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BC SPCA offers tour of outdoor feline enclosures called ‘catios’

You can visit seven Vancouver homes to check out the enclosures this weekend
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The BC SPCA is offering a self-guided tour of seven “cat patios” around Vancouver on June 9, 2019. (BC SPCA)

What is a “catio” and why would you want one?

It’s a cat patio, an outdoor enclosure that’s attached to your home or stands on its own, that let cats get outside but stops them from running away or getting hurt.

The BC SPCA is offering a self-guided tour of the enclosures at seven homes in Vancouver’s Mount Pleasant and Kitsilano neighbourhoods on Sunday, June 9. The cat owners, volunteers and SPCA staff, will be on hand at each stop.

“Catios provide valuable enrichment to a resident cat, giving them access to the ever-changing sights, sounds and smells of the outdoors,” SPCA outreach specialist Marieke van der Velden said in a news release on Wednesday.

“At the same time, catios protect cats from outdoor hazards and ensure the safety of local wildlife, such as birds.”

READ MORE: Call the ‘paw’-lice: Cricket the cat caught stealing gloves from B.C. homes

Tour participants will see a variety of enclosures, from the basic to the elaborate, with perches, ramps and toys. The cat themselves may make an appearance as well, the society said, “depending on moods and napping schedules.”

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The BC SPCA is offering a self-guided tour of seven “cat patios” around Vancouver on June 9, 2019. (BC SPCA)
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The BC SPCA is offering a self-guided tour of seven “cat patios” around Vancouver on June 9, 2019. (BC SPCA)
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The BC SPCA is offering a self-guided tour of seven “cat patios” around Vancouver on June 9, 2019. (BC SPCA)
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The BC SPCA is offering a self-guided tour of seven “cat patios” around Vancouver on June 9, 2019. (BC SPCA)