Going into its 12th year, the annual Catio Tour was created by local cat and bird non-profits working together to highlight the importance of keeping pet cats from roaming freely outdoors for their safety and for the safety of birds and other wildlife. Catio tours are happening up and down the West Coast, but the original tour started right here in Portland, the Catio Capital, which reigns supreme with more than 1,200 catios and counting.
This year’s self-guided tour takes place Saturday, September 7, 10 am-2 pm, and will showcase a variety of catios in Portland and neighboring Vancouver. It includes some of the area’s best catios ranging from professionally designed to DIY. With crafty, creative and clever designs, these catios will offer great ideas that fit any budget and space.
Hosted by the Feral Cat Coalition of Oregon, Bird Conservation Oregon and Bird Alliance of Oregon, the Catio Tour was created in 2013 to inspire cat owners to build or buy an outdoor cat enclosure. Come see what feline bliss looks like while contributing to help people keep their Cats Safe at Home™, a program which helps protect cats and birds in the community.
Tickets ($15/person), available at catssafeathome.org/catio, include a guidebook with photos, catio construction information and maps to help you plan your day. Talk with the people who built the catios and feline attitude permitting, meet the cats who enjoy them.