The Catio Tour is a self-guided event. You can start anywhere on the map that works for you and see the catios you want to see. I posted the map so you can be conscious of the time needed to drive from one to another.

The catios are in:
Bridgewater One and Bridgewater Two
Crouses Settlement
Dayspring
Lower Branch
Pentz
Spectacle Lakes

And there is a catio builder (Custom Catio Co.) in Conquerall Mills who has opened their personal catio for you to have a look and to discuss building your next catio.

I will post about each one before the tour on our Facebook event page to help you plan your tour.

A catio tour is an opportunity for you to see catios up close and to ask the owners about everything from how to keep the bugs out, cost, anything they would do differently, how the cats use the space, etc. It is one thing to look at photos online and another to see catios in person. Hopefully you will get lots of ideas from what you see. Please do take lots of photos. Please do ask questions.

Plan ahead!

We have posted information on each catio and a map of the communities they are located. The exact addresses will be emailed when you buy your tickets.

Please be aware you may not make it to all the catios even though we have tried to keep them all within 10-20 minutes drive of each other. You will have 4 hours. In the past some people have been at their first catio right at the opening time. This is likely a wise strategy!

A few ground rules:

Please respect the time frame and do not visit before or after. These catio owners have generously volunteered their time and opened their properties to you.

Leave dogs at home or in the car (if not a hot day). Cats may be out in the catios.

You may be able to go inside some catios but please ask if you can as we do not want any cats to escape.

Catio used by: Melange, Daisy, and Loki
Built by: homeowner

“We just celebrated our one year anniversary in our new home. When we landed with our three fur babies, Melange, Daisy, and Loki, last July Herman got right to work on their new outside world. To say that their previous outside world was extravagant is an understatement, so this was no small task, and has only just begun. His dream, and mine, is to have our ‘kids’ join us and be an integrated part of our new home by having a wonderful new world to explore. We hope you enjoy this first part, but be sure to come back next year when there will be even more to see!”

Catio used by: Teddy, Beni and Otto
Built by: homeowner

“We moved to NS nine years ago from Ontario and had a catio there. Our two cats at the time – Smokey and Chai – loved the outdoors but were indoor cats. We had a mulch ground cover in our old catio but soon realized the cats were dragging bits in with them through the cat door. When we moved here, we decided to keep it a bit cleaner with a wood floor. Smokey and Chai have since passed on but there are three new cats – Teddy, Beni and Otto – who enjoy it just as much.”

Catio used by: Glow, Eddie and Moon
Built by: homeowner

“Our cats Nixx and Flash enjoyed going outdoors. Nixx was a ferocious hunter and our home has tons of wildlife around. So I built a little catio at first that connected directly to our home. It was very small though and we couldn’t access it very easily on the outside. Nixx as a Manx cat suffered from heriditary health issues and eventually lost her bladder control. My wife became pregnant and so we turned their love for outside into a much larger project that evolved into Nixx’s catio: a fully insulated house and outdoor yard for her to live her best life. It serves all our cats for day visits (we carry our current cats out and back in) now and as a shrine to remember our beloved Nixx and our cat Flash.”

Catio used by: Oliver, Thomas, Lily, Violet, Walter and Willow
Built by: homeowner

“We began the catio project in 2022 and over the past 4 years we have built our catio in 3 phases. The first phase brought the cats safely from the basement window into a cozy cat and human friendly enclosure which is outfitted with a tree, shelves and a loveseat. From there a Phase 2 tunnel was added to allow the cats to check out the side and front of the house. Phase 3 incorporated a second tunnel which led to an enclosure which allows the cats to get down on the ground and view much more of their territory up close and personal.We have recently included an area to allow catnip plants to grow which is enclosed but will permit the cats to nibble the tips of the plants as they grow into larger bushes and hopefully over winter. We also renovated the roof of Phase1 to make it better able to tolerate winter snow and ice.

Phase 4 is in the the planning stage and could possibly include a third tunnel and a third enclosure on the ground large enough for cat-style sprinting and exploring on the side of the house or it could be on the front of the house and include a cat and human cabana that’s bug proof and relaxing.

Oliver, Thomas, Lily, Violet, Walter and Willow (our newest addition to the family) love the opportunity to be outdoors and have thoroughly inspected and approved each addition and improvement.”

Catio used by: Taylor, Dug, Vincent & Yoshi
Built by: homeowner

“I built the catio because I have two formerly outdoor cats that love the outdoors, but also were almost killed so this was a good compromise. One at our last house that lasted seven years without maintenance and hoping that this one will get me twice that.

So far so good! We built this a year and a half ago and it’s still going strong. Made it through that crazy winter last year and now we’re getting another summer of enjoyment. Our 4 cats love it year round, as we have the cat door insert in the sliding glass door so we are able to keep the main door closed when it’s cold or raining, but if they want to be “wild” can adventure out there in the elements as it has the roof. The screen along the walls also lets us enjoy it as a screened porch, which is lovely, and has become our favourite place to read in the evenings bug free.”

Catio used by: Coco, Bub, Missy and Izzy
Built by: homeowner

“We are the parents of 4 cats who all came to us through rescue in one way or another. They mostly are afraid of loud noises and strangers etc but are very curious. None go outside unless they are on a harness and a leash. We are always looking for ways to stimulate them. We decided to build a window box which was a great hit but could only handle 2 cats so the following year we extended it to the ground and added beds, plants, kitty litter pans filled with cat grass which they love, box filled with straw etc. It is located close to trees and our bird feeder so they love to watch the birds and squirrels. We waterproof it in early winter so they can use it all 4 seasons now. There’s a line up in the morning like Tim Hortons waiting for the window to open so they can go into the catio!”

Catio used by: Finny, Shadow, Cookie, Birdie and Remi
Built by: contractor and then me and then a handyman for additions

“The main catio was built in 2021, and over the years I’ve expanded it with a tunnel, a tower, a punch-outside box and a separate window box catio. It’s home to five rescue cats — including two who really don’t like each other — so there are two entrances to make sure everyone can enjoy the space.

From about April through November, the cats have 24/7 access to their catio, where they can birdwatch, sunbathe, and safely enjoy the fresh air. In winter, one of my cats insists on going out every morning and can usually be found sleeping inside an insulated bouse.”