Outdoor digs for your cat: B.C. SPCA shows off 'catios' to inspire others

The B.C. SPCA is hoping a made-in-Portland concept will catch on with cat owners here.

It wants to convince people to build cat-specific outdoorenclosures that protect both the furry and the feathered.

It's something Mary Chow has done at her home in Vancouver'sKitsilanoneighbourhood. She's built what looks like a screened-in outdoor bookshelf called a "catio," a patio built for a cat.

"Hello there baby," she said to one of her black and white cats as she tried to coax it out of the window of her home into the enclosure on Sunday.

"Ok, there you go! You want some yum yums?"

When Chow adopted her cats she had to sign a waiver saying they would remain indoor pets.

"A part of this is really giving them the opportunity to get outdoors and be in a safe enclosure," she said about her catio, which took about a week to build.

On Sunday, theB.C. SPCAorganized a self-guided tour of seven catios around Vancouver to promotethe concept in B.C.

Marieke van der Velden speaks for the society andsays the enclosures were first built in Portland about eight years ago and have been catching on across North America.

"We thought it was about time that Vancouver got a taste of the trend as well," she said.

Safer for cats and other wildlife

She says cats allowed to roam outdoorsface a range of risks includingbeing hit by vehicles, coming in contact withtoxic materialsor getting in fights with other cats.

The enclosures help cats stayhealthyand protect small animals thatoutdoor cats often hunt, such as birds, she said.

The B.C. SPCA helped Chow construct her catio, which cost a few hundred dollars. It's attached to the exterior of her home'swindowsand has a ramp, shelves and a hammock.

For step-by-step instructions see here.

Chow says she encourages other cat lovers to build catios.

"I really hope it catches on because we had an outdoor cat previously and then he was hit by a car when he escaped,so I just feel it gives cats more opportunity to be outdoors and be in a safe environment," she said.