February 2022
cat patio
When we were living in Seattle, our cat Lincoln got quite used to roaming the outdoors. He is an indoor cat, but would often roam around our yard, sniffing plants and the occasional
neighborly cat. Mostly though, he would find a sunny patch outside and laze the afternoon away. He had a particular patch in our yard, enclosed on all sides by shrub, that he was
particularly partial to napping in.
When we moved south and into our new, second-floor apartment (no yard included), we felt a little guilty that Lincoln had lost his outdoor time that he had been so partial to. Our new place has a balcony, but it’s not quite the same. Then we got our second cat, Beeble: an absolute chaotic ball of energy who will explore everything and leap around without spotting her landing. So, even letting the cats out on the balcony became a risky proposition.
The solution was immediately apparent: construct an enclosed balcony fun space for both of the cats to get their outdoor fix in, with fun climbing features. Plus, an extra bonus feature: the cat patio could double as a space for the litterbox, out of smell range of most of the apartment. So, I began sizing up a design.
I decided to begin with the enclosure (essentially a box), with fun features like interior stairs and platforms to be attached to the box frame later. The balcony is just about
2 feet deep, and wide enough to expand the cat patio as wide as I liked. I also decided to cap the height at 6 feet, to make it comfortable enough for me to enter, and still
squeeze under some exterior light features on the building.
For entrances, I found a cat-door insert that slots directly into the sliding glass door. This would be the sole point of entry and exit for the cats. I also wanted to put a human door on the side of the enclosure, accessible via the second balcony door, in order to make construction and litter duties easier.
Next, it was time to get materials. I got some cheap 2x2s to serve as the bulk of the structure (as I soon find out: no matter how much wood you calculate that you need, it’s always more than that). A couple corrugated plastic sheets would serve as the roof, and plastic chicken wire would wrap around and enclose the space. After that, I dove into the construction.
I don’t have a lot of mid-build pictures, unfortunately; this is due to a couple factors. Firstly, I was having a lot of fun! When you get in the zone and are flying along, winging
a project like this, sometimes I forget to slow down and take more pictures of what I’m doing.
Secondly, the whole construction process was cramped and hilarious. I had all my materials and tools spread out on the floor right inside the balcony. A stool right outside served as my cutting bench. So, I was constantly going in and out, sidling by my cutting stool (which takes up just about the entire depth of the balcony), slipping shoes on and off, stepping over tools and offcuts, etc. It makes me really miss having a proper shop space.
Anyhow, I quickly got the frame together, connecting most of the beams with deck screws and pro-drilled holes to avoid splitting the 2x2s. Even assembling the frame was a hassle
in these close quarters, as I was essentially building it in place and all around me. I had to be clever about which pieces to attach first, how I would get enough leverage to
drive a screw, and how I was going to move or rotate them into place.
The frame is mostly flush to the building, and secured in place with wedges that press against the banister. There is a small, maybe 3 inch gap where the sliding glass door is cut into the building.
To close this security risk, I just bumped out the frame with another vertical 2x2. I left a small gap at the top, reasoning that it would be impossible for a cat to get up there. This will be important later…
But next, the roof and access door came together quickly, and it was time to wrap the thing. I used a staple gun to secure the plastic wire to the frame, and zipties to secure
two layers of the wire together. At this point, I was flying. I put in a 2x4 beam at a 45 degree angle, which would serve as the base of a staircase up to the top. From this
beam, I raised a couple 2x6 platforms, one of which runs the length of the catio, for the cats to traverse on. Again, I used mostly deck screws to attach everything. I used
small 45-degree offcuts in some spots to add a bit of structure to support the platforms. Finally, I put stairs on the staircase, moved the litterbox to its new home, and opened
the cat patio for business.
User testing revealed a couple things. Beeble was an instant fan, jumping all around the staircase and running around the platforms. Lincoln, however, seemed to be too timid
to make his way up the narrow staircase, and didn’t want to risk needing to turn around high above the ground.
So I resolved to make a new, tree-style and Lincoln-accessible ladder to the top of the enclosure, with an expanded platform at the top to relax on. Again, I don’t have many mid-build photos (apologies) – this bit came together pretty quickly. I started with a vertical 2x4, with carpeted platforms branching off either side. I was initially intimidated by the compound angle that I wanted to cut into the platform support members, in order to splay them out and center the connection beneath each platform. However, setting the jigsaw at an angle actually made quick and easy work of those cuts. The platform at the top was fairly straightforward, with a layer of foam beneath the carpeting for maximum kitty comfort.
This achieved mixed results. On the positive side, Beeble absolutely loves them, and is always running around out there now. Even Lincoln, when placed at the top, seems to like
the platform. However, he still can’t get his way up or down. I might try to expand the tree platforms and respace them to be closer together. Lincoln abstains from using the
tree at the moment, as it is too scary – he’d rather just jump to the ground if he is placed at the top.
Oh! Speaking of jumping – do you remember when I said that I left a small gap at the roofline? A couple weeks ago, I was sitting on the couch, and I witnessed something
incredible. I watched Beebo perch halfway up the staircase, eye up the near corner of the cat patio, and launch herself at the wall. From there, she clung Spider Man-style to
the wire, scrabbled up to the roofline and hauled her belly up onto the top. It was only at this point that I was able to snatch her off the patio and away from her escape
attempt. I immediately patched the hole with a sturdy piece of wood.
From this experience, I learned an important adage: nothing can be made Beeble-proof. Any attempts to contain may only be Beeble-resistant.
