Archive for July, 2010
Harvie and her husband decided to build not one, but two custom catios at their home in Fresno, California. These gorgeous spaces, full of light and color, look like a perfect cat paradise and a wonderful place to hang out with feline family members.
To start the project, they first enclosed a large covered patio area that faces toward their lovely pool and backyard. They hired Tom Whitling of The Avian Home, a custom builder who specializes in bird aviaries. This is the first cat enclosure that he has worked on. Tom pre-constructed the custom panels and then secured them in place with concrete bolts and screws into the stucco walls. All the panels were painted before installation, as you can see below.
After the panels were in place, Harvie and her husband went back and caulked around the bottom to keep water and bugs out, plus they added clear Plexiglas panels along the bottom portion on the outside of the panels to keep out rain spatters, water from the pool sweep, and dust from the gardener’s leaf blower.
They added two shelves, one at waist height and another way up high, for kitty climbing, plus lots of cat trees, scratchers, a litter box, and food and water. Comfy human furniture, colorful decor, and a ceiling fan add just the right touches to make everyone feel right at home.
The cats access the catio through the sliding glass doors, which have cat flaps installed in the screens. There is an alternative entrance into this catio from the kitchen window.
Since the first catio was such a success, Harvie and her husband decided to add a smaller catio off the master bedroom. This catio also has a climbing shelf, cat trees, and a loveseat.
As if living in California isn’t nice enough, these lucky kitties sure do have a wonderful home!
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.
ENTER TO WIN!
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
for $129.99
Coming Soon: The Kritter Kondo Deluxe including a collapsible shade canopy and doors on both ends.
