Before you build decide on a catio design and build an outdoor cat enclosure you should know these important facts to keeping your feline happy and safe. Catios, also known as cat runs and cat cages are great structures that allow pet owners to let their kitties outside while keeping them safe. This new cat containment solution is a raving trend since featured in a New York times Article recently.
Catios are available in many sizes and shapes ranging from a window box or window cage to a fully detached outdoor enclosure. Before deciding which catio design is right for you and your loved cat there are a few safety considerations to be aware of to guarantee your catio is as safe as possible.
Catio construction materials should not be toxic to cats. Many kitty owners are unaware of the many dangerously toxic materials to felines. For example Pine wood is toxic to cats. Pine is a dangerous type of wood that should never be used when constructing your outdoor cat enclosure. Any pressure treated wood found at local home improvement stores is toxic to your feline friends so choose a wood such as untreated eastern white cedar to make sure your cat does get sick from the chemicals used most pressure treated lumbers.
Catios are most lustrous when furbished with accessories and plants. however, there are many species of plants that are toxic and choosing the right ones for your new outdoor enclosure is one of the most important things you can do to keep your feline safe. The following is a list of cat friendly grasses you can grow to put inside your cat cage. 1) Oat Grass 2) Wheat Grass 3) Catnip and 4) Cat Grass. Plants such as tomatoes are deadly for cats so make sure you check out each plant you are thinking about putting in the outdoor cat enclosure catio design by going online to obtain a cat plant safe list.