New Kitteh

limr · Oct 15, 2021

Overread said:
Having lived in the countryside with cats that could freely come and go indoors and out I often forget about walking cats! It's very much an important thing if they are going to be a house cat and from what I recall Bengals are a bit like a husky in that if you let them out they WILL roam far and wide and might well just "I'm a cat I'm off see you maybe" kind of attitude. I do seem to recall seeing some videos of them where owners built outdoor enclosures for them so that the cat could get outside without having to be on a harness, but also not just escape to the wilds.

A catio!

I'd love to build a small one for my girls. They love that they can sit at the back door and watch the goings-on in my back yard, but they show exactly zero interest in actually going outside. I tried getting them used to harnesses, and even brought the more adventurous Zelda outside once or twice, but all she wanted to do was to get back into the house. But I think they'd love being "outside" as long as they also felt safe.

A catio could be a great playroom for a Bengal. It could be filled with things that could be toys so they play there instead of destroying things in the house.

terri · Oct 15, 2021

We use the screened in porch for our catio, even though we don't have a climbing tree or toys out there for them. But yes, they too seem really happy just to be able to watch outdoor action.

I'd love to have an extra bedroom or area that I could use for a tree or two, put in cat beds and toys for them.

@limr : Yes. Rose and Sage. The vet renamed them though.