SEATTLE, WASHINGTON – “Lucky” doesn’t even begin to describe old Max the cat.
With a very loving owner, all the treats he can eat and a closet full of cat toys, Max lives a life any of us would envy.
“He’s a cat of leisure,” admitted his owner Kris Tsujikawa. “I think he sleeps most of the day.”
However, a life of leisure can turn rather tedious.
So when Max needs a bit of a break from all of his napping, he retires to his patio, or more specifically his “catio.”
A catio is a custom made outdoor space for cats. Some of the best in the world are made by Seattle’s CatioSpaces.com.
With covered roofs and padded seating they let your house cat experience the great outdoors without any fear of him running away, getting hit by a car or being eaten by a neighbor’s dog.
“It’s very safe,” states Tsujikawa. “It’s peace of mind, too.”
Max’s pad is 10 feet tall, 8 feet wide and a total of 4 feet deep. It has two separate entrances, cushioned napping stations, carpeted lookouts, and his own catnip garden.
It’s a kitty condo on crack!
“We could probably get $2,000-$3,000 a month for this if we rented it out in downtown Seattle,” said Catio Spaces designer Cynthia Chomos jokingly.
Catios cost anywhere from $1,500 to a humble $4,500 depending on just how fancy you want to get. Chomos says the most elaborate one she’s ever made was her own “pet project.”
“It has a 6-foot lounge chair, a spiral staircase, lots of vertical space,” she went on to decribe.
When asked if it’s for her or the cat she admits, “It’s for both of us because cat naps are good for humans too!”
A tour of King County catios from Kenmore to West Seattle is happening this Saturday May 21. For more information visit CatioTourSeattle.com.
Photo credits: https://www.catiospaces.com/
