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We built an outdoor pet enclosure well over a decade ago and I have to say it's been a pleasure seeing my pets contentment as they relax and play outside. We started out small with materials we already had that we had never used like old wood and fencing. Once we saw how well it turned out and how much our little enclosure got used we went bigger.
Ours has a pet door that opens from our cellar hallway and a full sized walk-in door made from a outdoor pen door with a lock, our back kitchen window also has fencing over it for another entrance for the cats.
My advice is to get ideas on-line then once you start it will all come together as you add your own ideas to the mix. I think it's important to build it with the idea of safety first, ample shade, more than one easy exit that goes into the house, and it's nice to have different levels.
Ours is directly behind our house with some minor roofing over the area behind our house with flat cement blocks that act as a floor. Beyond that there is ample room for them to roam out onto a grassy area where I planted some bushes and tall ornamental grass.
If you live in a coyote prone area which is just about everywhere you might want to consider a coyote safe design which I saw on-line. If you can't afford the extra for coyote proofing I would suggest not to let your pets out into the enclosure in the early morning or at night and to monitor them which you should anyway.
Nothing is completely safe, but at least your pets will not be able to roam and the enclosure does provide a lot of safety. I also have mine set up so it doesn't show easily to anyone walking by since I have other wood fencing around my yard and a lot of bushes that help hide the enclosure from all angles.
I'd love one, but I don't have space where it would work/ look okay. My girl is extremely allergic to flea bites, so I would need it up off the ground.
She loves the outside, too. I'd love for her be able to safely enjoy it.
Our pool needs plastered and filled, but the screened pool cage, aka huge catio, was finished this week. Sadly my 20 year old Siamese didn’t get to see it as I had hoped. Our four year old black cat has been timidly exploring it though and getting braver each day. It should get better when she can hide behind furniture after the pool is finished and we can move things back in.
Our pool needs plastered and filled, but the screened pool cage, aka huge catio, was finished this week. Sadly my 20 year old Siamese didn’t get to see it as I had hoped. Our four year old black cat has been timidly exploring it though and getting braver each day. It should get better when she can hide behind furniture after the pool is finished and we can move things back in.
I have a store-bought 3-level cat cage. It's quite sizable: about 6 feet tall, 3 feet wide, and 2 feet deep. I keep it out on the porch (which is covered; I'm in an apartment), in a spot that's out of direct sun. My cat loves it! Sometimes I can't get her out of it. Honestly, I think she'd be happy for me to buy one for inside the house, too.
I have a store-bought 3-level cat cage. It's quite sizable: about 6 feet tall, 3 feet wide, and 2 feet deep. I keep it out on the porch (which is covered; I'm in an apartment), in a spot that's out of direct sun. My cat loves it! Sometimes I can't get her out of it. Honestly, I think she'd be happy for me to buy one for inside the house, too.
Pretty much anywhere. Google it. Walmart, Amazon, Ebay, Chewy.....
Yes, I got mine at Chewy.com. It's the IRIS multi-story wire cat cage.
It went together pretty easily, except that I could not for the life of me figure out the clips, and I wound up zip-tying the portions together. But that worked. Also, the trays (which are plastic and can be removed so you can clean them) sit on top of metal grates. And they squeak. So I cut that non-stick stuff that you can use to line your kitchen cabinets, or maybe use it under your rug to keep them from slipping, down to size and put it between the grate and the tray, and that stopped the squeak. (Or at least softened it.) Another nice feature is that the doors are on each level -- biggest door on the bottom, so you can get a litterbox in if you need to. The doors swing all the way back and can be secured. So if you wanted to use the cage as a hang-out spot, but not necessarily as a cage to confine the animal, you could. The whole metal frame (once assembled) is clipped onto the bottom tray, which is on casters. You can unclip it and pull it off so you can give the bottom tray a thorough cleaning. For the one I got, the wire is not powder-coated, so it's got a little rust here and there. If I'd been smart, I might have given it a spray with some clear rustoleum spray paint, just to help protect it from the weather. Luckily, where I have it positioned, it's mostly okay.
This photo shows the size of the catio. It's pretty substantial.
I have a store-bought 3-level cat cage. It's quite sizable: about 6 feet tall, 3 feet wide, and 2 feet deep. I keep it out on the porch (which is covered; I'm in an apartment), in a spot that's out of direct sun. My cat loves it! Sometimes I can't get her out of it. Honestly, I think she'd be happy for me to buy one for inside the house, too.
Quote:
Originally Posted by catsmom21
Pretty much anywhere. Google it. Walmart, Amazon, Ebay, Chewy.....
Quote:
Originally Posted by Niftybergin
Yes, I got mine at Chewy.com. It's the IRIS multi-story wire cat cage.
It went together pretty easily, except that I could not for the life of me figure out the clips, and I wound up zip-tying the portions together. But that worked. Also, the trays (which are plastic and can be removed so you can clean them) sit on top of metal grates. And they squeak. So I cut that non-stick stuff that you can use to line your kitchen cabinets, or maybe use it under your rug to keep them from slipping, down to size and put it between the grate and the tray, and that stopped the squeak. (Or at least softened it.) Another nice feature is that the doors are on each level -- biggest door on the bottom, so you can get a litterbox in if you need to. The doors swing all the way back and can be secured. So if you wanted to use the cage as a hang-out spot, but not necessarily as a cage to confine the animal, you could. The whole metal frame (once assembled) is clipped onto the bottom tray, which is on casters. You can unclip it and pull it off so you can give the bottom tray a thorough cleaning. For the one I got, the wire is not powder-coated, so it's got a little rust here and there. If I'd been smart, I might have given it a spray with some clear rustoleum spray paint, just to help protect it from the weather. Luckily, where I have it positioned, it's mostly okay.
This photo shows the size of the catio. It's pretty substantial.
I finally just broke down and ordered one from Amazon tonight. I doubt it's as large as those you guys were speaking of my I think it will fit my needs.
I used to take our young cat out for supervised outdoor time each day. He loved to go out, even in the rain or snow. I started when he was almost a year old and stopped last year, when he was a little over 3 years old. A year ago I stopped taking him out because he was sensing some other animal and turning into a monster, and it wasn't safe for me. I do still take him out, just for a minute or two, and just to get some grass. (One day recently there was a strange cat in the yard and mine started his monster transformation. Now I generally go out first to check.)
The cat likes looking out windows, as does our other cat, and they both like sunshine. We also have a cat tree by a window. However, we only have one south window - and it is in the garage - so on sunny days the cat wants to spend all day in the garage. Sometimes that isn't possible.
DH has not been interested in the catio idea in the past, but now that our back deck is almost ready to be replaced, I'm thinking about it again. It seems like a good time to do it.
So, anyone else make a catio? Are you glad? What would you do differently if you were starting over?
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Our four year old black cat has been timidly exploring it though and getting braver each day. It should get better when she can hide behind furniture after the pool is finished and we can move things back in.
