Oregon cats and their plush pads star in this catio tour

Micha and Grace Sinclair welcomed two rescue cats into their Portland home and their life expanded. Grace trained cats Salya and Mot to wear a harness as they wander through the couple’s attractive triangular yard, and Micha built a large screened cat patio, or catio, that allows the felines to exit one of the kitchen windows and safely nap or play in the outdoor air. The cats can see birds, but they can’t catch them.

Salya and Mot are two of the stars of the Portland area’s 12th Annual Catio Tour from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 7. Admission is $15 (CatsSafeAtHome.org) to join the self-paced, self-guided tour and see a variety of catios, from fenced spaces to portable options. Tour goers can talk with the homeowners and renters who built the clever enclosures, and meet the cats that enjoy them, “feline attitude permitting,” say organizers.

The popular Catio Tour is produced by the nonprofit Feral Cat Coalition of Oregon, Bird Conservation Oregon and Bird Alliance of Oregon (formerly Portland Audubon). The tour stops, from Southeast Portland to Vancouver, were selected to showcase ideas that fit any budget and space.

Funds raised through the event support the Cats Safe at Home campaign, which aims to reduce free-roaming cats with solutions that are good for cats and wildlife. The program’s CatsSafeAtHome.org site offers ideas for cat owners to install a screened enclosure for cats to exercise without facing outdoor hazards, like dogs and cars, while also protecting birds and other wildlife from cats.

At the Bird Alliance of Oregon’s Wildlife Care Center, nearly 40% of the birds brought in for treatment have been battered by a cat.

“Cats are both predator and prey,” said Micha. “Catios allow cats outside stimulus while keeping other wildlife safe that has a right to be there too.”

The Sinclairs and their cats benefit from a garden landscape that is a wildlife habitat certified by the National Wildlife Federation. The couple, who own Rejuvenation Artisans Landscapes, designed and sustainably maintained their garden to provide healthy soil, clean water and native plants for butterflies, birds, bats and other creatures.

Grace, a licensed landscape contractor, horticulturist and designer, has been creating organic landscapes since the 1990s. Both Grace and Micha, who is the chair of the Oregon Landscape Contractor’s Board, promote the use of thick mulches, organic compost and fertilizers, early disease and pest control, and proper and timely pruning to eliminate dependence on chemical fertilizers and sprays.

With their approach, fruits, herbs, edible flowers and foliage can be consumed, and people and animals can thrive.

Grace, who grew up in Arizona and is an enrolled member of the Gila River Indian Community, said she was taught that “all lives are vital.” She started rescuing cats, reptiles and other animals as a child with her grandmother.

“An important piece of being in the world is understanding that human perspective is not the only perspective and that animals can be loving and amazing companions,” said Grace, who once managed container gardening for exotic animal enclosures. She also maintained the award-winning Entry Garden at the San Francisco Botanical Garden in Golden Gate Park before moving to Oregon in 2004.

The name Salya was inspired by the Maricopa word for “moon” and Mot means “earth” in the Native American language, Grace said.

“So we live with the moon and the earth,” said Micha. “Mot is in and out of the catio a 100 times a day, using it as a 12-foot-tall jungle gym, while Salya goes there for long stretches of time, to nap or watch birds” through the mesh siding.

Micha used salvaged wood, including manzanita, to build the 7-foot-long structure surrounded by rhododendron shrubs on the side of their Craftsman-style house. He added elevated platforms for the cats to jump onto.

Grace said the catio tour can help people see construction examples and ask questions. “Every house is different and cats’ needs are different,” she said. “It’s wonderful to see what’s possible and it’s always fun to look at kitties.”

Construction tips

A catio can be any size, from a simple window box, screened-in balcony or detached metal-and-wooden structure. Existing patios can be transformed into catios simply by enclosing them with screen or wire.

If you don’t want to construct a cat condo using plans, you can buy a kit or hire a pro (see CatsSafeAtHome.org/catio-resources).

Just like you, cats like ventilation and their Cat TV (aka a view of the outdoors). Here are tips catio makers offered the Feral Cat Coalition of Oregon:

• Decide if the catio is just for cats or if it needs to be large enough for people to wander around. Placement of doors and ramps differ depending on the usage. After the entrance location is selected and a solid base has been made, changes can happen along the way if needed.
• If the catio is visible, create a finished look by putting mesh fencing inside the framing. If you aren’t concerned about the look, it’s faster to put fencing on the outside of the structure.
• Consider year-round comfort. Create shady places for cats to be when it’s hot or they want to hide, and warm the space on cold days with inexpensive throw carpets, a low-voltage heat lamp or removable plexiglass window panels fitted around the framing.
• Make sure all seams are sealed above, below and on every side of the catio so cats cannot get out and predators cannot get in. Add a cat flap to the home’s exterior door, window, wall cut out or build a screened walkway.
• Add toys, a litter box and slowly acclimate cats to the catio.

— Janet Eastman | 503-294-4072

jeastman@oregonian.com | @janeteastman