Posted on 06/17/2010 1:25:59 AM PDT by Huntress
WHEN it comes to their homes, there are few things New Yorkers prize as much as a little outdoor space — a terrace, perhaps, or a small deck in the backyard.
Their cats feel the same way.
So some cat owners who would never dream of letting their pets roam free outside have come up with a creative compromise: an enclosed space — usually in the form of a screened-in porch or deck — that allows them to share the great outdoors.
Please don’t call it a cage. They prefer the term “catio.”
“The cats, they like to sit out there,” said Stefanie L. Russell, 44, referring to the balcony of her 12th-floor Greenwich Village apartment, where a homemade enclosure keeps her three Burmese cats safe. “Before, we basically didn’t use the balcony at all, because we were afraid that the cats would fall or jump.”
Two years ago, she and her husband, Robert Davidson, who are on the faculty of the N.Y.U. College of Dentistry, fenced off half the balcony, which runs the length of the apartment. They used industrial-grade PVC pipe and heavy black netting, creating a fully enclosed space that they decorated with furniture, plants and carpeting.
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
Ping!
I agree that it was better than the risks of letting them roam free, but mine are happier now that they have a farm to roam on.
‘Catios’ Bring Cats Outdoors Tony Cenicola/The New York Times Robert Davidson and Stefanie L. Russell fenced off half the balcony of their Greenwich Village apartment. Oliver joins them .
sawe-e-et! Four seasons hotel for kitties :-)
Man, this has Seinfeld written all over it. Too bad his show is long gone. I can see Cramer building a catio. LOL
I don’t like cats much.
I really hate catios.
I really really hate raccoons entrapped in catios for extended lengths of daylight hours.
Last bit of advice, just cause it’s on the 2nd floor doesn’t mean you shouldn’t have an exterior exit.
Looks like something you’d see in an Army outpost in Northern Ireland, with screening to prematurely detonate RPGs.
And if they made the caging material smaller it would keep bugs out too - hey that’s a great idea - oh, wait - that’s a screened in porch...nevermind
BURMESE CATS! She has three of them. I LOVE burmese cats. They are the coolest, most lovable, smartest cats out there. I would love to have more than the two I already have.
Cool ! I knew a couple who had a very cool cat but unfortunately lost it to foxes in the Colorado backwoods ! This would be nice for cats to go out but also to be protected !
Good idea. Baxter has been housebound ever since his encounter with a copperhead. The snake had apparently used most of its venom elsewhere (or at striking at Baxter), so Baxter survived, but at considerable expense.
A great idea that I’ve considered a time or two, but (at least in this part of Kahlifoania) without really fine netting present, fleas would be all over mah babiez.
I had an outdoor cat that refused to come indoors and every month I put Revolution on her. Whenever I combed her I couldn’t pull off a flea, tick, or any blood residue. It also covers mange and mosquito bites. She lived to 21 never having been indoors except for the one time I trapped her and had her spayed by the Wild Cat Coalation here in San Diego.
Sorry, I meant by the FERILE Cat Coalition!
If I put one up it would attract a large hawk audience and be a coyote attractant.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.