The Catio

[btdobie]

So I saw this on Facebook and thought it was pretty neat. It also turned out to be a great way to get my wife to come spend some time in the garage with me. The build is pretty simple. Just a wood box frame made of 2x3 lumber with some steel mesh around it and some old peg board for a floor, but this will be replaced by something more water resistant in the future. Currently we just leave the window open, but as the cat gets used to it I am going to introduce a sheet of plywood with a cat door in it that fits in the opening. This will help keep bugs from getting in through it and we won't have to close it when we are not around. A coat of deck stain is in the works now that I know it works.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B8aayO2j-8TrMmZ2bTRIN0ZXYms/view?usp=drivesdk


https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B8aayO2j-8TrM2dJaUJUb2hxUFk/view?usp=drivesdk


https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B8aayO2j-8TrbFNrSEZiUVlfMTA/view?usp=drivesdk


https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B8aayO2j-8TrQTFHZ3hLUV93dU0/view?usp=drivesdk

PS: I is a little crooked because I dropped it from the top of the ladder while I was mounting it which bent the angle brackets.

 

[Showboy]

I think this is pretty cool ---- plus I commend people for taking care of their animals. They are our family.

 

[Firebrand]

I'm planning to knock one of these together for our two cats but fabbed out of 2" PVC instead of wood.

This just might be the first item built from PVC not to get flamed by members on this site!

 

[saceone]

My name is Pete and I'm a cat addict


oh, and I also approve this post ! good job

 

[Hghgrad]

This is what I built for our critters...
8x12, They go through a cat door in the window screen. There's some planks and stuff for them to walk on and whatnots.

 

[CudaChick1968]

Subscribed!! We'll be putting one up shortly too off the bathroom window. It'll be bigger than yours btdobie but not quite as large as Hghgrad's. I love that second photo you shared -- reminds me of my Indy (he's almost blind but loves the outdoors).

 

[TAMPAGT07]

It also turned out to be a great way to get my wife to come spend some time in the garage with me.

I'm confused.... Why is your wife climbing out of the window in the first place? I would just ask her to spend some time with you in the first place (in the garage.)

 

[bw77]

4 years ago I put up a mesh fence designed for cats. Similar to deer fence.
I have a cat door installed in a window, and a wooded area enclosed by
about 300 linear feet of fence. It has worked out very well. We have 6
cats.

Described here:

www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=146922

 

[Hghgrad]

I refer to the one I built as the "thunderdome". Wife calls it a catio. I like thunderdome better

 

[Ole Slewfoot]

I got some stuff from a Craigslister who'd build his cat a sweet 1'x3' redwood deck outside a window and a sweet redwood ramp complete with tiny fence rail for access.
The whole thing was built like an expensive deck, but almost all end cuts from a job.