, allows your cat to have the best of both worlds.” Here is a basic guide on options for adding a catio to your home.
Catios can be as elaborate as a custom-designed feline jungle gym or as simple as enclosing a patio with screening. Here, Rasputin enjoys one of the perches in a custom catio built in Arcadia, California.
Suggested Features
It’s important to make sure catios are escape-proof and include basic feline comforts:
Suggested Features
It’s important to make sure catios are escape-proof and include basic feline comforts:
- Entry door or window, or walkway or tunnel from the house
- Perches, ramps, steps, bridges, catwalks
- Post or tree for scratching and climbing
- Hiding places
- Beds, pillows or hammocks for resting
- Fresh drinking water
- Shady areas and fans for cooling; heating pad for cold weather
- Predator-proof screening, especially if the home is near wildlands with coyotes, cougars or bobcats
- Roof or covering to protect from elements
Custom-Built Catios
You can get as creative as you want with a custom-made catio. Some homeowners include ponds, cat-friendly foliage, chandeliers and even lounging areas for the humans. Unless you choose to design and build it yourself, the best pros to include are architects to design the space (unless you use a predesigned kit) and carpenters to build it.
Room to climb. Above, Boris and Gabriel lounge on one of the many perches in a Santa Fe, New Mexico, catio custom-built by architect Greg Reid of Plan A Architecture at his own house.
The tree is for scratching and climbing. The screening is two-by-two kennel fencing from Lowe’s. Reid used eight four-by-four cedar posts set into concrete-filled holes for the structure, with two-by-two fir beams and rafters. The roof is corrugated steel panels left over from the house construction.
You can get as creative as you want with a custom-made catio. Some homeowners include ponds, cat-friendly foliage, chandeliers and even lounging areas for the humans. Unless you choose to design and build it yourself, the best pros to include are architects to design the space (unless you use a predesigned kit) and carpenters to build it.
Room to climb. Above, Boris and Gabriel lounge on one of the many perches in a Santa Fe, New Mexico, catio custom-built by architect Greg Reid of Plan A Architecture at his own house.
The tree is for scratching and climbing. The screening is two-by-two kennel fencing from Lowe’s. Reid used eight four-by-four cedar posts set into concrete-filled holes for the structure, with two-by-two fir beams and rafters. The roof is corrugated steel panels left over from the house construction.
Reid added the catio to his house (which he had built five years earlier) after adopting three kittens. “They were starting to get large and extremely active,” Reid says. “We already had three older cats and felt they all needed some additional space options to keep the peace. We felt an outdoor space was what they needed. Since we live in an area that has cars, coyotes, bobcats and other hazards for cats, letting them roam freely around outside was not an option.”
Cats like exploring vertical space, so Reid added a series of ledges. “Ours seemed to like to move from one area to the next without going down to the ground, so the two sides are connected by ramps that go up and over the top of the doorway,” Reid says.
Boris relaxes in a hammock made from pillowcases with foam padding and grommets, and hung from the roof.
For cats and dogs. For this custom catio in Arcadia, California, Diana Vierra of Finesse worked with a sketch from the homeowner to create a space for the client’s border collies and rescued cats.
Here, Catarina lounges on the cool concrete floor in the 400-square-foot catio. Fans were installed for additional cooling. The cats enter the catio via a cat door through a wall in the house. The dog door is for the border collies to access the rest of the yard, which the cats don’t use.
Here, Catarina lounges on the cool concrete floor in the 400-square-foot catio. Fans were installed for additional cooling. The cats enter the catio via a cat door through a wall in the house. The dog door is for the border collies to access the rest of the yard, which the cats don’t use.
The builders used 1-by-3-inch livestock screening and rough-sawn redwood for the framing and catwalks. They added a trellis for the owner’s plants, which provide shade for the catio in the summer and attract hummingbirds. The catio took about two weeks to build, which included power washing the existing patio floor, as well as electrical work, painting and finish carpentry.
Find a pro to do your electrical work
Find a pro to do your electrical work
Bears not welcome. This catio on Canada’s Vancouver Island was built by Catscape, a division of Beautiful World Living Environments, which specializes in enclosures for animals ranging from dogs to ferrets, birds and rabbits.
John Creviston of Beautiful World describes the enclosures as “people places that also contain cats.” The catio above is in a rural area near Victoria, and there’s a resident bear living nearby, Creviston says, so solid screening was vital. He prefers to use welded wire mesh with a vinyl coating. Using wire that is too thin runs the risk of damage from weather or predators.
John Creviston of Beautiful World describes the enclosures as “people places that also contain cats.” The catio above is in a rural area near Victoria, and there’s a resident bear living nearby, Creviston says, so solid screening was vital. He prefers to use welded wire mesh with a vinyl coating. Using wire that is too thin runs the risk of damage from weather or predators.
The type of wood he uses depends on aesthetics, weather at the location and termite risk, Creviston says. He uses pressure-treated lumber for the structures but not for platforms where cats sleep and roll, unless it’s coated and sealed. Rather than ramps, he prefers wood platforms for cats to jump onto. “It is a good idea to use lots of levels as cats love to be up high where they feel more secure and can survey their world.”
Tip: Use light colors and finishes for platforms exposed to the sun, which can become dangerously hot if the surface is dark-colored.
Tip: Use light colors and finishes for platforms exposed to the sun, which can become dangerously hot if the surface is dark-colored.
Catio with a view. Building catios is one of the custom carpentry services offered by Zeigler Homestead Services (along with chicken coops and other outdoor habitats). For this catio at a condo in Decatur, Georgia, Joey Zeigler had to get creative with the 80-square-foot space, where he couldn’t build too high above the fence line. He made a small perch so Maine Coon cats James and Galen could look over the fence toward a meadow beyond.
Zeigler used cedar for the wood elements and 1-inch PVC-coated galvanized hardware cloth for the screening. This type of material is typically used as fencing to keep out pests such as snakes and gophers. He said the project took about 60 to 80 worker hours. For those attempting something like this on their own, he recommends hiring someone who is handy and who knows and understands cats.
Here, Galen rests near the catio’s entry — a cat door through the home’s window.
Shark enclosure. This funky catio was part of a home remodel in San Jose, California, and lets the owners’ love of their favorite hockey team shine through. The homeowners have four kitties and are “huge” San Jose Sharks fans, Sara Jorgensen of Harrell Remodeling says, so the shark logo on the catio screen was a must.
The laser-cut metal screen is from custom screen manufacturer Decorative Screens Direct in Australia. The metal is thick enough to not flex and can withstand kitty hijinks. “We chose this product because there is no way they can claw, bite or squeeze through it,” Jorgensen says.
The laser-cut metal screen is from custom screen manufacturer Decorative Screens Direct in Australia. The metal is thick enough to not flex and can withstand kitty hijinks. “We chose this product because there is no way they can claw, bite or squeeze through it,” Jorgensen says.
The builders modified the existing sliding glass door to accommodate a cat door. In this photo, a clip was used to keep it open until the cats got used to it, Jorgensen says. Right now, the catio interior is bare bones until the homeowners decide which features the cats prefer, she says.
Here’s a view of the catio from the home’s exterior. It opens to a hallway that goes into the home’s media room, where the owners host parties. The screen pattern (called, cat-appropriately, Bird Nest) and shark logo cast interesting shadows throughout the hallways, Jorgensen says.
Some Assembly Required: Catio Kits
For those who don’t want to design a catio themselves, there are companies that sell predesigned catio kits, design plans or individual components. If you’re very handy with a hammer, you can build it yourself, or you can hire a carpenter. Some companies can recommend installers. Custom builder John Creviston warns that the price of a kit may seem reasonable, but costs rise when you add shipping and hire someone to install it.
Portable playspace. Catio Spaces, based in Seattle, sells DIY plans for four catio designs, ranging from a window box to a four-sided enclosure with a tunnel. Each design plan has a downloadable PDF that includes a materials list, tools list and step-by-step instructions “that take the guesswork out of building a catio,” company founder Cynthia Chomos says. Shown above is the Sanctuary style, with the wood frame painted black. Chomos says her plans call for four-by-four pressure-treated horizontal wood frames with panels that screw on. The panels break down so they can be dismantled at a future date.
For those who don’t want to design a catio themselves, there are companies that sell predesigned catio kits, design plans or individual components. If you’re very handy with a hammer, you can build it yourself, or you can hire a carpenter. Some companies can recommend installers. Custom builder John Creviston warns that the price of a kit may seem reasonable, but costs rise when you add shipping and hire someone to install it.
Portable playspace. Catio Spaces, based in Seattle, sells DIY plans for four catio designs, ranging from a window box to a four-sided enclosure with a tunnel. Each design plan has a downloadable PDF that includes a materials list, tools list and step-by-step instructions “that take the guesswork out of building a catio,” company founder Cynthia Chomos says. Shown above is the Sanctuary style, with the wood frame painted black. Chomos says her plans call for four-by-four pressure-treated horizontal wood frames with panels that screw on. The panels break down so they can be dismantled at a future date.
Ready for kickoff. Chomos — a general contractor and feng shui consultant — also builds catios for clients in the Seattle area, using a two-person carpentry crew. She decorated the interior of this Seattle Seahawks football team-themed catio for a diehard fan. She says it “combines a ‘man cave’ and catio for human and feline enjoyment.”
Here, Penelope and Lord Purrcival appear to be waiting for the big game. Chomos says the catio is a slightly smaller custom version of the Sanctuary design.
Animal house. This three-sided Haven-style catio painted white is attached to the house, and access is via a through-the-wall cat door. Chomos says all her ground-level catios also have human-sized doors.
A tunnel to love. Chomos’ tabby cat Serena enjoys an elevated walkway in her custom catio, dubbed Catnap, which includes a 6-foot bench with a custom cushion for human lounging (on the right under the Catnap sign), a spiral staircase with cat steps, on the left, and shelves.
The Catnap catio is connected to the house via a 30-foot elevated catwalk tunnel and arbor catio (seen here to the right of the Catnap catio). “I like that part of the tunnels are obscured by tree and plant life so it blends in with the garden,” Chomos says.
Here, Serena makes her way through the catwalk tunnel. An opening at the end of the tunnel leads into the Catnap catio.
See them yourself. Catio tours are now a thing. Chomos’ catios have been featured on a catio tour that visits 10 catios in the greater Seattle area.
Other catio tours take place in Portland, Oregon, and Santa Cruz, California. The tours are usually sponsored in part by animal welfare groups and are meant to inform and educate the public about keeping cats and wildlife safe.
Other Catio Kit Companies
Habitat Haven in Toronto sells predesigned kits with all the parts included and also individual components such as stairs, towers, tunnels and bridges that fit together so you can design and build one yourself.
Catio Designs sells DIY design plans that include the Luxor self-standing model; the Ritz, which is accessed via a door; Windows on the World, entered through a window; and the Petite Window, which extends out from a window like a greenhouse.
See them yourself. Catio tours are now a thing. Chomos’ catios have been featured on a catio tour that visits 10 catios in the greater Seattle area.
Other catio tours take place in Portland, Oregon, and Santa Cruz, California. The tours are usually sponsored in part by animal welfare groups and are meant to inform and educate the public about keeping cats and wildlife safe.
Other Catio Kit Companies
Habitat Haven in Toronto sells predesigned kits with all the parts included and also individual components such as stairs, towers, tunnels and bridges that fit together so you can design and build one yourself.
Catio Designs sells DIY design plans that include the Luxor self-standing model; the Ritz, which is accessed via a door; Windows on the World, entered through a window; and the Petite Window, which extends out from a window like a greenhouse.
For the Skilled DIYer
Although it’s best to have a pro build a catio if you’re not skilled at carpentry, an experienced DIYer could tackle the project.
Here, kitty, kitty, kitty … The catio shown here was part of the renovation of a 1920s bungalow in South Carolina. Owners Aimee and Greg Talbot, who own an antiques company called EuroLuxHome, wanted to create a special space for their seven cats — including Minkey and Fozzy, shown at left lounging on their perches at sunset.
Aimee feeds the cats on the platforms and keeps the litter boxes in the catio. “That keeps all the mess of the sand and food outside, and then I can just sweep and hose it all down periodically.”
Although it’s best to have a pro build a catio if you’re not skilled at carpentry, an experienced DIYer could tackle the project.
Here, kitty, kitty, kitty … The catio shown here was part of the renovation of a 1920s bungalow in South Carolina. Owners Aimee and Greg Talbot, who own an antiques company called EuroLuxHome, wanted to create a special space for their seven cats — including Minkey and Fozzy, shown at left lounging on their perches at sunset.
Aimee feeds the cats on the platforms and keeps the litter boxes in the catio. “That keeps all the mess of the sand and food outside, and then I can just sweep and hose it all down periodically.”
The couple screened in an existing 11-by-17-foot porch, built walkways, steps, corner platforms and a sisal rope firefighter’s pole for the cats to climb on and use as a scratching post. They tiled the screened-in porch themselves with Mexican tile and used a vintage door, which they found at the Antique Tobacco Barn in Asheville, North Carolina.
Fozzy surveys the scene from the highest cat shelf in the catio.
Tip: DIY catio builders should first consider their home’s layout and sun orientation when designing a catio, Greg Reid of Plan A Architecture says. “Then try to create a structure that looks integrated with the house, and be sure to add elements that are beneficial to your cats.”
Tip: DIY catio builders should first consider their home’s layout and sun orientation when designing a catio, Greg Reid of Plan A Architecture says. “Then try to create a structure that looks integrated with the house, and be sure to add elements that are beneficial to your cats.”
The cats are supplied with cat grass, which they graze on all day, Aimee says. The couple installed two cat doors on either side of the front door. With multiple cats, she recommends installing several access doors since cats tend to be territorial. “We didn’t want one cat to hog the porch by not letting the others out the door,” she says.
Do your cats have a catio? We’d love to see it. Share it with the community by adding a photo to the Comments!
More on Houzz
Readers Share Options Galore for Cat Litter Boxes
How to Choose the Right Pet Door
Do your cats have a catio? We’d love to see it. Share it with the community by adding a photo to the Comments!
More on Houzz
Readers Share Options Galore for Cat Litter Boxes
How to Choose the Right Pet Door
What are you working on?
Related Products
Our design services are tailored to your unique needs, timeline and budget. With your vision and our expertise,... Read More
Related Stories
Colorful Homes
My Houzz: Bright Colors in a Virginia Family Home
By Sarah Lyon
Gallery walls, sentimental keepsakes and splashes of jewel tones warm up the interior of this 1980 house
Full Story
Remodeling Guides
Staying Put: How to Improve the Home You Have
New book by architect Duo Dickinson shows how to remodel your house to get the home you want
Full Story
Midcentury Homes
Houzz Tour: A Faded Midcentury Home Regains Its Glamour
A 1960s gem sparkles with mint St. Charles cabinets, zesty citrus wallpaper and a chic gold-and-black powder room
Full Story
World of Design
Creative Ways to Get Your Dream Home in the Big City
See how to save money and live well in a small urban space
Full Story
Small Homes
My Houzz: Color and Pattern Make a Manhattan Apartment Sing
By Chris Dorsey
Wild colors, fearless patterns and a bit of burlesque show that downsizing doesn't have to mean cutting style short
Full Story
Houzz Tours
My Houzz: Neighbors, a Love Story
Australian neighbors find each other a perfect match. Now the 1940s home they share is a family haven
Full Story
Contemporary Homes
Houzz Tour: A Heartfelt Home Amid the Trees
By Joanna Tovia
An architect helps his parents’ dreams come true by building them a ‘forever home’ connected to its valley views
Full Story
Window Treatments
Embellishing Tricks for Cost-Effective Custom Curtains
By Nicole White
Get curtains that look high end — even if you don't sew — with just a little trim here or a little banding there
Full Story
Houzz Tours
My Houzz: Northwest Couple Make a Rural Homestead Their Own
Country life agrees with these first-time homeowners, who have decorated their farmhouse in a rustic, low-key style
Full Story
Here in Toronto Canada I had a company design and build a catio for my 3 cats. They advised not to put food in them as this will attract wilder creatures (racoons for instance) who will attempt to get in. I am sure this would apply to other areas of North America with more dangerous creatures.
Awesome! The place looks like a cat's Disneyland!
juno77 - i was afraid of the same thing so i had my catio and enclosure re-enforced with 1/4" hardware cloth. so far all of the catios i've ever seen use hardware cloth, some with the 2" opening and for me that wouldn't work because i didn't want to expose myself or my cats to mosquitoes, so screen wire was used on the catio with the re-enforced hardware cloth top to bottom (the roof is solid with 2 skylights), and the big enclosure (they call it a pool cage in florida, except i don't have a pool) has pet screen wire with the hardware cloth re-enforcement from the bottom to 3 feet up. i've never had an issue with the raccoons.