The winner of the Kritter Kondo Deluxe, chosen in a random drawing, is Mason Canyon (comment #3)! Now your kitties can enjoy some outdoor time in safety and comfort! Enjoy!
The Kritter Kondo Deluxe is now available at Amazon for $159.99, and the Original Kritter Kondo is $129.99.
Basil Farrow — formerly owned by Mia Farrow, now fiercely adored by his new mom, Gothic Lolita fashionista La Carmina — likes to enjoy a cup of tea on his private catio in Vancouver. It’s always nice to take a little break from the paparazzi, and what better place than outside catching a warm summer breeze.
La Carmina enclosed the balcony for Basil Farrow using plastic fencing that extends up to the railing and curves over to discourage jumping, which I’m told Basil Farrow isn’t really interested in doing anyway. A baby gate was installed at the top of the stairs leading to the back yard. This isn’t the kind of catio for rambunctious cats, but Basil Farrow is quite well-mannered (no jumping or escaping), plus he is always supervised on his catio, I’m assuming by his bodyguards.
Read more about Basil Farrow’s catio on La Carmina’s blog.
Kritter Kommunity has just announced the launch of their brand new Kritter Kondo Deluxe, and this is your chance to win one! The original Kritter Kondo was invented by Lisa Illman, President and Founder of Kritter Kommunity, who was looking for a way to safely allow her cats to enjoy a little outdoor time. Due to city building codes, Lisa was not able to build a custom catio for her cats, so instead she designed a portable structure that is easy to set-up, water resistant, and easy to store. Lisa’s cats loved the Kritter Kondo and she started receiving requests from friends and family for the product, so she created her company to manufacture and market portable outdoor pet enclosures.
The most recent addition to the product line-up is the deluxe version of the Kritter Kondo featuring a shade canopy, doors on both ends, and a carrying case. The Kritter Kondo Deluxe sells for $154.99.
One lucky reader is going to receive a Kritter Kondo Deluxe! To enter the giveaway, please leave a comment on this post. The winner will be chosen in a random drawing on July 24, 2010. One entry per person. This giveaway is limited to addresses in the US and Canada.
Living in a third-floor railroad car apartment in Brooklyn, you don’t have many options for allowing cats outdoors, but Frances got creative and made a lush little catio on her fire escape. Using pre-cut lumber and easy to carry materials from her local hardware store, she enclosed the area and added lots of greenery. The cats seem to be enjoying their little getaway.
Here’s a view of the fire escape B.C. (before catio).
Lynn had this lovely catio added on to her home in New York. She hired a handyman to build the structure on top of the existing deck using wood to match. The entire structure is enclosed with wire mesh that almost disappears. There’s a door with a latch so people can get out into the yard, as long as they remember to close the door behind them.
Great job, Lynn! The cats sure do seem to be enjoying it.
If you don’t have the luxury of building a permanent outdoor space for your cats, then portable enclosures might be just the thing for you. The Kritter Kondo is a new outdoor enclosure that folds easily and stores in a relatively small space. This lightweight, sturdy structure is water resistant, in case it gets left out in the rain, plus it comes with its own carrying case. The Kritter Kondo is a one-piece structure that sets-up in just a few seconds with no building or tools required.
Available from Amazon
Coming Soon: The Kritter Kondo Deluxe including a collapsible shade canopy and doors on both ends.
I started this blog a while ago, when I was designing my own catio, as a way to gather my research in one place. Now that the finishing touches are complete, I figured I should show you the results, plus the topic of catio design is gaining national recognition with a recent article in the New York Times.
My 1100 sq ft condo in Central Phoenix came with a nice back patio that was already walled in, however, the wall was easily scalable so it was off limits for my cats until I could enclose it. My good friend Mike was the real force behind the catio. He helped me design and build the structure by extending the roof and creating metal mesh panels to connect the concrete block walls to the roof line. Here are some before and after photos:
You can see the old rotting patio cover and the bougainvillea plants that had to go.
We used sturdy metal roofing material over a solid wood frame. The metal mesh for the side panels came from a local metal supply store. We had it powder coated for durability. Mike made sure there are absolutely no escape holes.
I added climbing shelves and an enclosed litter box area at one end with a sisal wrapped scratching post that extends all the way to the ceiling. This is a popular feature. The more agile cats can climb all the way up the pole to the top shelf.
I’ve filled the catio with all sorts of products that my cats love, like a two-story cat condo from Modern Cat Designs, The Cat’s Trapeze (hanging in the middle), a Litter Pod (used for lounging instead of litter), a Scratch N Slumber comfort center, and various scratchers and other toys. There’s also a rattan lounge chair from Ikea and a bistro table and two chairs so I can join the cats on the catio.
Having a catio is a dream come true for both me and the cats. They love to be able to get fresh air and watch the birds, and I love that they are safe from harm. We plan to enjoy this catio for many years.
Beverly lives in Thorpe Bay, Essex just outside Southend on Sea in the United Kingdom. She built this fabulous enclosed cat run for her Maine Coons, Norwegian Forest Cats, and her moggies, a British term for house cats.
This custom cat enclosure was designed and built by the Australian company, Advanced Cat Enclosures (ACE). The owners of ACE, Sue and Steve Williams, have been building cat enclosures for fourteen years and they have excellent suggestions on their website for people who are considering building a cat enclosure.
Check out some of the other enclosures from Advanced Cat Enclosures in their gallery.
David and Mary really made the most of a small space and a tiny budget when they created this treetop catio for their cats in Austin, Texas. They started with a 4 x 7 foot balcony nestled in the trees. Using only $75 of materials, they built lightweight walls, screened it in with sturdy plastic netting, and added a plastic tarp roof cover for shade and light rain protection. Since the walls are stone and the exterior door is metal, they couldn’t add a kitty door, so they just leave the door open for the cats who love to sit on the ledges and watch the squirrels and birds…just out of reach in the trees. Deer passing through the yard just below the balcony provide additional entertainment.
Jamaka and her husband created an elaborate cat enclosure on this property in the Mojave desert. They started by enclosing the outdoor area next to the 4-stall stable, but they didn’t stop there. They insulated two of the stalls, poured a concrete slab which was covered with all-weather boat deck carpeting, installed cat doors for indoor/outdoor access, and they even went so far as to install a swamp cooler and misters for the summer months and a heater to keep it nice and toasty in the winter. Elevated sleeping cubicles and a corner multi-level platform add extra spots for perching and napping to these special accommodations.
Back at the house, they added a catio for the indoor crew. Cat doors allow easy access and a 3-perch climbing structure along with rugs, pillows, and a variety of toys and interactive exercisers complete the environment. A perfect desert oasis for some very lucky cats!
After Russ and Laura moved into this cozy little house in Kanab, Utah, they acquired a few new furry household members, so they added on not one, not two, but three awesome catios to accommodate their growing family. First, they enclosed the front porch by extending a half wall to the ceiling with welded wire mesh. There is also a 10 foot by 10 foot enclosed space that is 14 feet tall. This one is the cats’ favorite. And finally there is a 10 foot by 30 foot space that started off as a jump-proof dog run but turned out to be quite popular with both the dogs and cats. What an awesome way to make sure that everyone has plenty of room to coexist.
I was first introduced to the term “catio” at Best Friends Animal Sanctuary in Kanab, Utah. Best Friends is the largest no-kill animal sanctuary in the United States, and they house hundreds of cats at a time in what they call Cat World. As you would expect, this is the place to find some of the best catio design around.
The cats live in beautiful houses designed especially for them. Each house is divided into multiple interior rooms and each room has its own attached catio. The catio spaces are enclosed with heavy-duty metal framing and wire mesh. Each catio is filled with a variety of climbing structures, scratching surfaces, and napping spots.
The cats can easily go back and forth between the catio and their indoor room, which is also fitted with climbing shelves, windowsills, and napping cubbies. There are many wonderful cats waiting to be adopted, so the next time you’re in southern Utah, stop by Cat World to see the catios and visits these fabulous felines.
Photos by Peter Wolf.
Amy and Erick built this fabulous “catararium,” as they call it, at their home in Seattle for their six permanent feline family members, plus the others that they foster for a local no-kill rescue. After building this enclosure and seeing the benefits that it provides, Amy and Erick have decided to start a business creating enclosures for others. A Room to Roam – Outdoor Cat Enclosures will launch in spring 2009, featuring custom cat enclosures as well as a freestanding, portable enclosure that’s perfect for use at apartments. What apartment manager could say no to that? Stay tuned for more details and a link to the company website, coming soon.
This incredible cat enclosure is packed with breathtaking features to make any cat (or human) as content as can be. Jeanette and Murray created this amazing space in their hometown of Albany in Western Australia. The enclosure includes a waterfall made from local stone with tunnels and a cave underneath. The pond and fountain are surrounded by tropical fig and palm trees, adding a touch of paradise. A spiral staircase, bridges, and overhead shelves give the cats plenty of places to run and play while the benches provide a comfy spot for people to share the space with these lucky felines. Read more about this heavenly oasis here.
Welcome to Sally’s Cat House, an elaborate cat enclosure built for Sally’s 16 rescued cats. Features include a sisal wrapped scratching pole, lots of carpeted shelves for climbing and napping, and even a water fountain (which has been removed due to the amount of maintenance required to keep it safe for drinking.)
Sally added a special access ramp from an upstairs window into the enclosure and a trap door that leads to the enclosed area under the deck. There are lots of great tips on building cat enclosures and links to related resources on Sally’s website.
This catio was created for Blue and Bessie at their home in Oregon. The 8′ x 5′ structure is framed in cedar and covered with heavy-gauge vinyl coated wire mesh. A cat door into the house makes for easy access 24/7, which allows Blue and Bessie to bring in lots of little creatures as gifts for their people. Read more about this project here.
This spacious cat enclosure was built for Eileen’s lucky cats at their house in Minnesota. The thoughtful design includes easy access for humans as well as a tunnel leading from the house, across the deck and into the large enclosed area.
