Domestic cats can thrive in a contained environment

Building a Catio

What is a catio?

A catio is a secure outdoor cat enclosure, or “cat patio” for your cat and domestic cats can thrive in these contained environments. Contained cats can live up to four times longer than roaming cats, and can live happy, healthy and fulfilled lives if all of their needs are met in the contained environment. Catios are a great way of allowing your cat to enjoy the sights, sounds and smells of the outdoors while keeping them safe and protecting our native wildlife.

Catio Rebate 2024-25

A $200 rebate to help build your catio is available for cat owners living within the Geographe Catchment area, including full extent of the following local government areas; City of Busselton, Augusta Margaret River Shire, Capel Shire & Donnybrook-Balingup Shire (excluding cat prohibited areas).

Keeping Cats Happy in Catios

Dr Kate Lindsey from Kalmpets provides her advice for keeping cats inside or enclosed in a catio or cat enclosure. Kate is a cat behaviourist with a wealth of knowledge on cat behaviour, enrichment and keeping cats happy and safe inside.

Why build a catio?

Top 10 Benefits of a Catio

Catios will support you and your cat by:

Protecting your cat from vehicles, poisons, diseases accidents, or getting lost.
Reducing vet bills from cat fights, ingesting toxins or injuries.
Protecting birds and wildlife: billions of birds are killed each year by roaming cats.
Reducing roaming populations and the issues they cause, including more roaming cats.
Providing a healthy outdoor lifestyle with exercise, fresh air, bird watching, sunbathing, jumping, climbing and running.
Reducing multi-cat issues with increased territory and multiple options for some ‘alone’ time.
Enriching cat and human companionship by providing shared healthy outdoor spaces to relax in.
Reducing indoor odours by giving outdoor toilet options.
Improving neighbour relations – made easier when your cat stays on your side of the fence!
Providing you with peace of mind, knowing your cat is safe in a protected and secure environment.

Tips for getting started

Get to Know Your Cat

It’s important to understand the individual needs of your cat before transitioning them to a catio.

Provide the basics and enrichment

Set up a feeding and drinking station, litter tray, scratching post, safe area, play toys and a perch. Get creative with your enrichment and remember that games which allow cats to fulfill their predatory behaviour – and win – will reduce their anxiety and frustration. Many cats also enjoy vertical enrichment and vantage points, so incorporate these into your indoor or catio space.

Start slow

If you are planning to build a catio or cat run, follow the same steps for indoor cats; establishing routines and gradually keeping your cat indoors for more time of the day. Once your cat is accustomed to being contained in your home, you can introduce it to the catio or cat run and establish your enrichment and routines in this space, as well as indoors.

Make your pet a playground

Types of Catios

There are always opportunities to expand your cat’s territory in a responsible way. Even if you are not able to build a catio structure there is plenty you can do indoors to enrich your feline’s environment.

Covered catio

These can be either attached to an existing structure (house, garage, fence or shed) or freestanding. The total containment gives you full peace of mind knowing your cat will not get out and wildlife cannot get in.

Open catio

These do not have overhead containment and rely totally on discouraging your cat from climbing over the property fences or walls, either using commercially bought ‘paddles’ that spin, or inward angled netting. Wildlife (flying and climbing) can still access the catio, so extra care should be taken with design and plant selection.

Indoor playground

Cats love high vantage points and being able to observe life outside. Easy access to window(s) and viewing perches is important, so they can engage with the sights, sounds, and smells of the great outdoors.

For all types of catios, there are lots of ways you can help satisfy the inner house panther by

increasing the area your cat can explore,
introducing level changes and perches or raised walkways with observation decks and resting platforms,
providing lots of choice – in bedding, scratchy surfaces (vertical, horizontal), and places to hide or explore (tunnels, boxes), and
including things your cat can sniff or nibble (cat grass is a must have item!).

DIY or choose a contractor

Building a Catio

There are endless commercial and DIY options for catios to suit all budgets, tastes and locations. To get started creating your own catio, you will need to consider:

Which part of the garden/house works best (circulation, sun/shade)?
How will my cat access the catio (tunnel, window, door, wall cut)?
What space and budget is available?
How will you access the catio?
Will you build it or get someone to install it for you?
What construction style is the best suited to your situation?
What materials and finishes for building and features is cat safe?

Catio construction

Catios range in size, shape and materials from timber and wire window boxes to metal frame and mesh walk-in structures, to expansive netted garden areas.

The key elements of a catio are: