Catios - The Best of Both Worlds

BirdNote^®

Catios - The Best of Both Worlds

Written by Mark Bramhill

Mark Bramhill: This is BirdNote.

Cats love the outdoors. But cats are also one of the biggest threats to birds, killing as many as four billion a year in North America. And indoor-outdoor cats live much shorter lives than indoor-only cats. For cat parents, it can be a really tough choice whether to let your cat outside. But there are ways everyone can win. Enter: the cat patio, or “catio:”

Cynthia Chomos: What is a catio? I get asked that a lot. It's an enclosed outdoor cat space designed to keep cats safe and entertained and stimulated.

Mark Bramhill: Cynthia Chomos designs and builds catios for a living. They enrich an indoor cat’s life, offering a safe and exciting version of the outdoors:

Cynthia Chomos: Just seeing your cat come out and follow their nose and see their whiskers and their ears are up because they're hearing new sounds.

Mark Bramhill: Unsurprisingly, Cynthia’s cat Serena has a pretty sweet setup.

Cynthia Chomos: She has four catios. She's my quality assurance expert. I try out my new designs on her and if I get the paws up, then we're good to go.

Mark Bramhill: And they don’t need to be complicated! You could build a small and simple DIY catio, like a little window-box where your cat can bask in the sun — or you can build huge structures that you and your cat can spend time in together! You can even connect multiple catios with — uhh — catwalks. And with a little planning, they can look great, too.

Cynthia Chomos: They don't have to look like cages. They can be outdoor garden spaces that really complement a home.

Mark Bramhill: Keeping cats indoors does take away a big source of stimulation and excitement — but with a little work on our part, we can build that enrichment into a longer, healthier, and more ecologically friendly life for cats.

Cynthia Chomos: Catios are the best of both worlds. You can keep cats safe. They can watch the birds from a distance, and the birds and wildlife are protected.

Mark Bramhill: You can learn more about catios and see pictures of them on our website — and trust me, you are gonna want to see pictures — at BirdNote.org. And you can hear a whole lot more about the challenges between birds and cats, and some other novel solutions, on our podcast, Bring Birds Back. Follow the show in your favorite podcast app. 

For BirdNote, I’m Mark Bramhill.

                                                                    ###
Senior Producer: John Kessler
Production Manager: Allison Wilson
Producer: Mark Bramhill
Associate Producer: Ellen Blackstone
Digital Producer: Conor Gearin
Bird sounds provided by The Macaulay Library of Natural Sounds at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, New York.
Ambient recording by Chris Peterson
BirdNote’s theme was composed and played by Nancy Rumbel and John Kessler.
© 2021 BirdNote   June 2021    Narrator: Mark Bramhill

ID# PodBBB-04-2021-06-30       PodBBB-04