Cats are one of the most curious animals around the world, so it’s no question when they try their hardest to get out of your house through the door or even the window. But, there is a great solution to this problem: catios.
Yes, catios came from the word patio, which means an outdoor space used for recreation. With the term “catio,” it means an outdoor space for cats! Catios are enclosures that are designed to secure cats, but at the same time, let them experience the outdoors in a safe environment.
What’s great about a catio is that you can do it yourself depending on your cat’s personality and what kind of design you ought to make it. Most catios are made with heavy plastic for its roof and walls.
“It’s nice to have. I mean, they go in and out constantly all day,” says Ian Graham, who built a catio for their two cats with his wife. “We did a couple of scribbles on the ol’ pad and pencil, and came up with a design and basically picked up what we thought we needed for supplies.”
You can build a catio for your pets to have play areas, which could increase their activity level. Catios can excite them of the outdoors without risking them of the dangers of the outside, like passing vehicles, unfriendly animals, diseases, harsh weather conditions, and even humans!
There are a lot of domestic cats proven to decrease their activity levels after staying at home most of the time, resulting to laziness and weight problems.
Graham shared their cats could access the catio from a small magnetic cat door that rests within the window frame from inside their house. The door then leads to a small enclosure with metal fencing, which can provide their cats some daylight and fresh air.
“We’ve got a tunnel, we have a tent, we have a scratching post and some ramps. And we actually hid in some little rats as well, so they don’t have to bring in the live ones,” Graham told CBC.
You might want to read:
– A football fundraiser for felines: Pamingming Cup
– Clingy cats: Dealing with separation anxiety in felines
– Cats bond with their owners like a child bonds with their parents
