Catio/ cat proof garden

[yorkypuds]

We have three cats that have had to live as house cats as boy cat likes to play in traffic and could cause a serious accident.
Has anyone had a catio or cat proofed their garden that could recommend a company or share photos/ prices?
I am being bombarded with FB adverts and I’m not really sure where to start.
Thanks

We haven’t yet, but we’ll be cat proofing our garden very shortly. We’ve spoken to a few and have narrowed our options down to either Sanctuary SOS and Protectapet. They’ve both been lovely to deal with on the phone (some didn’t even bother to respond to my enquiries), and provide the netting style cat proofing, rather than the roller bars. I don’t trust our cat not to make it over the roller bars with a bit of persistence! They both offer DIY options as well if you’re that way inclined, but we’ll probably go for the option where they fit it for you. I’ll report back once we’ve had it fitted.

We used Sanctuary and they were great. It's well worth paying a bit more to get someone who knows what they are doing as siting the netting correctly to be both safe and as unobtrusive as possible is a real skill.

We have used Katzecure, who install the horizontal roller bars, and survey the garden to work out what needs to go where, and the whole thing looks nicer than prison-like netting. They are expensive - we got the supplies from them, and did the installing ourselves to save on the cost. But it has worked, and has kept our cat in for three years and counting.

I used Protectapet. It’s so worth the money! They installed it and did it so efficiently. Would definitely recommend.

For a catio, design your own and get a local handyman to make it. Far cheaper than the specialist companies and more flexibility in getting what you want.
I have had catios since 1992 at 4 different homes. They are brilliant.
Would recommend a catio over cat proofing your garden with an overhang system. A really determined cat often still gets out of those.
I worked for Cats Protection for many years and we had numerous calls about lost cats who had escaped supposed cat proof gardens. Mostly young cats but some older ones too.
Also had reports of neighbour’s cats getting into cat proof gardens (as the overhang is of course not designed to stop entry, only exit) and fights ensuing between both cats and neighbours!
Also recommend getting window screens for windows not enclosed by your catio. Flatcats or Cataire sell easy to use kits.

Fully understand, I have a much loved cat but, please can I just put in a plea for your neighbours! New neighbours in our last house which was on slightly higher ground than ours put in a cateo to keep their three Abyssian cats in. They didn't consult us, it just happened, six foot fencing topped by about a metre of netting replacing the hedge/fence, trees chopped down, felt quite dramatic, like living beside Fort Knox. they also put in a revolting six foot high patio in, we moved!!