Husband and Wife Build Elaborate Catio, and Their Cats Can't Get Enough of It
The following story was an entrant in the Tales of Summer Tails Photo and Story contest. The top three finishers received $500 in cash, as well as $2,000 in cash and supplies for their favorite shelter. To read more stories, click here!
We have several kitties in our fur family who love the great outdoors, but we chose not to allow them to roam our neighborhood. Instead, my husband and I decided to add a "catio" to our backyard garden.
We made short work of designing it. It has plenty of room for garden seating and a little hammock, several cubby holes for hiding and snoozing, and it also has climbing planks all around the perimeter.
Additionally, our backyard has lots of mature landscaping that attracts all kinds of birds, squirrels, possums, and, I'm sure, other little critters that we don't see. This summer, the cats spent most of their days outside sunbathing, bird watching, chattering with the squirrels, and/or chasing each other around the climbing planks.
The catio has not only provided them with a safe environment to enjoy the garden, it's also a source of great entertainment and a chance to bond with one another.
This story was submitted by Julia Viger in support of Valley Animal Center. To read other stories from the Tales of Summer Tails Photo and Story contest, click here!
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