This is an excellent news piece on the advantages of catios that dives deep into the havoc that cats cause the environment. According to an expert, cats merely being in the same vicinity as rabbits can be lethal. They also pose grave danger to frogs, birds and many other species. From the KRQE website:
The Central New Mexico Audubon Society recently launched the “Cats Indoors Campaign” focused on teaching people how to give their cat a safe outdoor experience while protecting wildlife. The outdoors is a dangerous place for cats due to cars, coyotes and more. Also, their hunting behavior presents a danger to birds and other wildlife.
For many cat-owners, the best option to consider is a catio, or cat enclosure. Many styles of catios can be found on the internet, from ready to assemble to many great do-it- yourself designs, which can be installed against a house so the cat can come and go via a window or pet door.
Catios are truly a win-win scenario for cats and wildlife.