Three years ago, I shared three stories that stopped me in my tracks. Romeo hadn’t used the litter box consistently for over a year — marking furniture, ruining floors, straining his guardian’s marriage — and then, after stepping into his new catio, he never marked again. Garfield was so overweight his vet was worried about diabetes, and a giant outdoor playground turned him into a lean, energetic furball. And Simba, a Maine Coon with a bullying streak, found enough stimulation and space in a backyard catio to finally let little Nala live in peace.
More than 200 builds later, I have two more transformational stories to add.
Thelma & Louise: When Happy Gets Even Happier
Not every catio story starts with a problem. Thelma and Louise were, by all accounts, perfectly well-adjusted cats. Two-year-old bonded sisters who did everything together and were completely doted on by their guardian. There was nothing to fix.
And then their catio went up — and something unexpected happened. Within days, the sisters started grooming each other for the first time in their lives.
This one stuck with me. We talk a lot about catios solving behavioral problems, and they do. But Thelma and Louise are proof that a catio doesn’t need a problem to solve. Even happy cats get happier. The enrichment, the fresh air, the stimulation of the outdoors — it unlocks something in them. These two already had a great life. The catio just made it richer.
@catioguy Sisters Thelma & Louise did everything together but never groomed each other. Then they got a catio. Now they groom each other regularly. Catio cats are happier cats? 😻❤️😻 #catio #catenrichment #catlover #lovecats #cattok ♬ Happy Times – Audiopanda
George’s World Opens Up
George was the new guy in a seven-cat household, and some of the resident cats made sure he knew it. The bullying was bad enough that George had retreated entirely — living his whole life on two cat condos in the living room, with a litter box on the nearby piano and his food delivered up top. He rarely touched the ground. He had a loving guardian, a warm home, and a life about the size of a sofa.
His guardian had a big heart and an even bigger determination to get George his life back. She catified her living room — building a pathway of shelves, perches, and transitions that connected George’s condos to the entire room and the catio.
George started venturing out. Then exploring. Then living. The catio gave him a destination, and the catification gave him a safe way to get there without running the gauntlet of cats on the ground. According to his guardian, “George is a new cat, and so full of energy now. He shoots across the runways out the door to the catio, and spends most of his time outside now!”
Catio Cats Are Happier Cats
Whether your cat has a problem that needs solving or simply a life that deserves to be bigger, a catio delivers. I’ve seen it hundreds of times now. The details change — the cat, the house, the challenge — but the outcome is remarkably consistent.
Catio cats are happier cats. I witness it every day.