Explore 10 purr-fect cat patios from your home (and make one): See the 8th Annual Catio Tour virtually – oregonlive.com

Nora Austons older cat, Bertie, has a history of getting into trouble while roaming her Portland neighborhood. The feline teamed up with another cat to ambush and taunt an elderly dog in its backyard, and also took down dozens of birds, despite having bells dangling from her collar.

When cats Peaches and Herb were adopted as kittens, Auston, a professional nurse who taught herself construction, decided to build a catio, a safe, screened cat patio that would direct her cats away from the house through a skybridge or tunnel and into the yard.

Her inventive enclosure will be one of 10 outdoor feline playgrounds in the Portland area showcased online during the 8th annual Catio Tour on Saturday, Sept. 12.

The coronavirus pandemic wont allow in-person visits to peoples backyards as in past Catio Tours, but this years virtual experience includes a professionally filmed tour and a live Q&A with experts and other catio fans.

People who were not able to walk around or be in the Portland area for previous tours can now enjoy it from their own home.

Tickets on sale at CatsSafeAtHome.org are $25 for full access to the tour, presentation, guidebook, catio videos and images; or $15 for the guidebook and catio videos and images only.

Hosted by the Feral Cat Coalition of Oregon and the Audubon Society of Portland, the fundraising Catio Tour was created to inspire cat owners to build or buy their own outdoor cat enclosure to keep cats safe from outdoor hazards while also protecting wildlife from cat predation.

Funds from the Catio Tour support the Portland Audubons and Feral Cat Coalition of Oregons Cats Safe at Home campaign, which aims to reduce free-roaming cats in the Portland metropolitan area. For more information about the campaign, visit CatsSafeAtHome.org.

A cat patio lets frisky felines exercise, play out hunting instincts and safely snooze in the sun while getting fresh air. They cant bother birds, and dogs, cars and other outdoor hazards cant harm them.

The birds really need a break and our shelters need less homeless pets, says Auston, and I think catios are a good solution to both of those problems.

Auston attended the in-person 2019 Catio Tour a total blast! she says and found other cat patio examples on Pinterest, but some were a bit misleading, she says, so I had to think through the project carefully.

She selected to build a cat condo with cedar since she wanted a traditional-looking garden structure that would weather well.

Ive heard that cedar oil repels fleas as well, she adds. I havent seen any fleas on the cats since building our catio, so I am extra pleased I spent the money on the wood.

She used durable, -inch hardware cloth, rather than chicken wire, that was easy to cut for the walls and to fit on the ground to thwart digging.

Access doors have the wire attached on the outside of the structure to allow her to remove the screws and reach the cats if needed.

A number of catios Ive seen feature panels or tunnels that are constructed with the hardware stapled on the inside, which makes for a nice clean look but could be frustrating if your cat gets stuck somewhere along the way, she says.

Auston, who learned from her mistakes constructing a chicken coop, knew to install a few fencing panels at the end of the cats walkways to stabilize the entire structure when most of the weight is on one side.

She hired a professional to break through a wall in her house and install the cat door.

Now she can watch the cats frisking around, grooming themselves and pawing toward her through the fencing, she says.

The orange kittens now do crazy loops chasing each other through the house, out to the catio and back again a couple times a day, she says. We are home a lot more now and its made all of us cats included a lot more comfortable and it is endlessly entertaining.

A catio can be any size. A small window enclosure will work if youre short on space. Existing patios can be transformed into catios simply by enclosing them with screen or wire.

If you dont want at DIY cat enclosure, there are premade kits.

PetCo. has a wooden cat run on sale for $395.99 (save 34%) and Aosom has PawHuts large wooden outdoor cat condo at $444.99, which is 36% off, plus free shipping.

Wayfair has a variety of cat houses, cat cages and cat playpens on sale with free shipping.

Make sure the catio is fully enclosed so cats cannot get out and predators cannot get in. Add a cat flap to a door, window, wall cut, or build a tunnel or screened walkway.

Provide cats a view of the outdoors (called Cat TV) and ventilation. Monitor the weather: You might need a fan in the summer or a heater in the winter.

Include toys such as climbing shelves, scratching posts or trees.

Keep a litter box in the catio. Auston uses biodegradable, non-dyed, natural mulch to avoid any toxicities with the kitties.

Until the coronavirus pandemic is over, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends owners keep their pets away from people or other animals outside the household.

Cats should stay indoors or an enclosed outdoor structure when possible and dogs should be walked on a leash, maintaining at least six feet from other people. Avoid dog parks and public places where people or pets gather.

People sick with COVID-19 should avoid contact with people and animals. If your animals need to see a vet, PetPlan offers medical insurance.

If pets are healthy but anxious, due to separation or fear caused by loud noises, strange people or animals, or a new environment, there are ways to help:

Dog obedience training is essential to preventing and managing dog anxiety, according to the American Kennel Club. The Great Courses has online dog training videos and lectures to listen or watch on a TV screen, laptop, tablet and smartphone. Practice fetch with an obedience retrieving dumbbell.

Healthy food and hemp or CBD products are used to calm pets that have anxiety or hyperactivity.

Honest Paws has all-natural, vegan CBD bites and oils that cat and dog owners use to help their pet cope with daily stressors and enhance joint mobility. The products are free of Xylitol, GMOs, soy, corn, dairy and gluten.

Chewy has chicken-flavored, soft chew dog supplements made of organic hemp powder, chamomile, ginger and valerian root. And Ollie will deliver human-grade meat, fruit, vegetables and superfood to your door based on your pets age, breed, activity level, allergies and ideal weight.

Regular exercise and mental stimulation also reduce anxiety. Hide treats in multiple pockets of a snuffle mat to test canine foraging skills. Toss discs in FitPAWS dog training targets, or set up an obstacle course or an indoor agility course.

Wild One has a Triangle Tug made of dual-textured rubber with a cotton rope, and Bolt Bite is a natural rubber chew toy. Plush chew toys come in all shapes, from a wine bottle to a TV dinner. And Barkshop has a monthly BarkBox subscription of dog products, services and experiences.

Let your pet sleep soundly in a calming coat tucked into a donut-shaped comfort bed.

Orvis has dog toys and treats, crates and clothes, beds and bowls, collars and coats.

And Petco has cat toys, furniture and scratchers, beds and apparel.

Janet Eastman | 503-294-4072

jeastman@oregonian.com | @janeteastman

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Explore 10 purr-fect cat patios from your home (and make one): See the 8th Annual Catio Tour virtually - oregonlive.com