I did a thing!

I adopted this 13-year-old bonded pair of black beauties. They are brother/sister.
I thought, "Hey, senior kitties will be lazy like me and not require too much energy."
I was very wrong. They are very active (but such cuddle bugs). I try my best to keep up with them.

They were very intrigued with the outside, and my friend offered to help me build a catio... so let's do this!

I used my amazing paintbrush skills to sketch possible ideas. I wanted to make sure they could see over the "neighbor divider".

Couple of 2x8s were perfect for building the sides.
Two of these side frames were needed for the overall design idea.

We connected the sides to form the frame. Not bad for Day 1. Shelves were next on the to-do list.

Day 2 was spent utilizing my amazing paintbrush skills again to figure out the most efficient ways to cut the shelves out of the plywood.

In the end, I went with this design and detailed the measurements on graph paper. My math teacher would be proud. I don't know which one, but one of them has to be.

It's just me and you, plywood. And this $30 Harbor Freight Jigsaw that actually turned out to be pretty amazing.
Although... I learned I can't cut a straight line to save my life. Mad props to you wood workers out there.

((Several hours later))
We have shelves! Sturdy enough to hold a Wendy's cup after laying them on some new shelf support beams.

Ok, I'll need a way to get in here, clean it, and water my plants/grass that I plan to add.
This tiny door was adorable and perfect.

We'll need to contain the kitties and keep them safe from other animals. I got this chicken wire for a good price on Amazon. It fit pretty well in just two wrap-arounds. We staple gunned it on and trimmed the excess with wire cutters.

I needed something to make the shelving comfy for the babies to nap on. I found a water-proof mattress cover on sale for under $30. This was perfect.
We traced everything out, cut the mattress cover, and then staple-gunned the heck out of it.
Yes, those are Popsicle sticks. I made a mistake cut and needed something to hold the pieces together for a more permanent fix. Takes me back to my popsicle-house-making days.

Look at that!! Beautiful and cushy for their tushy.

TA-DA! It is all coming together.
I added some rocks/stepping stones to the bottom so I could later grow wheat grass and let it drain while still being able to step inside.
The plastic tray you see to the left is actually a bunch of deli tray lids I fixed together and added drain holes to with a Dremel. It will hold the soil and grass seeds.

After making sure the three door locks were securely fastened...
Inspection time!

Good, good. Top shelf is sturdy. Nothing has fallen.

Now to address the 24/7 entrance... I can't leave the window open all the time.

I got some Plexiglass, AC foam insulation, and used the left over plastic bag that the mattress protector came in to make a window cover and door flaps.
Luckily, the smart little kitties took right to it and knew how to use it without me giving a demonstration (as if I would be able to squeeze through the door).

Now for the finishing touches.
We'll need a planter for catnip.

And some grass. I heard covering the seedlings with wet coffee filters would help the seeds stay protected and moist.

Now, I am HORRIBLE at growing anything. I was so excited how quickly the grass starting sprouting.

I added more catnip and basil plants as they are cat-safe and a natural mosquito repellent. Supposedly.

You guys!! Look how nice and lush my grass grew! *Begin sarcasm* As you can see, the cats are thoroughly enjoying the grass. *End sarcasm*

I started to dislike the raw color of the wood, so I took the shelving out and the grass tray, tarped everything up, and spray painted the catio a nice brown.
That other thing in the box is a litter box I bought that I decided to paint while I was at it. I'm surprised no one called management to report this disaster zone.

Everything placed back inside after painting. Not bad!! Please ignore the underside of the shelves. I ran out of paint.

Ok, so, the lush grass died quick and hard. And the cats never showed any interest, so I wasn't going to keep fertilizing it/re-seeding.

I replaced it with a very soft outdoor rug. They loved this so much more. They are spending a lot more time on the bottom layer now.

I plan on decorating the catio for all the major holidays. Here I proudly display my Halloween decorations of tiny ghost scarecrows and their pumpkins.

This was my first time doing any wood working project.

Hope this inspires some future catios.