Build story
The Cedar Heights garden catio
- Location
- Fort Collins, CO
- Size
- 220 sqft
- Cats
- 3
- Completed
- June 2025
title: "The Cedar Heights garden catio" location: "Fort Collins, CO" sizeSqft: 220 catCount: 3 completedDate: "2025-06-22" cover: "/images/examples/cedar-heights-hero.jpg" photos:
- "/images/examples/cedar-heights-detail-1.jpg"
- "/images/examples/cedar-heights-detail-2.jpg" excerpt: "A garden-integrated catio for three cats, with walkways, climbing features, and cat-safe plants woven through existing landscaping." featured: true
The brief
Three cats, wildly different personalities, and a beautifully landscaped backyard the owners did not want disturbed. The Cedar Heights project asked us to fit a catio into existing garden beds rather than carving out a dedicated rectangle.
What we designed
A 220-square-foot system with two connected rooms joined by a tunnel walkway running under the existing wisteria. Each room has features tailored to one of the three cats: a tall climbing structure for Pickle, a sun-warmed flat deck for Teddy, and a semi-enclosed hideaway for shy Juno.
Details worth noting
- Walkway foundation piers were placed to avoid three established shrubs. We routed around the root systems.
- Cat-safe perennials planted in built-in beds: cat grass, valerian, and spider plants.
- Two hidden access doors for human maintenance, visible only when you know where to look.
The build
Six days on-site due to the landscaping sensitivity. We hand-dug the pier holes, protected the shrubs with plywood shields, and staged material to avoid driving over any beds.
A month later
All three cats use the catio, each preferring their own room but regularly crossing through the tunnel to say hello. The owners report it's become the cats' favorite spot on the entire property. The garden is untouched.
