5 Items to Add to Your Catio

Have you ever wanted to build a catio for your feline friend? If you've never heard of a catio before, a catio is essentially a "cat patio" that is designed to let your cat be outdoors in a safe, controlled area. A lot of cat owners like to build these because not only does it provide tons of enrichment for your cat, but it allows them to be outside while also being away from potential predators!

In this post, we'll be sharing how you can decorate your catio with fun and helpful items. Here are 5 items to add to your catio!

1. Cat Towers/Things to Climb On

The first items that you can add to your catio are cat towers and/or other items for your cat to climb on! For cat towers, since there are so many different shapes and styles that come in various height options, you can find one that will fit your catio the best! 

Depending on how you've built your catio, another item you can include are cat shelves! These can be purchased individually or as sets to create your own climbing space for your cat!

2. Cat Scratchers

The second catio furniture idea is to include cat scratchers! Similar to cat towers, there are a ton of different kinds of cat scratchers available. If you're looking for a more eco-friendly option, our Cat Camper With Scratcher is a cardboard cat scratcher that serves multiple purposes. The Cat Camper with Scratcher can do the following:

• Serve as a scratching area for your cat
• Provide a climbing area for your cat
• Create a cozy nesting area for your cat

3. Everyday Essentials

The next items you should include in your catio are daily essentials like food bowls, water bowls, cat beds and if your catio is big enough, you can also include a litter box! 

For the cat bed, you could get a variety of options like a bolster bed, covered bed or even a fun outdoor cat cage hammock that can also double as a fun climbing item for your catio!

A few additional tips:

• Make sure to purchase bowls bowls that are more durable for the outdoors. You don't want to use something flimsy that will fall apart fast!
• If your cat will have access to their catio in colder weather, you can also look into heated bowls and heated cat beds. You can find these items on retailers like Chewy or Amazon.
• If you are including a litter box, make sure you have easy access to the catio to clean it! Many that include this have a separate human door to access the room!

4. Cat Safe Plants

Another popular catio accessory is plants! Now, before you purchase any plants for your catio, make sure you are getting cat safe plants!

The ASPCA has a list of non toxic plants and toxic plants for cats so you can choose the safest option for your feline friend. To see the full list, check out ASPCA's Toxic and Non-Toxic Plant List For Cats here. 

5. Toys & Enrichment Activities

The last catio decorating idea that you can add are fun catio accessories like toys and other cat enrichment activities! Below are some fun ideas you can add to your catio that are also great if you're building a catio on a budget:

• Feather toys
  • You can easily hang these up within your catio to give your cat hours of play time! These work even better when there's a good breeze to move the feather toys around in the wind.
• Cat tunnels
  • Cats love to run through tunnels and peek out both ends for fun. Plus, some cat tunnels also have toys attached for added fun.
• Everyday toys like plush mice, crinkle balls and more!
• Interactive Cat Toys
  • One great option is the classic cat tracks toy!

What do you think? Are you ready to build your catio and fill it with all of these fun catio furniture and accessories? We hope your feline friend loves their new outdoor catio and we'd love to see how creative your new catio is! Tag us on Instagram at @carlsonpetproducts so we can see your happy feline friend!