'Catio' keeps cats safe from predators

San Diegans build outdoor enclosures to keep predators at bay while pets play

By Nicole Sours Larson

Aug. 21, 2015

Noelle Dorman's cats have access to the catio through a bedroom window. — John Gastaldo

Jim Hutzelman was returning from his morning run when he saw Cheddar, his now-4-year-old, one-eyed orange cat, running up from the canyon, a coyote on his tail. Hutzelman ran at the coyote, giving Cheddar time to escape to their North Park home bordering the canyon.

Hutzelman and his wife, Elizabeth Martin, had already lost one and possibly a second, elderly cat to coyotes and didn’t want to risk losing another of their six indoor-outdoor rescue cats. Experiencing the near loss of super-friendly Cheddar hastened the couple’s decision to finish enclosing their patio to protect their cats.

Elizabeth Martin relaxes with two of her cats — Manua (left) and Cheddar — in the enclosed patio that she and her husband, Jim Hutzelman, had built to create a protected area for their six cats. — John Gastaldo

They had already installed a wooden slat roof and built several cat perches. Next they hired a contractor to complete work on their cattery, or “catio.” He constructed a screened enclosure surrounding their existing 18-by-24-foot terrace, tying it to the home’s exterior walls. Their kitchen opened into the catio, making it easy for cats and people to come and go. But Martin was worried that the cats would feel imprisoned in the outside enclosure.

“I was insistent we had to have shelves for the cats to sit on. We added a lot of different levels for climbing and jumping because they need the exercise,” she explained.

Once the work was completed, they added a dining table, comfortable chairs and a day bed, plus scratching posts, soft cat beds, hidy-holes, toys and litter boxes. Hutzelman dragged in a large fallen tree branch Martin had spotted near their home and thought an ideal addition for the cats’ climbing and scratching. The couple enjoys relaxing and dining outside, surrounded by their cats.

Manua, one of six cats at the Hutzelman/Martin home, sits on shelving that provides ample levels for the cats to climb and jump inside the protected catio. — John Gastaldo

They encountered one problem: The wire openings were too large to prevent uninvited “guests.” This spring, baby skunks entered their home through the catio wire, lured by the cats’ food. The couple are replacing the lower mesh with finer screening to keep small intruders out.

Attached to the home

Noelle Dorman chose her new Bay Park home near a canyon with her two dogs and five cats in mind. Before moving in, she opted to build outdoor pet enclosures that would protect against traffic and coyotes. Her indoor-only cats and shih tzu-poodles had enjoyed the outdoors on her old condo balcony, which she had screened using a cat enclosure kit.

Noelle Dorman shows off her Bay Park catio as Kensington, one of her five cats, takes a big leap inside the enclosure. — John Gastaldo

Dorman designed her new pet enclosures to attach to her house. Her dogs’ 40-foot elongated run, accessed via a doggy door, surrounds a smaller catio which is elevated, allowing the small dogs to walk underneath. A solid fence shields the pet enclosures from view, while a high perch in the inner enclosure enables the cats to bird watch. The cats enter their catio through a bedroom window.

Shared experience

When Lee Hazer moved to a house near a canyon in Clairemont a few years ago, she saw “lost kitty” posters everywhere and realized that the shelter she had designed years before to protect her own cats from coyotes might offer a solution for others. She had always believed cats should be allowed outside and provided a safe refuge from the elements and predators. Her research showed that no one was building comparable cat houses, so she decided to begin production of her Kozy KittySitter, constructed in Iowa.

Clairemont resident Lee Hazer created the Kozy KittySitter as an outdoor shelter for cats.

Easy to assemble, the sturdy, weather-resistant outdoor shelter weighs 89 pounds, too heavy for a coyote to knock over. It accommodates three to five cats on three carpeted interior shelves. Cats can enter from top or bottom and move up or down through staggered cutout portals. “Cats need protection. They need something they can get into at a moment’s notice,” since coyotes are just about everywhere in the continental U.S., Hazer explained.

Her simple wooden shelter, secured with latches, also provides cats a hidy-hole and refuge from bad weather or sun. Since developing the KittySitter, Hazer hasn’t lost a cat to coyotes. With a few tools, imagination and determination, you, too, can protect your pets.

Tips for building a pet enclosure

“Be clear with the contractor, and don’t assume your contractor knows what you mean by a ‘cattery,’ ” Jim Hutzelman and Elizabeth Martin advise. Be specific about what you want, and don’t be afraid to adjust designs.

Wire mesh used for enclosures should be strong enough to keep cats inside and sized correctly to keep other animals outside. Provide a shaded roof and ensure the enclosure extends into the ground, to foil feline escape artists.

Make it human-scale, so you can sit with your cats, with easy access for both pets and humans. For a smaller enclosure, add a removable panel so you can reach the cats if needed, remove cat furniture and clean litter boxes and surfaces, recommends Noelle Dorman, who also suggests adding weatherproof lighting.

Take advantage of vertical space, providing perches for each cat on multiple levels to enable climbing. And make sure pets have food and water readily available.

Catio resources

The Internet is full of design resources for building your own catio or ordering prefabricated enclosures to install alongside your home.

C & D Pet Products, www.cdpets.com, manufactures sturdy, easy-to-assemble pet enclosures, including the kit Noelle Dorman chose for her former condo balcony.

Plans for several styles of catios are available from catiodesigns.com and catiospaces.com, which also provides tips on creating your own catio. Animal Planet, www.animalplanet.com, Best Friends Animal Society, www.bestfriends.org, and the Humane Society of the United States, www.humanesociety..., also offer DIY instructions and advice on building catios (search on catios).
Information and videos about the Kozy KittySitter are available at kozykittysitter.com.


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