Catio guide
What is a catio? A guide for Hobart cat owners
By Marty Bohata, Cat Enclosures Hobart
Published
Last updated
A catio is an enclosed outdoor space built for your cat, where they can sunbake, climb and watch the garden from the safety of home.
It can attach to the house at a window, a back door, a verandah or a deck, or stand on its own in the garden.
We design and build custom catios, cat runs and tunnels and netted decks and yards across Greater Hobart, and this guide shares what we've learned along the way.
The word
Where the word catio comes from
Cat plus patio makes catio.
Catio joins 2 everyday words, cat and patio.
It covers any outdoor space that's enclosed for cats, whether that's a mesh box outside the kitchen window or a whole verandah wrapped in netting.
You'll also hear people call them cat enclosures, cat patios or cat runs, and the comparison table further down shows where each term fits.
Kinds of catio
The kinds of catio we build
A catio takes its shape from the home around it, and these are the 5 kinds we build.
Window catio
A mesh box built outside a window, with a ledge where your cat can sit and take in the street or the garden.
Back door catio
A compact enclosure built around a back door, with shelves climbing the wall and a cat door to step through.
Verandah and deck catio
A covered verandah or deck enclosed with mesh or netting, so it becomes an outdoor room that people and cats share.
Balcony catio
Mesh panels fitted around a balcony, with turf underfoot, which suits homes where the balcony is the main outdoor space.
Garden catio
A standalone enclosure out in the yard, reached through a gate or linked to the house by a tunnel.
Catio vs cat run
How a catio compares with a cat run and a cat enclosure
The terms overlap, so this is how we use them when we design a build.
| Term | What it is | Where it goes | See more |
|---|---|---|---|
| Catio | An outdoor room for your cat, with space to sit, climb and lounge | Off a window, door, verandah, deck or balcony, or out in the garden | Our catios |
| Cat run | A long, narrow enclosed walkway to explore | Along a wall, a fence or the side of the house | Our cat runs |
| Cat tunnel | A mesh walkway that links 2 spaces together | From a window or cat door to a catio, a run or the garden | How our tunnels are made |
| Netted enclosure | A deck, verandah or yard you already have, covered with cat netting | Decks, verandahs, pergolas and whole backyards | Our cat netting |
| Cat enclosure | The umbrella term for every option above | Wherever your cat spends time outdoors at home | Our recent builds |
Combining a catio, a run and a tunnel
A single build can join 2 or 3 of these, such as a turfed run down the side of the house that opens into a netted backyard.
That gives your cat a long stretch to patrol as well as a room to settle in.
Our cat runs along walls and fences are designed around the space you have.
Inside a catio
What to put in a catio
A good catio gives your cat height, sun, shade and a view, along with somewhere comfortable to rest.
Shelves, ramps, perches and turf can be built in from the start, and you can add the finishing touches once your cat settles in.
A lookout up high
Cats like height, so a ledge or perch near the roof gives them a view over the whole garden.
Shelves at different heights
Staggered shelves turn a plain wall into a climbing route from the floor to the top.
Ramps and steps
Ramps and timber steps let every cat reach the high spots at their own pace.
Artificial turf
Turf on the floor and shelves gives your cat soft, grassy footing.
Shade and shelter
A roof or a shaded corner gives your cat a cool place to retreat to on warm afternoons.
Fresh water
A bowl of clean water, set somewhere it stays cool and easy to reach.
A cosy spot
A bed or a box in a sheltered corner, for long naps in the fresh air.
A way in and out
A cat door fitted into a wall or door as part of the build lets your cat wander out to the catio on their own schedule.
Choosing a catio
Choosing a catio for your home
The right catio depends on your house, your yard and your cats, so these are the questions we work through with you on the first visit.
- 1
Start with where it attaches
See the catios we build around Hobart homesLook at the windows, doors, walls and verandah you already have, because a catio that joins the house lets your cat step straight outside.
- 2
Plan a gate for people
A custom gate lets you walk in to sit with your cat, top up the water or tidy the turf.
- 3
Link spaces with a tunnel
Explore our cat runs and tunnelsWhen the sunniest spot is away from the house, a mesh tunnel can carry your cat there from a window or a cat door.
- 4
Net a space you already have
Read about our cat netting installationTo open up a whole deck, verandah, pergola or backyard, cat netting encloses the space as it stands.
We're a CatNets recommended installer, listed for Hobart, the Eastern Shore and Southern Tasmania.
- 5
Size it to your space and your cats
Match the size to the room you can spare and the number of cats sharing it, so each cat has space to climb, perch and spread out.
Leave room for the way your household uses the yard, too.
- 6
Talk it through with us
We work through these questions with you when we look at your space.
Your quote is free, with a fixed price before any work starts.
Tunnels and cat doors
Getting your cat from the house to the catio
Your cat can step into a catio through a cat door fitted into a wall or door, or travel out along a mesh tunnel.
Our tunnels are made locally to measure, so they fit the walls and the yard they cross.
A tunnel can start at a window or a cat door and finish at a catio, a cat run or a netted yard.
More about our cat runs and tunnels
Tasmanian context
Keeping Tasmanian cats safe at home
“A safe cat is the best cat.”
TassieCat lists cat enclosures among its ways to keep cats contained.
A catio lets your cat spend the day outdoors in the sun while they stay contained at your place.
Catio FAQ
More questions about catios
What does catio mean?
Catio is a blend of the words cat and patio.
It means any outdoor space that's enclosed for cats, from a window box to a netted backyard.
Is a catio the same as a cat enclosure?
A catio is a type of cat enclosure.
Cat enclosure is the wider term, and it covers catios, cat runs, tunnels and netted decks or yards.
What's the difference between a catio and a cat run?
A catio is a room-like space where your cat can sit, climb and lounge.
A cat run is a longer, narrower walkway, usually along a wall, a fence or the side of the house.
A tunnel can join the 2, so your cat has both.
Is a cat tunnel the same as a cat run?
A cat tunnel is a 300 mm x 400 mm mesh walkway that links 2 spaces, such as a window and a catio.
A cat run is an enclosed walkway with room to explore, usually along a wall, a fence or the side of the house.
Browse our recent catio and cat enclosure builds, or contact us about your space.
