Cat run / catio

SillyMangoX

It's finally happening, I've finally won round the argument to get a catio!

So, those of you who do have one.. would you mind if I picked your brains? Has anyone bought a ready made one vs having one built?

What kind of price did you pay for it?

What size would be suitable for two cats? (or possibly 3.. shh watch this space )

Do you have a sort of house in it, or parts shaded off to protect from sun/rain?

How do you deal with food/water bowls and litter trays to stop them getting too wet in our lovely climate?

Grass or concrete?

Wood or metal?

What kind of ''enrichment'' do you have in there? Toys, shelves, scratch posts etc.

Thanks

waterfaerie

I never thought I'd hear of anyone else doing this in Ireland! We built one ourselves, having seen how popular they are in other parts of the world.

It's great for the cats to be able to get out in the fresh air without the hazards of being let totally loose.

We did a lot of research online. Most of the useful info you will get from places like Australia or NZ. They are big into DIY over there and don't generally go in for paying someone else to do a job you can do yourself, so they have lots of info for DIY projects like this online. I've seen DIY ones in the US as well. I don't remember any specific websites offhand but a google search gave us lots of info easily.

If you're in any way handy at all I would suggest it. All you really need is the time to do it. Ours was very easy to build and took about a week. That would have been spending between 2-4 hours per day on it. It cost about 250-300 euro for materials. I remember pricing up ready made ones and you'd only get a small cage for that price.

Ours is a lean-to type structure attached to one side of our house. It's 6m x 3m and it's full standing /walk-in height. We thought it was quite big when we built it, but now we are considering a bigger one in the future. We have three cats. They actually have plenty of space and they often run, play and chase each other, but it's really us that would prefer more space, as we like to spend time out there with them.

It's a basic timber frame with mesh "walls" and a corrugated plastic roof that slopes away from the house. We found McMahons the cheapest place to get the mesh. We used heavy gauge mesh with 50mm squares. We found B+Q the cheapest for the plastic roofing (but don't buy any fixings there as it's a rip off).

The corrugated plastic is great. It worked out to be the same price, if not cheaper, than a full mesh roof would have been. It lets the light and sun in and it's quite rain proof, unless it's one of those windy days when the rain comes in sideways! Even then, the rain doesn't get to the inner part of it. We have comfy garden furniture set up there permanently and it stays generally dry.

We have a cat flap into the house so the cats come and go freely between the kitchen and the catio. Their food and water is inside. I wouldn't leave it out unless you have some way of rodent proofing it.

The litter tray is outside, which is great for smells. We have one of those covered ones and it's in the most sheltered part of the catio so it stays dry.

Ours is on a sort of gravely area, as that was what was already there outside the house. I would suggest some sort of outdoor flooring like decking or something. We decided against it for budget reasons but the cats do occasionally bury their mess in the soil/gravel area outside of the litter tray. When we upgrade we will definitely splash out for some decking or paving. We would also like to have a grassy section in it as well but definitely no bare earth or gravel!

As for shade, we have lots of plants out there and the cats can go inside if they want so it's not a problem. Because we built it in a reasonably sheltered sun trap, it actually gets to a really nice temperature out there even in the winter. The cats are good at finding little corners that are a comfortable temperature for them in different types of weather.

We have one of those cat climbing frame / scratching tree things. It's quite a big one. They love sitting on top of it keeping an eye out, mostly watching birds that they can't get at through the mesh! We also have some wooden platforms at different heights.

The cats also sometimes like to climb the mesh but we had anticipated that and made the structure strong enough for it. They like to get as far as the roof and them jump onto the furniture or us!

I hope that's been helpful. I'd be interested to know how you get on.

boomerang

Check out the group "Cat Gardens, Enclosures UK' on facebook

I have two catios!

jimf

https://www.pinterest.com/lisalarchyk/catio/

might give u some ideas


great idea they can be outdoors without the worry

SillyMangoX

Thanks for the advise!!
I was thinking of putting in a small shed or something for shelter but have come up with a new plans.. do ye think this will work?
I'm going to get a mobile home set up in my garden that I'll be running a business from, so I was thinking of putting it onto the back of the mobile home so having that as the 4th wall, then having one room set up as a cat room. I could put a cat flap in the window and a little ramp leading up to it so they could get in out of the rain, and keep the food rodent free. Then I could have the whole thing the length and height of the mobile home and go back maybe about 3 metres for the depth of it.. does that sound like it could work?!
Will be my first attempt at DIY so it could be.. interesting :pac:

waterfaerie

That sounds like a great set up.

It may be even easier to cut through a wall of the mobile home instead of a window for the cat flap. I think glass needs specialist cutting but mobile home walls are quite thin as far as I know, so I'd imagine it would be a quick and simple job to cut a hole. Another advantage of that would be that you could locate the cat flap down closer to the ground and therefore need less of a ramp.

Themadhouse

This is ours in the early days. It cost is about 2000 with the deck and the airlock.
It has grown out now with appletrees and bay leaf trees offering shelter, a kennel, a fountain and scratching posts. We also have hens on the other side for TV viewing. :-)

SillyMangoX

I remember seeing that on another thread, it looks absolutely fab!!
I went viewing mobile homes today and found one with a big bedroom at the end that would be perfect for them - it's bigger than my own! So I do think the cats will be very spoiled with the massive room if I do go for that one!
I think my Dads ultimate plan is to have a few hens pottering around at some stage so my guys may end up with the same tv

PixelTrawler

This is our one. We got it from http://www.flytesofancy.co.uk
Cost about 1100 incl delivery. Assembly took about 2-3 hours. Then i added a few platforms and walkways. Our cat has felv so its to give her an outdoor space. You could easily have two cats in it.

Edit, its 9ft by 9ft. The cat house is nice too that comes with it. Of course lady muck is too posh to stay there at night and insists on being brought in.

Theres so many advantages to keeping a cat secure. Theres a lot of cats here in the area, so theres a lot of fighting, a lot of territory overlaps. Also it means whens shes out in it, we dont have to be keeping all the windows and doors closed.

PixelTrawler

Here are two more shots. I made a small deck area as the grass was rapidly going to muck near the door. And i made a small box for food and water.

One last thing, youd get it cheaper now, we paid sterling... in may... the sterling price was 699

SillyMangoX

Bought a mobile home on Friday and got a great deal! There's a mid size bedroom at the back (not as big as in the first one I saw but bigger than the smallest mobile home style ones!) which will be converted into the cat room. I'm getting all excited now at the thoughts of finally getting this in place!
Those of you who have one, had your cats a taste of freedom before they went into it? Mine are now 7 and have been roaming for a few hours during the day since they were about a year and a half. Just worried how they're going to take to this loss of freedom..

SillyMangoX

Thought I'd keep progress updated here for anyone interested! Stage one underway cats spent the day growling at the digger and will no doubt use the dug up area as the worlds biggest litter tray in the morning!
Next step is get the gravel put down, then the mobile home can be delivered and the real fun begins!

SillyMangoX

This is happening a lot faster than what I expected! Gravel is being spread as I type!

SillyMangoX

Just to keep this updated, the mobile home was delivered tonight! Still a lot of work to be done on it but the room which has been designated at the cat room has the beds cleared out of it and is now nice and big! Hopefully the carpenter will be coming in the next couple of weeks and we'll be all set to go then on the outdoor section!
The mobile home is 35x12 ft, so the plan is that they'll have the entire length of it, and will go back about a metre or two. There will be two covered water tanks in there, but they shouldn't take up too much room Just have to figure a way of blocking the underneath of it as it's still on wheels so they'd easily get in under there.
Already have a huge amazon wish list of all the things I want to kit it out... now I just need money

SillyMangoX

More updates! Been up since 7 this morning clearing out wardrobes, couch frames, headboards and walls from the mobile home so opened up more space in all of it, managed to make the designated cat room a lot bigger!
(The rest of the mobile home is going to be a grooming parlour and I also managed to make a nice wet room, so yay for that too!)
The carpenter is coming Monday to fix up the rest and get started on fencing so hopefully will have our cat palace this side of Christmas
Apparently my dad has a new plan for the run, rather than then wooden frames and chicken wire roof I had planned, he know a fella with steal beams going so will get those and a galvanised roof apparently. All I can say is thank god my dad knows so many people who owe him a favour otherwise this may have bankrupted me!

aonb

Phew! for a minute I thought you had bought the mobile home JUST for the cats!!! So cat room, and grooming parlour? Are you going to live with the cats in the mobile home too? Looking forward to see photos - what kinds of things are on your wish list?

Ayuntamiento

I really want to get one of these but I have an awful feeling that I could spend a grand on it and he won't want to go near it. He's an incredibly nervous and stressed out little guy. I'm not sure if it's because he's lived indoors all his life or if it's just his disposition. Do they always take to the catio in the end?

SillyMangoX

aonb wrote: »

Phew! for a minute I thought you had bought the mobile home JUST for the cats!!! So cat room, and grooming parlour? Are you going to live with the cats in the mobile home too? Looking forward to see photos - what kinds of things are on your wish list?

I may have tried to convince my parents to get a second one just for the cats but that was a no go :pac:
I'd love to live down there too but unfortunately all the beds are gone, but I guess I'll have to separate work from home!
I made my first purchase today for decorating, a bed in the shape of a shark! But I plan on putting up lots of shelving around the place for lots of high spots for climbing, self heating cat beds, and the main purchase when I'm rich and famous will be one of the giant cat wheels

SillyMangoX

Just an update on this, work got delayed due to weather, Christmas, the usual!
But my father got talking to a guy who knows a guy etc and has completely changed all the plans.. and when he gets into a project he really gets into it :pac:
This is the view as of 5 minutes ago. All the area at the back of the mobile home will be chicken wire (the long side of it) and the two short sides are going to be covered over with some sort of sheeting. Work is getting closer to completion though!

waterfaerie

Nice to see the updates. It's looking great.

morgana

Wow. That's some project! Happy cats & humans ahead

SillyMangoX

Been a while since I posted here, so time for another update! As of 2 hours ago, the steel work has been completed.
Still have to block of the bottom of the mobile with wood to stop cats crawling, and block the top off with wire to stop cats climbing. Peach already has a taste for the roof.
The sides left bare will have chicken wire and a door put in.
Eventually going to cover half of it in fake grass too!
Looks quite dark but there is a very powerful light up in the corner so it'll be well lit up. ''Tis all very exciting!!

aonb

wow!
How many cats?!?
Are you going to live in the mobile home?
Fabulous!

SillyMangoX

aonb wrote: »

wow!
How many cats?!?
Are you going to live in the mobile home?
Fabulous!

Just the two.... for now

Nope not going to live in it, it's all been converted into a grooming parlor so I shall be working in it. Be nice to work for myself from the back garden while I can keep an eye on my creatures, the one thing I missed when I was working for someone else!

aonb

GREAT! sounds like an ideal set up.
What will the cats think of all the incoming doggies?!?!?

SillyMangoX

aonb wrote: »

GREAT! sounds like an ideal set up.
What will the cats think of all the incoming doggies?!?!?

I have no doubt that they will be less than impressed :pac: that was the main selling point to my parents about building the run. The cats are getting older and all it would take is one dog to slip it's lead, and creams hip to give out and disaster would strike. So now they'll be all safe and cosy away from all the dogs!
The last place I worked had a parlor cat, she was well able for all the dogs. It was hilarious, they'd come in yapping and growling at her, but she'd just stand there and the dogs wouldn't know what to do when she wouldn't run away :pac:

SillyMangoX

Just thought I’d post on here again.. the run took another delay in development for a while, but they had their first outing in it today and it was not successful. My father decided not to listen to any of my advice and said that loose chicken wire over the top would keep them in. It didn’t and Cream broke out. Though it is his fault that they wanted to break out because in his infinite wisdom he decided to go cutting trees with a chainsaw right beside the run.
So now the cats will be too petrified to go in it again and know an escape route so it’ll have to be rethought.
Thank god it was only Cream who broke out and is used to being outdoors so he came back again, I’d poor Moose got out he wouldn’t stand a chance
I’m thinking of going back to my original plan of just getting a wooden structure built with a little airlock door and meshing the whole thing off, but unsure of what measurements would be suitable for 3 cats, does anyone have any ideas?!

Themadhouse

SillyMangoX wrote: »

Just thought I’d post on here again.. the run took another delay in development for a while, but they had their first outing in it today and it was not successful. My father decided not to listen to any of my advice and said that loose chicken wire over the top would keep them in. It didn’t and Cream broke out. Though it is his fault that they wanted to break out because in his infinite wisdom he decided to go cutting trees with a chainsaw right beside the run.
So now the cats will be too petrified to go in it again and know an escape route so it’ll have to be rethought.
Thank god it was only Cream who broke out and is used to being outdoors so he came back again, I’d poor Moose got out he wouldn’t stand a chance
I’m thinking of going back to my original plan of just getting a wooden structure built with a little airlock door and meshing the whole thing off, but unsure of what measurements would be suitable for 3 cats, does anyone have any ideas?!

Ugh, Deffo better off securing completely. I think ours is 5m x 5m, that was for 10 cats use. tbh a third of that would be super for 3 cats!

SillyMangoX

I found ready made ones on www.omlet.ie/shop/cat_products/outdoor_cat_run/

I was thinking the 2.7 x 2.7 one would be good and it looks like it has center beams that I could put some sisal rope around and make scratching posts.. it’s pricey but I think it might be worth it for the peace of mind because now my father is thinking of trying to build a different one so I have to get it quick before he goes tinkering again :pac:

And I just discovered I can get it for €100 less if I order it from the .co.uk site!

SillyMangoX

Run has been ordered and should be delivered on Monday.. i'll keep you all posted

SillyMangoX

The run arrived this morning, it’s starting to take shape now! Though the website said it should take an hour and a half to assemble... there’s no way that’s possible :pac:

aonb

SillyMangoX wrote: »

The run arrived this morning, it’s starting to take shape now! Though the website said it should take an hour and a half to assemble... there’s no way that’s possible :pac:

so its +24 hours now... the website said 1.5 hours to assemble - hows it going :D:D Looking forward to seeing some photos???

SillyMangoX

It’s up! Had some trouble because we don’t have it on an even surface so can’t put on the centre bars, but it’s still sturdy without. Just have to put down some rubber cattle matting tomorrow as flooring for it, come up with a solution for shelter from the rain; and then install the cats

SillyMangoX

Cats installed! I will get some pictures up tonight it keeps saying the file is too big from my phone

SillyMangoX

Hopefully this works! Still have to pretty it up a bit and sort some shelter but so far so good, they spent an hour in it today (peach decided she wanted to stay inside instead). I set it up just beside where I work so I can keep an eye on them, and there was a good amount of jumping, leaping and playing going on

boomerang

It's bigger than I expected!

SillyMangoX

boomerang wrote: »

It's bigger than I expected!

I thought it was smaller when we were setting it up but it’s deceptive! Plenty of room for running and chasing in there so far it’s all going well, no one is getting stressed although there was a bit of bickering over the top of the scratching post. It’s also getting moose to meet more people as they can be seen through the window at work and the customers are fascinated by him

SillyMangoX

I think I’m going to be crazy but.. I’m already thinking of extending it it is plenty big as it is, but after I put a few beds and toys and a small trampoline that they love to use as a bed in, there wasn’t as much running room, and Moo loves to zoom.. and also thinking of a bigger scratching post.. and a tarpaulin to cover it up from the rain.. why did I start this, I’m going to be broke :pac:

SillyMangoX

I gave in.. I bought an extension.. so it’ll be twice as big tomorrow!
Also bought a new scratching post for in there, and an adorable cat kennel which I am still waiting to arrive. And a tarp which will cover hopefully half of it so there will be a sheltered dry area for them when it rains because at the moment we have to run up and bring moose back inside, and just let peach and cream out to go find their own shelter spots.
It’s all working out really well though, Peach and Cream a very relaxed in there and moose is exhausted every night because he hasn’t gotten to grips with outdoor naps yet!

aonb

Poor Moose! Like a new kid at the creche!! Photos please of the new catio - and some more photos of Moose - havent seen half enough of this exotic cat - how does he get on with the other two, or rather they with him? I heard of two Bengals looking to be rehomed yesterday

SillyMangoX

I was getting bitten by too many midges to finish it off this evening so I’ll get it done tomorrow and update pictures then
They all get along very well, Peach gets annoyed and let’s a hiss every now and again but then she does the same to me so nothing unusual there! Cream and Moose love playing chase around the place together though, you’d swear they were both kittens with the carry on, seems hard to believe the older cats will be 9 this summer!

the beer revolu

Our two still chase each other around like kittens and leap at each other.
They are 11 and 12.

SillyMangoX

Upgraded cat run, doubled in size, new scratching post and kennel added and tarp to make it semi rainproof. All that’s needed now is to put down the rubber cattle matts for flooring and decorate

morgana

Wow that's impressive ! It's looking really well and the cats should be happy

aonb

wow! AMAZING
your cats are SPOILEDSPOILEDSPOILEDSPOILED!!!