Introducing your cat to a catio and making it safe

Updated 6 November 2026 · By the Cat Enclosures team

Short answer: Introduce your cat to a new catio gradually, with short supervised visits, familiar bedding, treats and an open route back indoors. Furnish it with shelves at different heights, a sheltered hiding spot, fresh water and a scratching post. Keep toxic plants such as lilies out of reach entirely, and check for gaps, sharp edges and heat build-up before leaving your cat alone in it.

Introducing your cat to a catio and making it safe

Why go slowly

Cats are territorial and cautious about new spaces. Some will march straight into a catio, but many, particularly rescue cats and cats that have always lived indoors, need time to get used to new sounds, smells and wide open sky. Pushing a cat out and shutting the door can create a bad first association that takes weeks to undo.

A step-by-step introduction

Leave the door to the catio open and let the cat explore at its own pace
Put familiar bedding, a favourite toy or a worn T-shirt inside so it smells of home
Use treats, play and mealtimes near or inside the catio
Stay with the cat for the first few visits and keep them short
Make sure there is always a way back indoors or a covered place to hide
Only leave the cat alone in the catio once it is relaxed and you have checked for gaps
Introduce one cat at a time in multi-cat homes if any are nervous

Most cats settle within days to a couple of weeks. Signs that a cat is comfortable include lying down, grooming, rolling and watching birds calmly rather than crouching or trying to get out.

If your cat seems frightened, go back a step. Shorten the visits, sit inside the catio yourself with a book, or feed meals just inside the door. Some cats are unsettled by a particular thing, such as a noisy road, a neighbour's dog or a visiting cat staring through the mesh, and a solid panel or screen on that side can make a big difference. Avoid picking a nervous cat up and carrying it in, because being placed somewhere new is often more stressful than finding it on its own terms. Patience at this stage pays off for years.

What to put inside

Shelves and platforms at staggered heights, with a high lookout
A covered hide box or shelter for rain, wind and privacy
Fresh water in a heavy bowl that cannot be knocked over
A scratching post or sisal-wrapped upright
A bed or blanket in a dry, sheltered spot
Cat-safe plants such as cat grass, catnip and valerian
A litter tray for long visits, kept under cover

Plants to keep out, and plants that are safe

Many common garden plants are toxic to cats. Lilies are the most serious: all parts, including pollen and vase water, can cause kidney failure in cats. Do not grow lilies in or near a catio, and keep cut lilies out of the house.

Avoid in or near the catio	Cat-friendly alternatives
Lilies of all kinds, including daylilies	Cat grass such as oat or wheat grass
Lily of the valley	Catnip and catmint
Foxglove	Valerian
Daffodils, tulips and other spring bulbs	Spider plant
Oleander, yew and rhododendron	Lemon balm and thyme

This is not a complete list. If you are unsure about a plant, check with your vet or a reliable cat charity source before planting it, and contact your vet straight away if you think your cat has eaten something toxic.

Multi-cat homes

Cats that share a home do not always want to share space. In a catio, tension shows up as one cat guarding the door, blocking a shelf or chasing another into a corner. Good design prevents most of this: more than one route up and down, shelves wide enough to pass, at least two hiding spots, and water and resting places in more than one part of the enclosure.

If one cat is confident and another is nervous, let the nervous cat explore first, on its own, so it builds up a good association before the space feels claimed. Watch for signs of stress, such as hiding for long periods, hissing at the door or the nervous cat refusing to go out at all, and add space or routes if needed.

Safety checks before leaving your cat alone

Push every mesh panel firmly to check for loose fixings
Look for gaps at the base, door, corners and where the catio meets walls
Check no shelf or post gives a way onto the roof or over the top
Feel for sharp wire ends, nails and splinters
Make sure the door latch cannot be nudged open
Check there is shade and water on hot days
Keep garden chemicals, slug pellets and antifreeze well away

Weather and time outside

Cats feel the heat, especially pale-coloured, white-eared and flat-faced breeds. On hot days make sure part of the catio is in shade, the roof does not trap heat, and water is topped up. White cats and cats with pale ears can get sunburnt, so shade matters. In winter, a sheltered, insulated bed and a solid roof section let most healthy cats enjoy short spells outside. Many owners bring cats in at night, which is also when foxes are most active.

Since June 2024, cats in England over 20 weeks old must be microchipped. Even in a secure catio, a microchip with up-to-date contact details is the best way to get your cat back if it ever does get out.