Has your cat been itching to get outside for some fresh air and sunshine? There’s a purrfect solution – the Catio – a patio for cats that provides wonderful enrichment for your feline companion. Your cat can enjoy the great outdoors in comfort and safety!
While cats do love the outdoors, allowing a cat to free-roam outdoors presents a host of risks that can often result in your beloved pet cat never making its way back home.
These dangers include but aren’t limited to:
- Fights with other animals (dog attacks, cat fights)
- Cars and traffic
- Poisonous plants or chemicals
- Disease
- Wildlife
- Abuse from humans
Catios allow cats to spend time outdoors, without encountering any of the risks of being outdoors. Catios can be custom built, or purchased ready-made. They can be as simple as enclosing a balcony with wire mesh or they can be their own free-standing structure. Some cat owners even develop elaborate tunnels and direct entry from a house window so cats can come and go as they please.
The best catio provides:
- Lots of vertical space
- Enrichment items such as toys and cat friendly plants or grass
- Fully confined so the cat cannot escape
- Access to both shaded, and sunny areas
- Free access to fresh water
If you think this might be a fun option for your cat, check out this video for some inspiration!
