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Choosing the Best Type of Catio for your Home

Catiospaces Types Of Catios Cat Enclosures Window Catio

Adding a catio to your home allows your cat to safely venture out to enjoy the enrichment of the outdoors and provides peace of mind for you.  

What type of catio should you choose?

Small and simple, or large and luxurious?

Should you construct it on your deck, porch, or patio, or build it in the yard where the grass can tickle your cat’s toes?

Where would your cat want to spend time outdoors?

When choosing the right type of catio for your home, consider these five important factors:

  • How much outdoor space do you have in your yard?
  • Where is a convenient location that offers sun and stimulating views?
  • How will your cat access their new catio?
  • What is your catio-building budget?
  • How will your catio complement your home and cat’s life?

1. HOW MUCH OUTDOOR SPACE DO YOU HAVE?

Any home can have a catio, but the size of your yard, deck, patio, porch, or balcony will influence the type you ultimately choose to build. Catios can be located next to and attached to your home or further away in the yard connected by cat tunnels. If locating your catio away from the house, keep in mind local regulations may require you to build the catio a set number of feet away from your neighbor’s property line. No matter the catio size you choose, many options are available to suit your home and your feline’s fancy.

Let’s explore various catio types from small to large for your home and garden:

THE WINDOW BOX CATIO: A COMPACT PERCH FOR SMALL SPACES

Catiospaces Diy Catio Plans Windowbox

For the most compact spaces, a Window Box Catio is ideal. It sits securely upon wood angle support braces attached to the house and is perfect for sliding and sash-type windows. A polycarbonate roof provides weather protection, or you can choose a wire mesh roof option. The window box can even be mounted completely under the windowsill with cat access through a wall-mounted cat door. If attaching the catio directly to your home isn’t an option, you can secure it to a tabletop with legs or a vertical 4×4 post (we have lots of Window Box Catio building tips here.)

The Window Box DIY Plan is available in three sizes (small, medium, and large) ranging from 30” to 90” wide, you can paint the catio to complement your home. Each has plenty of room for your cat to nap, and you can add a nearby birdfeeder to keep them fascinated for hours every day.

THE HAVEN:  A SMALL FOOTPRINT WITH VERTICAL SHELVES

Haven Diy 2up Catiospaces

The Haven catio is a beautiful, compact, 3-sided catio ideal for a deck, patio, porch, or garden. If you have limited space, the Haven maximizes vertical height and horizontal movement with shelves and perches for your cat to enjoy. The height of the catio allows you to add a cat door through a window, wall, or door and is tall enough for you to join your cat through the human-sized door, too. DIY Plans for the Haven are available in two space-saving sizes: 3’×6’ and 4’×8’. Like all of our catios, it features a polycarbonate or wire mesh roof option.

THE TUNNEL CATIO: ENDLESS OPTIONS, FROM SMALL TO LARGE

Catiospaces Diy Catio Plans Tunnel

You might call our Cat Tunnel a window box catio gone wild! Endlessly customizable, the 8’ long tunnel can be attached to the side of your home, taking up only the smallest amount of space, or it can ramble unobtrusively around the edges of your yard and fence with multiple elevation changes. Super versatile, the Cat Tunnel DIY plan can be combined with other Catio Spaces DIY Plans, adding additional opportunities for your cat to explore.

THE SANCTUARY CATIO: SPACIOUS FOR YOU AND YOUR CAT

Catiospaces Diy Catio Plans Sanctuary Exterior Plan
If you have a spacious patio, deck, or garden, the 3-sided Sanctuary Catio is a purrfect choice. Larger in size, it not only maximizes vertical and horizontal movement with shelves and perches for your cat, but it also has plenty of space for human seating for you to enjoy the catio lifestyle. Secured against an exterior wall of your home, your cat can access the catio through a cat door placed in a window, door, or through a wall. The Sanctuary DIY Catio Plans are available in two sizes, 6’×8’ and 8’×10’.

THE OASIS: LARGE ENOUGH FOR YOUR GRANDEST CATIO DREAMS

Catiospaces Diy Catio Plans Oasis Tunnel

If the sky’s the limit when it comes to space, the Oasis Catio & Tunnel DIY Plan is just waiting for you to bring your cat’s catio dream to life. It could be tucked to the side of your yard, or go ahead and make it the statement piece for your garden! This four-sided stand-alone catio can connect to your home with a versatile Cat Tunnel. There’s more than enough room for you to add comfortable lounging furniture for both you and your cat, with the 8’×8’ and 8’×10’ catio plan sizes.

2. LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION

Where can you build a catio? So many places!

  • Off a window
  • On your deck, porch, or balcony
  • On a patio
  • On your lawn or garden

When choosing the location for your catio, it’s essential to ensure the surface is level to ensure a successful project. For example, an uneven lawn or garden can be leveled, or you can build your catio on an existing patio or deck. If patio pavers have heaved out of position over time, you’ll want to re-level them, and if your porch or deck needs painting, staining, or repair, it’s best to address that task before beginning catio construction.

Catiospaces Types Of Catios Cat Enclosures Catio Porch

If you plan to build your catio on the porch or deck that is the primary access to your home, set the catio off to the side of your main door rather than having visitors walk through the catio to access your home. 

Catiospaces Nyc Catio

Are city dwellers doomed to a catio-less lifestyle if you own a condo or apartment with no yard or porch? Not if you have a balcony or rooftop!
Check out these urban catios>>

Another question to ask yourself is, where would your cat naturally want to spend time?

Even when space is unlimited, there will be locations around your home that are more (or less) suitable for your cat’s enjoyment. Take into consideration the following:

  • Cats love the sun. An ideal location has part-sun to full sun (shade can be created by adding shade cloth and cat houses). Pick a side of your home so your cat can bask in the sun, and the catio will dry quickly after rain showers.
  • Stimulating Views. Cats are curious creatures, so choose a location with a view of an expansive garden and opportunities for bird watching and family activities. Avoid an area with nearby obstructions like a fence, the side of a shed, or a garage. If you are limited to a narrow space between houses, you can add native plants and a birdfeeder for enrichment.
  • Avoid alarming noises. A neighbor’s constantly barking dog, an air conditioner, or vehicles pulling in and out of your driveway might cause your cat to shun their new catio digs, so avoid these locations.

3. CHOOSING A CAT DOOR: GATEWAY TO THE GREAT OUTDOORS

Cat Door Catio Title Cropped Catiospaces Img 0753 2 Cropped Wm

Every home’s interior and exterior are unique, so once you’ve chosen the type of catio that fits your space and the best possible building location, it’s time to explore how your cat will enter the catio. You have more options than you might have realized.

A cat door can be added to:

  • slider windows
  • sash windows (opens up/down)
  • patio slider doors
  • exterior walls
  • exterior doors

The options for installing a cat door may influence where you ultimately choose to build your catio, especially if you prefer to use a window or patio slider insert rather than cut a hole through a wall or door.

Types of Cat Doors for your Catio

Cat Door Catio Slider Window Catiospaces 320wm

Slider Window

Cat Door Catio Sash Window Catiospaces 510wm

Sash Window

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Patio Slider Door

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Wall 

Door Cat Door Catiospaces Dscn8740 Wm

Door

As you think about what type of cat door you will choose, be sure to visit our detailed resource that covers everything you need to know about cat doors, including installation tips, security, controlling your cat’s outdoor time, and our top cat door picks.

4. CHOOSE A CATIO THAT FITS YOUR BUDGET

Cat Door Catio Title Cropped Catiospaces Img 0753 2 Cropped Wm
Cat Door Catio Title Cropped Catiospaces Img 0753 2 Cropped Wm

A catio is an investment in the safety and wellbeing of your cat and provides peace of mind for you. Materials for building a catio are readily available and purchased at your local lumber or home improvement store. While a larger catio is a greater investment in building supplies and construction hours, you can always start small with a Window Box or Haven catio and “go big” with catio additions later.

Regardless of the catio size, our award-winning DIY Catio Plans are built as panels placed on top of a ground frame for ease of assembly (or relocation, if needed). If you want inspiration to add more adventure to your cat’s life in the future, check out Serena’s Garden Getaway catios and the Colorful Catio Menagerie featuring four catios and 150 feet elevated cat tunnels!

5. HOW YOUR CATIO WILL COMPLEMENT YOUR HOME & CAT’S LIFE.

No longer confined to metal cages, wood-framed DIY catios can be painted, stained, and decorated to complement your home, personal style and provide kitty enrichment. Cat-safe plants, toys, scratchers, and bird feeders offer additional stimulation. You can also add a DIY Catio Litter Box or Bench Litter Box for convenience and to help reduce indoor litter odors; however, it should never replace your indoor litter box. 

Larger catios offer space for human enjoyment too (think “she shed” for you and your cat!). Add an outdoor rug, seating, pillows, and decor to create a mutually enjoyable, safe outdoor space. After all, time spent in nature and bonding with your cat is good for you too.

Every day is full of fun in a catio! Here’s a whisker-close video showcase featuring various catios and the happy cats enjoying a carefree catio lifestyle.

 

It’s easy to build a catio with a DIY Catio Plan!    

Build a catio yourself, or hire a local carpenter to build the plan for you. DIY Catio Plans by Catio Spaces are designed to make the process easy-to-follow and rewarding to build. Each plan includes step-by-step instructions, diagrams, and a material and tool list. Your cat will thank you for it. Best of all, your project not only enriches your cat’s life it also benefits other animals in need. 10% per plan purchase is donated to an animal or wildlife welfare organization!

Diy Catio Plans 8 Up With Litter Boxes 1200 942.catiospaces
Learn More About DIY Catio Plans

Custom Catios

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Interested in a Custom Catio?

From simple to sublime, we build custom catios for a window, porch, patio, deck, garden or yard that will complement your home. Serving the greater Seattle area.

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