r/Catio

Hey everyone,

Long time lurker. I've built both the window unit and standalone one here. I'm trying different materials to build a tunnel of sorts and connect them. So far I have not been successful. Does anyone have ideas on how to do this? I need the tunnel to be 3.5 ft sloped down and 2 ft straight. Unless there's an option to do both? Plz help. Thanks!

Our beloved baby boy keeps trying to bring in mice he’s captured in the catio. He is not killing them, just playing and maiming with them until we can get out to remove the mice. We’ve had one in the house and two that we’ve managed to prevent by locking the cat flap when spotted.
Does anyone have any advice on how we can prevent mice from entering such a deadly zone?! We’d have thought the stink of a big boy cat would keep them away.

We had a cheap Temu catio that our two cats really enjoyed. It was destroyed last July in a windstorm so we took the opportunity to upgrade significantly. My older cat didn't love the new one but did OK while my younger would flat refuse to be brought in! But beginning a few weeks ago the older despises being in it and the younger has started following her example. It should be noted that weather is changing, and what were morning temps in the high 80s and low 90s are now 30 degrees cooler, but still pleasant. I've attached some pics of the new catio and would love to hear suggestions on how I might make the cats more comfortable out there. Alternatively, if weather change really is that big a deal I can move it off my patio for now and get space back until it warms back up next year.

Edit: many have suggested connecting it so the cats can come and go as they please. As much as I would love to do this there is just no way without breaching an exterior wall. We haven't entirely ruled this out (we're cat owners after all 🙃) but it's a Spring project at this point. Also, I can't find any pics of the previous catio but it was positioned in the same place as this one and was if anything more exposed and with less-comfortable resting areas. It did not have come and go access. The biggest difference between then and now are temperatures.

My catio builder just came by for a delivery of items to drop off. Plus started the first tunnel. (My Catio company has to travel in to me, so it’s a few weeks between when they come out.) but they are the best, so I’m happy to wait given the quality of the work they do. And the custom bubbles are done! Will be so exciting to have those go up. I hope my cats 🐈‍⬛ use them. 😭

My neighbor is trapping my tnr cats and sending them to the kill shelter. He is working within his rights as where I live considers “stray” animals nuisances if on someone else’s property. So we need to find a permanent solution to keep them safe and contained. We want to start with this and cat proof it and maybe in the future when it’s calmed down, expand upon it. Are there any recommendations for cat proofing, cat enriching, and weathering?

There’s 5 outside cats and I live in southern Maryland so the weather gets pretty cold in the winter and we get snow. And pretty hot in the summer. We want to make a roof of course. If anyone has any ideas I’d really really really appreciate hearing them. This is an urgent, upsetting situation.

I’ve had a few requests for cat tax 😭 - it doesn’t look like I can add pics to my previous post. So here is Sophie. Also pic of the “birdhouse” cat hidey hole to go in the catio.

Does anyone have a good suggestion on how to secure this window, so my cat can get in and out, but no bugs or anything else?

I’ve already had a frog, a lizard, and a spider come in through the window.

My cat needs 24hr access outside. Any ideas?