The Catio!

Like a patio, but for cats. The dogs get to use it too, but the cats drew the line at calling it a doggio.

We have a really nice deck on three sides of our house. Two of those sides have been designated “catio space” so the cats can go outside, but not outside-outside, if you know what I mean. And yes, we do let some of them out the front door (that is officially “outside”), but now that the catio is done, as far as this human is concerned, there will be less time under the bushes out front, and more on the catio in the back.

Invoking the carpentry gods, who resemble both Harrison Ford and my dad.

The catio is 99.9% done. We have one panel that needs to be fastened, but for now, it is being held in place by a few well-placed pieces of wood, and a really old chair. 

Friend Peter standing at the scariest part of the job - the corner to nowhere.

Panels are being placed. (Hand built, BTW.)

Almost done! See that little piece by the side of the house? That’s the last piece to put in.

Our friend Peter came over and helped Glenn put his design together. Glenn did a fabulous job, made more difficult by the specter of my dad (rest his soul) looking over Glenn’s shoulder. My dad is a hard act to follow, because by the time I was old enough to notice, he had gained a skill level that allowed him to fix just about anything, and create something out of nothing. Yes, really. 

Glenn did tell me he asked my dad to assist him a couple of times. I know this works, because I’ve invoked daddy a time or two myself. And I could feel how proud my dad was of the work Glenn was doing. Think twice, build once. We could all live by that motto. 

Lynkxie Doodle Bug enjoying the rattiest cat tree in the west.

Anyway - the deck now has a beautiful mesh fence around it, and looks absolutely fabulous, dahling. The cats and dogs (and humans) love it. Lynkx goes out in the morning and climbs to the top of the rattiest cat tree on the planet (its seen one too many rainstorms) and sleeps in the sun. Much better than begging to go out the front door and hanging out on the deck there. 

Now, all we need are some plants to complete the ambiance, and they’ll have a deckside jungle instead of having to go out the front to get grass and a place to watch the world go by. They can see a lot more from the catio - it’s up high. Great views. Even from under a bush.