Mrs. Rosales recently shared with her students her latest project: A catio.

What is a catio? Well, it’s a patio for your cat of course.

Having a catio is a very great opportunity for your cats to feel safe and relaxed. You would feel safe knowing that your cat won’t run away,  and your cat can still have the enjoyment of being outside rather than being stuck at home.

A catio is made out of wood, metal, or PVC pipes, and the roof and screen can be made with wire mesh, galvanized wire, or clear wire. For the flooring, the cat owner can decide whether they want grass, pavers, decking, and many more options.

I had the pleasure of asking Mrs. Rosales a few questions about this cool new project.

Q: What inspired you to make the catio?

A: “Because we love all of our cats and they get into mischief, we wanted them to have a place to be outside. Especially since I don’t want them cooped up in here forever.”

Q: How many cats do you have?

A: “They are technically my daughters, but there are three of them.”

Q: How long did it take to make the catio?

A: “Probably two days to make the major part. We built a few cat trees, and that took another couple days.”

Q: Did you get everything from a pet store, or did you just gather stuff as you built?

A: “We just sort of made it up as we built it. We got most of our inspirations from Pinterest or Instagram.”

Q: Do your cats enjoy their catio?

A: “They love it! They are always out there sleeping and soaking up the sun.”

Q: Would you recommend a catio to anyone else who has cats?

A: “Absolutely. It is so much safer for cats. Especially if you add a fence around the catio so you can focus on what you need to inside the house rather than babysit a bunch of cats.”

You heard it here folks, catios are the new black.