Screened-in Porch/Catios Solve The Mosquito Problem

Ankle Biter Mosquitos 🐱 Don't let ankle-biter mosquitoes ruin your outdoor fun in LA summers! 🌞 According to the LA Times, the pesky newcomer, first introduced in 2011, has been expanding. The “aggressive biter has the ability to pierce clothing and reproduce in water sources as small as a bottle…

VIDEOS: Watch Catio Protect Cats from Raccoons, Bobcats, and Mountain Lion

The cat guardians of one of our all-time favorite builds, The Jungle Catio, set up trail cams next to the Pacific Palisades enclosure. Despite living in a residential neighborhood, video from the cameras shows Bobcats, raccoons, and even a California mountain lion or cougar, visiting their cats at night. Check…

House Cats Can Roam 2 Miles and Other News Highlighting Need for Catios

There have been a plethora of unrelated news items of late that independently point to catios as the best possible solution for pet cats. Here's a quick rundown: Cat Tracking Program Shocks Owners From the DailyMail: Domestic cats wearing tracking devices shocked their owners after GPS devices revealed their roaming…

Plants Make Great Catio Additions

Customize Catios With Plants Custom Catios builds beautiful cat enclosures. That said, once we complete a job, we hope homeowners will take our creations to the next level by adding cat beds and hammocks, signs ("No Dogs Allowed!"), toys, bird feeders (approximately 10-15 away), and plants. Especially plants! For example,…

Should Cats Go Outside?

We at Custom Catios feel strongly that the answer is a big fat NO, but that's the question Camille Schake asks at Good Pet Parent (hat tip to the highly recommended Facebook group, Kitty Gardens, Catios, House Cats And Catification). The article admits that the question "stirs a lively debate" on both…

Catios Protect Pet Cats From Coyotes

Coyotes Kill Pet Cats at Alarming Rates Reading the National Geographic book, "How to Speak Cat: A Guide to Decoding Cat Language," by Aline Alexander Newman and Gary Weitzman, I came across the following shocking statistic: "A 2009 study looked at Tucson, Arizona, found that coyotes regularly feast on cats…

Urban Coyotes Dangerous to People and Pets Throughout Los Angeles

Coyotes Spreading Across the Country The Washington Post published an informative article on coyotes today titled, "Here's why there are so many coyotes and why they are spreading so fast." The report, based on an exhaustive new study, is not good for pet owners. Per the article, "Coyotes are newly established…

Coyote Visits Eagle Rock Catio Job Site

Coyotes Dangerous to Cats There are many benefits to building a catio but, perhaps, none are more important than the protection they provide cats from predators. In Los Angeles, the number one predatory threat to our feline pets are coyotes. As such, we have repeatedly warned of the danger coyotes pose…

America's Foremost Cat Expert Recommends Outdoor Enclosures to Combat Behavioral Problems

Best selling author of 10 books, Pam Johnson-Bennett, warns in her latest effort, CatWise, that under-stimulating cats can lead to "boredom-related or stress-relieving behaviors, such as overgrooming, chewing inappropriate items, picking on companion pets, retreating into isolation, overeating, self-mutilation, compulsive behavior, and loss of appetite." Amazing Equipment These common problems arise…

Catios Recommended by the American Association of Feline Practitioners

Indoor Living and Outdoor Roaming Both Bad for Cats Veterinarian Dr. Karen Shaw Brecker, whom we introduced last month, is back writing about catio life. In a recent article she discusses the problem with indoor only living and outdoor roaming: It’s often recommended that cats be kept indoors to keep…