You might have heard the term “catio” in the media recently or seen pictures of one online and wondered what they are. Catios are special, purpose-built places for cats to enjoy the outside world safely, enclosed, and securely. Cats that spend time in a catio get to feel the breeze run through their fur and can enjoy the sun without being able to wander off. So, if your cat sits longingly on the window ledge or always makes an escape attempt at your door, it might be a sign that your cat needs a catio!

How Does It Work?

Catios are outdoor spaces constructed specifically for your cat and are typically attached to their owner’s home or as a stand-alone structure within the boundary of their property. The entrance to a catio can be as versatile as the catio itself, with some having a cat flap or door in the side, some having an entry through a window, and some even having a specially built tunnel leading from the house.

Catios allow indoor cats usually to experience the outdoors to feel, smell, and see their surroundings. This is an excellent way of enriching an indoor cat’s life, particularly as many catios have extra furnishings and fittings to make them feel at home.

What Is the Primary Purpose of a Catio?

Catios are primarily used as a source of enrichment for indoor-only cats, allowing them access to the outside in a controlled way. This is particularly important for cats that might not be able to roam outside safely¹, like those with FIV (Feline Immunodeficiency Virus) or those that live in areas with regulations regarding outside time.

In the US and Australia, cats have decimated the natural wildlife population by killing 2.4 billion birds yearly in the US alone². Catios allow cats to experience the world without putting themselves or the wildlife at risk. Owners can also use them to reduce cat-on-cat conflicts by letting each cat in the house display natural behavior in a designated space without fighting.

What Are the Different Types of Catios?

Catios can be made of different materials in different shapes and sizes and placed in many areas³. The catio’s design and specifications can be tailored to the tiniest detail, ensuring it caters to your cat’s needs. Some catio companies offer bespoke packages that are 100% customizable, and others come in a flat-pack box for self-assembly.

Materials Used for Catios

Catios are usually constructed from wood and chicken wire but can also have metal elements and plastic sheeting incorporated into the design. Of course, the materials used must be waterproof and (more importantly) cat-proof. Treated wood and chicken wire combinations are effective, sturdy, and cost-effective materials to construct a catio.

Catio Designs

The design of the catio is totally up to the owner. The great thing about them is that they are so customizable; a catio can range from a small window box just big enough for a curious cat to sit to a multi-level structure with electricity and heating. The sky is the limit when it comes to catio design!

Some catios can be custom-made by catio companies, with bespoke fixtures and fittings for each cat. They can be made with additional supports for elderly cats, warming pads or enclosed places for cats with illnesses, and built-in toys for kittens. Alternatively, many businesses now sell pre-made catios for home construction. Finally, if you’re feeling crafty, a catio can be made DIY-style by using plans found or bought online, with many of them using wood and chicken wire as the base materials.

Where Is a Catio Used?

Catios are commonly used in houses or neighborhoods with high areas of traffic, wildlife regulations (keeping the cats inside), or places where letting a cat outside would be dangerous for them. They are commonly used worldwide by cat owners who want to give their cats more enrichment opportunities, and they’re very popular in the US as they keep cats safe and entertained while protecting wildlife.

Catios can be made to fit anywhere. They can be placed outside a window as a window box, which can be perfect for those living in places without yard access. Catios can also be placed on balconies, giving cats who live in an apartment an outside option. Even houseboats can have a catio built in, giving cats a taste of the sea air without the risk of falling overboard!

Pros & Cons of Catios

Advantages of Catios

When considering the advantages of catios, we first think of the benefits to the cats that frequent them. Catios give cats a safe space to display natural behavior that may be seen as a “problem” in the home. For example, scratching and running about can be two behaviors that drive owners crazy when it’s inside the house. A catio can provide a cat with the perfect space to scratch and go wild without impacting its owners. Cats who like to scratch furniture can be given scratchers, cat trees, and even old furniture inside their catios to mark on.

Another advantage for cats is their outdoor enrichment from using a catio. Air, sunlight, and the nature around them provide a 360° look into the world while protecting the cat and wildlife. The sights, sounds, and smells can all help a cat feel excited and relaxed and can help relieve them of the urge to run outside each time the door opens. Catios can reduce inter-cat conflict by providing adequate resources and entertainment for the felines. This is because cats can use the catio as an extension of the home, getting much-needed space if tensions rise without sacrificing essential items such as food and water bowls.

Owners can completely customize and tailor their catio to individual tastes. They can be incorporated into any yard or home design, making them aesthetically pleasing and functional.

Disadvantages of Catios

Unfortunately, some drawbacks come with the installation of a catio. Firstly, catios can be quite costly to build, particularly custom ones. The cost of a catio can be prohibitive for some owners, but there are ways of keeping costs to a minimum if you know basic DIY.

Not all homes will have the space needed for a catio either; this is especially true for owners who want a more “classic” catio rather than the window-box types. DIY knowledge is required if owners want to build a catio themselves from plans, but the entrance to the catio can also cause problems if they want it incorporated into the house.

Lastly, no one can guarantee that a cat will use the catio once it’s been built! It’d be cruel to force a cat into an area they don’t want to be in, and some cats will unfortunately not enjoy a catio as much as their owners might want them to. Cats not used to being outside can be particularly nervous about going into a catio, so a slow introduction into the new area at the cat’s pace is essential.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Can Cats Live Outside in a Catio?

While some cats might seem like they never want to come inside once they’re out or never want to leave their catio, they must always be given a choice to return inside the home. In addition, cats are social creatures that need the attention and affection of their family (most of the time), so if a cat that is used to being around their humans and involved in family life is suddenly locked outside, it can cause them stress.

If a cat is kept outside in a catio year-round, the weather will also severely affect its health and well-being. In the summer, cats can easily overheat and even die if they get too hot without shade. The same is true in winter, as most catios don’t have proper insulation against wind or snow. Being forced to stay outdoors (particularly in bad weather or at night) will, at the very least, make your cat miserable. It’s essential that cats be given a choice to come inside at all times.

Do Indoor Cats Need a Catio?

Not all indoor cats need a catio to live an enriched and happy life. Some owners work very hard to ensure their indoor cats get all their emotional, behavioral, and enrichment needs met despite never going outdoors; the key to this is providing adequate stimulation and chances to display natural behavior. Catios are a way to help owners in this mission, providing a dedicated area for cats to rest, play, and perform these natural behaviors while providing stimulation via the environment around them.

How Will I Know if My Cat Will Like a Catio?

It can be risky to determine whether or not, after all your hard work, your cat will like the catio once built. While there is no definitive way to know, there are some signs you can look out for that show that a cat wants the adventure of the outside.

How Do Cats Access a Catio?

There are many ways that owners can incorporate entrances and access points into a catio, and some of them are very creative. However, choosing an entry that fits both your home layout and your cat is vital, as a catio will be no use to either of you if they can’t get into it!

The ways in which an entrance can be built into the catio are as varied as the catios themselves. Just make sure it’s suitable for your cat!

How Much Do Catios Cost?

The exact costs of a catio are hard to pinpoint since they’re so customizable. The price of each type depends on how they’re constructed and whether they’re DIY or custom-built and installed. The price of materials and labor need to be factored into a catio build. Generally, the plans for DIY catios range from $40–$150 without the materials. For bespoke, laborer-installed catios with all the bells and whistles, you could be looking at a price range starting at $3,000 and sometimes exceeding the $10,000 mark for the top-of-the-line models!

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