About five or six weeks ago my wife contacted a contractor here in West Virginia to see if it was possible to screen in our back porch. We wanted it to cut down on the bugs but we mostly just wanted a catio that our cats could enjoy in the nice weather.
Rose told the contractor that it needed to be done before we arrived, which was last Saturday. When we got there he still hadn’t finished. He was actually here until late Tuesday afternoon. I think he said he could do the job before realizing how difficult it was. The way the porch is built it is nearly impossible to keep the bugs out. He couldn’t put screaming all the way to the top because of the rafters so he decided to not screen all the way to the bottom so that the water would have a place to go when we washed down the porch.
The biggest problem was the doors. There is a large opening in the middle and a smaller opening on one side. The opening in the middle has two four by fours that are crooked both left to right and front to back. One of them is also twisted. It took a while to get the doors in so that they would slide back and forth easily without a gap too large for a cat to get through.
Wednesday morning I cleaned the mess left behind. I than fixed the doors a little better. I still needed to put up a panel to close the gap on one side (which I did this morning) but it was ready to test out that afternoon.
Frankie happened to be standing by the back door when Rose and I went out, so we decided to let him out onto the porch to see what he would do.
Of course, Frankie is our little investigator so he spent some time investigating.
I found Chris waiting by the back door to see what was going on so I let him out too.
I called floki but he was nowhere in sight. He was probably upstairs and not interested in what we were doing.
So far it has met with the approval of Chris and Frankie. I don’t trust that one or both of them won’t scratch a hole in the screen and escape so I think we will only let them out there when one of us is out there with them.
Today I pressure washed the catio in addition to closing the gap by the door. Later I may try to get Flokil out there to see if it meets with a unanimous approval.
Bad Cat Chris 
That was a brilliant idea – I wondered about Chris’s “screen fetish” and I hope they can just enjoy being out there and not wanting to ESCAPE. It’s a nice big porch – you and Rose will enjoy that I’m sure!!
Pam
I have been busy working and had no time to let them out yet. I hope when I do they behave like they did yesterday.
It looks nice and big. Chris and Co should like it–I do!
So far they really like it.
same thought here… I would not trust my boys LOL
Your boys would get through that screen pretty easy, I suppose.
It looks very spacious and like it will be a great place for the kitties!
There is a fair amount of room. We need to get a couple of benches or something for the cats to lie on.
It’s delightful but you totally read my mind. The first thing I thought was one (or both) would scratch a hole to get out, I know Roary would!
We had a cat, Abbey, who cut a hole in our screen years ago. We didn’t even know she got out until we heard her crying outside when we got up one morning.
That’s sure nice but the first thing I thought is who would be the chewer?
Probably Frankie.
Of course the gingers go first! What a great enhancement for everyone! I bet it’s a great place to read while the cats enjoy the fresh air.
Yes, and a great place to enjoy a morning cup of coffee.
I’ve been promising our fur-family a catio for years and am having a hard time figuring out where to put it as it has to go out a window based on how the house is built. So far they’re being patient with me, but I need to get it figured out. I love what you had built for yours! Thanks for sharing the considerations and obstacles you faced. 🙂
We wanted to put a catio in our other house but there is just no way to do it.
guyz….N joy de catio; itz awesum !!!!! N joy sum fresh airz for uz with pleez and thanx 🙂
Thanks, we will.
That is really nice and they will start using it more and more as they get used to it. Maybe add a mesh to the bottom to prevent escape and then they can use it with a cat door like we have
Chris somehow squeezed through the bottom of our balcony when he was six months old but nobody is that small now.
Oh the cats are gonna love this! There is screening material that is supposed to be impervious to cat’s claws (we had it on our screen doors) but I guess it’s a little late to suggest that.
If it is a problem and we have to replace screening, I will use something like that.
This is so beautiful! I’m sure the cats will be very happy and have a great time in the catio…
I think so too. Thanks.
That is nice, Very lucky kitties.
Perhaps they are too spoiled.
So far, so good! I think it looks nice.
Thanks. We’re getting there.
What a terrific Catio! We LOVE it! And good thing to keep an eye on the cats in it. ALL of us are screen climbers and shredders.
I understand that.
Frankie looks almost liquid in that second photo!
He does, like a cgi movie.
Very cool!
Thanks. We are happy with it.
Ollie would love a screened porch. I wish we had a porch that could be screened.
We wanted on for the Florida home but the door was in the wrong place.
The gang is going to love this. Our kids spend almost all day on the catio. None have ever tried to scratch or bite through the screen. It is fiberglass, and the only critters who have managed to chew any holes are squirrels. Hope you will discover that you can leave kitties on the catio without having to monitor them. XOCK, angel Lily Olivia, angel Mauricio, Misty May, Giulietta, angel Fiona, Astrid, Lisbeth, Calista Jo, Cooper Murphy, Sawyer & Kizmet
I hope so too but we will monitor for a while at least.