So we decided to build this catio for them to go out and enjoy the sunshine-as brief as it may be in Idaho right now-and now it is hard to get them back in the house.
Here is a view from the tunnel we built. I removed the screen from a basement window and cut a 1/4" piece of plywood to replace it. Then I purchased a small pet door...($20 at Home Depot). I then hung some shelving that I made out of 8" wide MDF and wrapped with remnant carpet, so they jump up on a series of 3 shelves to reach the pet door. The tunnel itself is very simple: the base is a 2 x 6 pressure treated piece of lumber. Which was also purchased at the Home Depot and if you go back to where they cut lumber for customers they have an off-cut bin and you can get shorter lengths of lumber for really cheap. I bought 3 total 2 x 6 that were 5' long for only $1.00 each! I then just used some furring strips to create the U-shape. I used the same furring strips as a top rail support and then just wrap with chicken wire. I used staples to attach the wire to the wood framing.
You will soon find that the cats sometimes enjoy the tunnel more than the enclosure itself. It is almost to the point where I have to build another tunnel to avoid a traffic standstill.
This is Lucy enjoying the sunshine. |
So here it is. You can see the tunnel on the left hand side of the enclosure. The overall size is 11' x 11' x 4' tall. I installed a door with a latch so we can go if we want to. We have some chairs set up so we could coax them out. But once they understood the concept, there was no stopping them! I used standard 2x4's for the framing because I have a gallon of Olympic outdoor paint that I still need to apply to protect the wood from the weather. Pressure treated lumber would have been best to use, but if you are on a budget then you can use standard framing studs like I did....but you will need to apply a protective finish. I used steel fencing for the base exterior, again using the staples to keep it in place. I also used the green fence posts that integrate with the steel fencing. I drove four posts into the ground. Then I built four individual frames to construct the sides, back, and face. Then I just simply bolted the framed walls to the posts that were driven into the ground.
I would highly suggest this to anyone who is nervous about letting your house cats out. If you live on a busy road, or up in the mountains where there is wildlife, or even if you don't have either of these scenarios and you just want your cat to be safe. I can't believe how much they have enjoyed this so far. You will not regret creating your very own catio!
Feel free to email me if you have any questions about the construction, materials, or need help designing one for your home. kate@kateschorzman.com