Repurposing An Old Bird Aviary For Indoor Cats Going Outside?

[Tabbytha]

My partner and I recently moved to a new rental house which has a big yard with an old bird aviary out back. My two cats are mainly indoors, but they do like their outside time. I'm hesistant to let them roam without supervision (detailed over here on this thread: Do You Have An Indoor Or Outdoor Cat, And Why?).

We can't make permanent changes to the property and don't have a lot of money to spend, which is why I thought a cat run or catio wouldn't be options.

However seeing as the bird aviary is not being used, it got me thinking...could this be a suitable outdoor space for two cats? I thought they could go in there for a short space of time (maybe 1/2 hr or 1 hr a day). I do harness them for a walk outdoors, but neither of them are big fans of this, and it's hard for me to set aside the time and be patient while they go at their own pace (they seem to love staring at grass for about 25 mins...).

On the 'hell no, that's a crazy idea' side of my thinking, is the fact that it seems odd to me to be putting my cats in a cage, even if it is a big cage (an aviary), and it would be for a short period each day. It's also at the end of the yard, so I'd need to carry my cats or put them in a carrier to get them in there in the first place. Plus I'd need to research if there are any potential diseases from birds who lived there previously that may be passed on to cats (although both of mine are vaccinated).

On the 'this could be a brilliant solution' side, is that it is a secure space in our yard that will allow them to have a change of scenery, smell the fresh air and have new stimuli. I wouldn't have to be supervising them or fretting about their whereabouts. I could do it up with some grass, plants and more perches and make it more appealing (it's pretty run-down at the moment). Plus they still could go out if it's drizzling (at the moment they can't go outside if it's raining) as it's fully covered.

Is this idea brilliant, or absurd? What would you do?

 

[Willowy]

That's very nice. Now I want to build one of those, lol! Anyway, it's up to the cats whether they'll enjoy it or not, you can give it a try. Plant some cat grass and catnip, add some cat-sized climbing things. . .I think they'll enjoy it! Although some kitties are clingy and won't like to be alone (without humans) out there. But it's worth a try.

 

[Tabbytha]

That's very nice. Now I want to build one of those, lol! Anyway, it's up to the cats whether they'll enjoy it or not, you can give it a try. Plant some cat grass and catnip, add some cat-sized climbing things. . .I think they'll enjoy it! Although some kitties are clingy and won't like to be alone (without humans) out there. But it's worth a try.

Thanks for the reply - we have so much catnip in the garden at the moment that I was thinking of transplanting it into a new tray and putting it in there. I think they'd be fine without us (in fact I think part of them trying to go outside is to get away from us!) for a short time but I'd have to make sure they had enough to keep them stimulated in there.

 

[susanm9006]

Look like a great space to me, sturdy enough so that animals can’t get at them. Is it attached so that the cats can get back indoors if they get frightened or need to?

 

[Tabbytha]

Unfortunately it's not attached to the house - it's at the back of the garden. It's sturdy and secure though.

 

[jcat]

It sounds like a great idea! You could always put a small doghouse in there where they could take refuge if frightened. It would probably be easy to attach shelves to the sides of the aviary for more vertical space.

 

[Tabbytha]

Hi everyone, just wanted to give an update. We did end up using the old bird aviary as a place to put our mostly indoor cats for when they want 'outdoor' time.

We swept it out, hung up dried catnip, added a pot of fresh catnip growing, put in some toys like a tunnel and some bouncy balls etc, and utilised the branches already in there to add a bit of greenery. We also cleaned up the shed side (which the aviary opens up into) so they have more room.

I'll try to take a pic next time to show you what it looks like.

Our cats go in here most days, for half an hour to an hour - at that point they start miaowing so I bring them back in. My little cat loves to watch all the birds (ironically outside of the aviary) and insects, while my big cat just tends to sleep.

Ideally if we ever owned our own place I'd love a cat run, but this is a good compromise to getting them some fresh air while keeping them safe.