Tips on building a catio: Fresh air, toys, litter box

Are you thinking about building or buying a cat patio?

An easy way to get inspired is to take a tour of catios. Two groups devoted to protecting felines and wildlife, theFeral Cat Coalition of Oregon and the Audubon Society of Portland, have organized the 2nd Annual Catio Tour in the Portland metro area from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 6 ($5 suggested minimum donation, registration required at feralcats.com).

During the self-guided tour, pet owners will hear that free-roaming cats can get into a lot of trouble and housebound cats can get bored without an enclosed outdoor space where they can run, play out hunting instincts and snooze.

A guidebook has photos and construction information of the nine unique catios on the tour (watch a video). None of this year's catios was on the 2013 tour, giving last year's 700 tour goers new styles to see, says Karen M. Kraus of the Feral Cat Coalition of Oregon and an advocate of the Cats Safe at Home campaign.

The Feral Cat Coalition of Oregon and others offered the Oregonian's Pet Talk's writer Monique Balas these tips on building a catio:

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Tips on building a catio: Fresh air, toys, litter box