Catio enclosures provide cats with outdoor enrichment and natural behaviors while preventing road accidents, predation, and wildlife impacts. They represent an optimal welfare compromise.
Catios represent an increasingly popular welfare solution that addresses the dilemma between the enrichment benefits of outdoor access and the risks of free-ranging cats to both themselves and wildlife. The outdoor environment provides sensory stimulation, natural light cycles, fresh air, and opportunities for natural behaviors including watching wildlife, chasing insects, and resting in sunshine. These experiences cannot be fully replicated indoors regardless of enrichment quality. Catios allow cats to access these welfare benefits while preventing road mortality, predation, disease exposure, and the significant wildlife impacts of free-ranging cats on bird and small mammal populations.