Paws and patios: the cat craze taking over British back gardens

If you’re a cat owner with access to the Internet, I’m sure that at some point you will have come across a “catio” – an enclosed outdoor patio for your cats.

The catio is an American trend (unsurprisingly) that has clawed its way into UK gardens and quickly become a cat lover staple. However, unlike many American trends that make their way to the UK, catios stand out as a welcome addition for feline enthusiasts, offering a much-needed blend of sunshine, fresh air, and safety – ingredients that create the perfect recipe for a happier, healthier cat.

Chris Allen, otherwise known as the ‘Catio King’, stepped into the world of catios in 2019 after building one for a customer whose garden wasn’t suitable for his usual fencetop catproofing. He now builds catios for a living and has worked on several projects in the North East, saying that “the difference between then and now is night and day.”

“In recent years, social media has played a huge part in bringing catios to the front and centre for those looking to provide a safe and enriching solution their housebound cats,” he said. “It’s good to see… Can you imagine being housebound for your entire life? Just being able to see garden wildlife, feel the sun, smell the air and feel the wind must be exhilarating in itself.”

“The benefit for the cats is that they get to experience the outside world without falling victim to an increasing amount of nefarious scenarios,” he said. According to Whiskas, indoor cats typically have a longer lifespan of 15 to 20 years compared to outdoor cats, whose lifespan is typically 10 to 15 years. “Whether that’s theft, poisoning, predators, busy roads or people with air rifles. It also stops cats from roaming, decimating native wildlife and deciding to disappear and do their own thing.”

The growing wariness around cat safety when venturing outdoors has fueled the popularity of catios, which can be crafted in nearly any shape or size. They are often tailored to suit the unique layout of a garden – whether they are seamlessly extending out from a living room window or discreetly nestling away by a hidden back door. Within this, the interiors of these wood-and-wire enclosures offer even more customisability, designed to maximise feline enrichment.

Chris’ catios might feature charming details like nooks with cat-shaped entryways, multi-level platforms for climbing, or vibrantly coloured ropes to add the final pop. Chris sets himself apart from traditional catios by creating spaces that are as imaginative as they are functional, ensuring that every catio is one-of-a-kind.

“I take a lot of pride in not just my workmanship, but by providing as much enrichment as possible, making the best use of the space and creating solutions, original ideas, and keeping things fresh with every enclosure,” he said. “This is where I feel a lot of catios fall short on the enrichment side. I look at what people haven’t done before or wouldn’t consider and then fill that gap in the market.”

Chris’ catios are thoughtfully designed to function as family spaces, with room for seating integrated into the feline-friendly features to invite both cats and their owners to share the space together as a family.

He recalled one particularly memorable project from October that stands as a testament to his creativity: a custom catio built alongside a shed, fully furnished with shelving, scratch posts, peg ladders, and a crow’s nest centrepiece. The weatherproof design allowed him to experiment with unique materials, including a hexagonal ladder of interconnected pods for climbing or lounging and remote-controlled RGB LED lighting. “It was certainly a showstopper that will be very, very hard to beat!”

Catios are redefining what it means to create a happy, healthy home for both cats and their humans, offering a refreshing take on safely granting cats a taste of the great outdoors – and who knows, there might be one popping up near you soon!