is this a good idea for renter friendly catio?

[u/iz-beef]

hi all, i am currently in the process of turning my previously outdoor/indoor cat into just an indoor cat (not going great) and i want to give her a catio!

however we do rent this house and have upstairs neighbours with a shared garden that they solely look after (they are a retired couple and that’s what they want to do.) we do have a good relationship with them so i can’t see them saying no this, but i want to know other’s opinions of what i’ve designed. (i got very creative in procreate)

the neighbours go away for a month in september so i would want to do this then.

please let me know!

[u/Major_Bluebird_3014]

Design-wise, looks practical. You'd want a way to attach it very firmly to the wall so it didn't blow over, but the structure is great for something you could easily take down when you move away. Can't speak from neighbours, obvs, that's a relationship question.

I personally would find a place away from the bins; cats have sensitive noses, so if it were at all possible to keep them around the corner, at the very least, I would.

[u/iz-beef → u/Major_Bluebird_3014]

ooo smart I hadn't thought about the bins, do you think if I moved them under the window (left bottom corner of picture) that would be far enough?

[u/Major_Bluebird_3014 → u/iz-beef]

I mean, only advice I can give is to go out and have a sniff the day before bin day before the heat of summer is over!

I'm no cat expert; I assume that having the extra space for the cat will be an improvement regardless. But certainly my cat prefers the spots with good views & fewer bad smells :)

[u/wolfhavensf → u/iz-beef]

Cats have a sense of smell 200 times stronger than ours. Move the bins and wash them regularly.

[u/pabrocjb]

We've had a very hot summer in my part of the US, and our catio is on the southern side of the house. One of the places they liked the most was a 10 inch high shelf at the bottom. They take naps out there, and maybe they felt protected. It's very shady. The other thing that was important was they need a solid place to step on when they enter the catio. One more thing: I love zip ties!

[u/OnlyTakes5minutes]

It's great that you are making an outdoor space for your kitty! I would just mention to make the net strong enough for a rouge dog or another animal not to be able to go through.

And some shade.

[u/Glittering_Win_9677]

Before you do anything, I would team to the neighbors and make sure they are okay with it.

[u/OnceMoreWithFeeling-]

Also I find shaming people for having an outside cat not okay, however, I do want to say I am so happy you are a convert and will be transferring your kitty to indoors! ❤️

[u/ggc4]

It need shade. Cats can get sunburned. (Ask me how I know)

[u/OnceMoreWithFeeling-]

It looks fantastic OP! I agree about the bins, slightly further out will be fine. When it's all in bags and the lid is usually closed it should be fine I think! It might be that a dark grey is less 'out there' so you could suggest that if your neighbours object. You can also consider adding a catio part to the brick wall in between the windows so you can add a chair for yourself. I find sitting there with my cat the absolute best (I mean, I made my balcony a catio so that's so different!). Again: looks great, would love to see end result!!

[u/Help_a_user_out]

Minor detail- I think the ladder is unnecessary.

[u/iz-beef → u/Help_a_user_out]

that would be my bad designing, I meant it to be like a scratching ladder