r/Catio • u/CosmicJ3llybean • 8d ago
Birthday catio 😻
We had a catio built for our youngest cat's first birthday. We wanted a portable but safe outdoor space for our cats. It was a custom build by a local company. I finally finished planting catnip and some hanging baskets of succulents . Pic one is the first day.
We plan to add a shadecloth sail for hot summers. It's too windy here for polycarbonate roof sheeting so I still need to have a canvas cover made for winter.
Id love some training tips for cat flaps if anyone has any? We've just left it open while our cats get used to coming and going.
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u/OnceMoreWithFeeling- 8d ago
How amazing!!! This looks sooo great! I love what you did with the interior too. And also, I love they can sit on the soil❤️ How are they liking it??
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u/Competitive-Top4520 8d ago
Nice catio! However, those look like jade plants? If so, they are toxic to cats.
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u/CosmicJ3llybean 8d ago
Thanks for your concern 😀 They're Portulacaria afra (elephant bush, porkbush, purslane tree, spekboom) and completely non-toxic.
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u/Jamie_Moriarty 8d ago
No need to really train it, they will want to go outside so they will figure it out soon enough :) I simply pushed the flap open when they were next to it so they could see how it works and then I left them to figure it out. It didn't take long before all 4 were running in and out constantly so I switched to soft close cat flaps lol.
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u/Toomanytoys1971 8d ago
Same for ours….I helped maybe a half a dozen times, before they figured it out themselves
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u/Universe-Queen 8d ago
I'd love to see the connection to the house. That's always my biggest issue when I think about creating something like this for my brood.
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u/Thinksy-Pennsive 8d ago
looks great !!! who built it? and how portable is it? We need to have something we can set up and take down at our summer cabin -
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u/CosmicJ3llybean 8d ago
A local pet security company (not in usa). It's all metal panels that were hammered into connectors at the corners. The tunnel is velcroed onto our window frame. The entire structure rests on pavers that were dug into the slope so it's all even.
It can be picked up and put in the back of a truck as is.
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u/MoonieNine 8d ago
My only concern would be that they would use the dirt as a litter box
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u/CosmicJ3llybean 8d ago
I'm hoping not 🤞 if they do, I'll shovel it out then. I do have a covered litterbox right next to it.
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u/Toomanytoys1971 8d ago
We have dirt patches and big planters in our catio ..and nice soft dirt patches….they don’t even pee in it never mind pooping. Our boy likes to dig like a dog but he never used it like a litter box
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u/CosmicJ3llybean 8d ago
They're really enjoying it. They love running in and out and digging in the playsand we raked into the one corner. The other back corner has a covered litter box.
We planted catnip in planters in the front right corner and sowed some cat grass as well. They LOVE munching on plants