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A Tour of Our Catio (Safe Outdoor Enclosure)
- Thread starter Hoodster
- Start Date
Hello and welcome to TCS! Thanks for posting the video.
This was our work in progress: 2 12x12 barn stalls and the outdoor cat-fenced secured compound which ran the length of 4 of those. I'll post a few of our catio, too.
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This is wonderful! What a great usage of the space under the deck, and protected from wind and rain as well. I'm sure your cats love it!
I had one built last summer. It took a few weeks for my cats to actually appreciate it (
) but now they love it. I will still utilize vertical space, but Lila has some physical limitations that make me uncomfortable having VERY high shelves, so that will be a project for another time.
I did build this bigger than I had originally planned. I have a small dog (I had two at the time), and I was noticing an increase in birds of prey, as well as seeing and hearing more coyotes than I remember. I decided to make it big enough to be a safe spot for them to be outside (especially early mornings/late nights), so it really doubles as a dog and cat proof fun zone!
I am happy with the materials, but I have noticed that the untreated wood has been attracting carpenter bees. They don't bother anyone, but I know that (either males or females) don't have stingers, but the other does and will use them if provoked, so I'm currently trying to find a way to repel them without hurting the bees or breaking the bank.
A small portion of this is covered with roofing material, and it keeps the patio dry (unless there's wind.) The bad thing is, the rain does not hit some of the grass and it has thinned out and turned to weeds. My plan is to weed mat this area and fill it with river rock. The area enclosed used to be river rock, but was not matted, so simply raking through the dirt produces tons of stones and I have more than enough to do this project.
I looked into covering it with turf, but decided against it for several reasons and have decided (while I will be adding some decorative pavers) to just keep it all natural.
I started a thread (Beneficial nematodes for flea control) on treating the area. It's June in Ohio, so fleas are definitely alive and well, but I have not seen fleas or dirt on my cats or dog for weeks. (Fall is the worst season, so we'll see how THAT update goes!)
I had one built last summer. It took a few weeks for my cats to actually appreciate it (
) but now they love it. I will still utilize vertical space, but Lila has some physical limitations that make me uncomfortable having VERY high shelves, so that will be a project for another time. I did build this bigger than I had originally planned. I have a small dog (I had two at the time), and I was noticing an increase in birds of prey, as well as seeing and hearing more coyotes than I remember. I decided to make it big enough to be a safe spot for them to be outside (especially early mornings/late nights), so it really doubles as a dog and cat proof fun zone!
I am happy with the materials, but I have noticed that the untreated wood has been attracting carpenter bees. They don't bother anyone, but I know that (either males or females) don't have stingers, but the other does and will use them if provoked, so I'm currently trying to find a way to repel them without hurting the bees or breaking the bank.
A small portion of this is covered with roofing material, and it keeps the patio dry (unless there's wind.) The bad thing is, the rain does not hit some of the grass and it has thinned out and turned to weeds. My plan is to weed mat this area and fill it with river rock. The area enclosed used to be river rock, but was not matted, so simply raking through the dirt produces tons of stones and I have more than enough to do this project.
I looked into covering it with turf, but decided against it for several reasons and have decided (while I will be adding some decorative pavers) to just keep it all natural.
I started a thread (Beneficial nematodes for flea control) on treating the area. It's June in Ohio, so fleas are definitely alive and well, but I have not seen fleas or dirt on my cats or dog for weeks. (Fall is the worst season, so we'll see how THAT update goes!)
Our catio getting some enjoyment
WOW! What a great, big, roomy catio! *And I see you're on the propane! We were, in the Mojave. I kinda miss opening the gate for the propane guy to drive all around and to the west side of the house to refill the tank.*This is wonderful! What a great usage of the space under the deck, and protected from wind and rain as well. I'm sure your cats love it!
I had one built last summer. It took a few weeks for my cats to actually appreciate it (
I did build this bigger than I had originally planned. I have a small dog (I had two at the time), and I was noticing an increase in birds of prey, as well as seeing and hearing more coyotes than I remember. I decided to make it big enough to be a safe spot for them to be outside (especially early mornings/late nights), so it really doubles as a dog and cat proof fun zone!
View attachment 451300
View attachment 451302
I am happy with the materials, but I have noticed that the untreated wood has been attracting carpenter bees. They don't bother anyone, but I know that (either males or females) don't have stingers, but the other does and will use them if provoked, so I'm currently trying to find a way to repel them without hurting the bees or breaking the bank.
A small portion of this is covered with roofing material, and it keeps the patio dry (unless there's wind.) The bad thing is, the rain does not hit some of the grass and it has thinned out and turned to weeds. My plan is to weed mat this area and fill it with river rock. The area enclosed used to be river rock, but was not matted, so simply raking through the dirt produces tons of stones and I have more than enough to do this project.
I looked into covering it with turf, but decided against it for several reasons and have decided (while I will be adding some decorative pavers) to just keep it all natural.
I started a thread (Beneficial nematodes for flea control) on treating the area. It's June in Ohio, so fleas are definitely alive and well, but I have not seen fleas or dirt on my cats or dog for weeks. (Fall is the worst season, so we'll see how THAT update goes!)
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My cats are jealous of the treasure trove of toys!!!
- Joined
- Jun 1, 2022
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- 5,159
- Purraise
- 16,091
It would have been half the size had it not been for the Papillon(s). I decided to expand it for them because I was worried a smaller area would be crowded for 3 cats and 2 small dogs.
Had I not known a good contractor that works for a reasonable price, I wouldn't have been able to do it. Plus, I got to assist quite a bit in building it, which is kind of cool.
The propane is there as back up, and every time I open the gate to let the truck in I think of Hank Hill selling propane and propane accessories!
A very simple enclosure open to the sun but with waterproof places. To be honest, they only wanted to be out there when the sun is shining. They're not so interested now, so I took it down and it's now at a cat shelter, so their cats can enjoy a bit of the outdoors.
The opening is the really big zip at the right front of the picture. The rest is metal framing and net.
The opening is the really big zip at the right front of the picture. The rest is metal framing and net.
- Joined
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LOVE this. I'm sure the cats at the shelter appreciate the donation!
