Catio or no?

[Shallysally]

So as Covid restrictions are lifting I am starting to go into the office more, commute is around 40 mins.

Currently, cat goes out as she pleases, uses cat flap ok.
I’m concerned that I could potentially be out around 9 hours, which seems like a long time for her to be roaming free.

Does anyone have a catio please, I’d attach it to the wall so she could still get in and out of the house via cat flap, but be contained in the catio. I’m thinking about in the days I’m in the office to limit her access to the house and catio only.

I’d look at one that can be enclosed at one end, rather than being open mesh all round.

I have 3 cats and we are out of the house for a similar amount of time to you during the week and, to be honest, I wouldn't consider having a catio. We have a microchip catflap. One of our cats is a real indoor boy and only pops out for 10 minutes at a time. One is in and out like a yo-yo all day and the third one likes to spend his day in the fields until we come home when he returns for his dinner.

Why are you nervous about letting your cat free roam whilst you are out? Do you live near a busy road?

No, not a busy road.
She’s a little timid, and not very good at standing up for herself against other cats! And I guess it just feels like a long time for her to be out, although obviously she can come and go through the cat flap.

Do you have a microchip flap so she has a safe place to run to if she gets chased by another cat? If not, I would get one of those.

I will be interested to see other people's views on this too. Personally I wouldn't consider a catio unless it was for an indoor cat (not saying you are wrong for wanting one though!)

I have a catio. My cats are Maine Coons so chances are they would be stolen if allowed to free roam.

My cat doesn’t have a catio. I work all day. Can’t say I have ever thought about the amount of time he is roaming. He just comes and goes as he pleases.