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Terraces Never Looked So Good: Cats And Their Catios
By
Jen Chung
Published Jun 17, 2010
Modified Jun 17, 2010
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By
Jen Chung
Published Jun 17, 2010
Modified Jun 17, 2010
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Apartment terraces or balconies can be wonderful for the lucky few—there's potential for grills or simple cups of coffee while enjoying the fresh air. But some have created outdoor spaces for their beloved felines—dubbing them "catios." The NY Times' Home section has a feature on the best shelter trend ever:
“The cats, they like to sit out there,” said Stefanie L. Russell, 44, referring to the balcony of her 12th-floor Greenwich Village apartment, where a homemade enclosure keeps her three Burmese cats safe. “Before, we basically didn’t use the balcony at all, because we were afraid that the cats would fall or jump.”
Two years ago, she and her husband, Robert Davidson, who are on the faculty of the N.Y.U. College of Dentistry, fenced off half the balcony, which runs the length of the apartment. They used industrial-grade PVC pipe and heavy black netting, creating a fully enclosed space that they decorated with furniture, plants and carpeting.
Now the couple and their 9-year-old daughter, Sophie, leave the terrace door open for Oliver, Lily and Jackson, who are, as Ms. Russell put it, “the type of cats that love to run out in the hallway.”
Plus, no more pigeon mess! And there's a slideshow which includes some catios from the suburbs. Also, there are blogs (of course) to devoted to catios—like Catio Showcases, which is like an outdoor Apartment Therapy for cats.
But for you cat owners in apartments without cat-proofed terraces and balconies: Do not open your windows more than a tiny bit—sometimes those curious creatures manage to get outside and might even fall (one cat survived a 26-story fall!).
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Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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