Build story
The Ash Lane patio catio
- Location
- Longmont, CO
- Size
- 130 sqft
- Cats
- 2
- Completed
- July 2025
title: "The Ash Lane patio catio" location: "Longmont, CO" sizeSqft: 130 catCount: 2 completedDate: "2025-07-22" cover: "/images/examples/ash-lane-cover.jpg" photos:
- "/images/examples/ash-lane-detail-1.jpg"
- "/images/examples/ash-lane-detail-2.jpg" excerpt: "A quiet cedar-framed catio off a family-room slider, built to disappear into a suburban backyard." featured: true
The brief
A young family in Longmont with two indoor cats, a fenced backyard, and a family-room sliding door the cats camped at every morning. They wanted outdoor access without losing a corner of the yard to a giant structure, and they wanted the catio to read as part of the house, not an add-on.
What we designed
A 130-square-foot rectangular catio sitting directly off the sliding glass door. Cedar post-and-beam frame stained honey-brown to match the back fence, black powder-coated stainless mesh on all visible faces, a shallow shed roof that slopes gently away from the house with shingles pulled from the same bundle as the main roof.
Details worth noting
- Sliding door stays fully operational. Cats come and go on their own schedule.
- Two cedar perch shelves at different heights. The higher one gets morning sun; the lower one stays shaded after noon.
- Built-in cedar planter along the base, currently holding cat grass and a single catmint.
The build
Four days on-site. Crew sequenced the roof first so rain in the forecast wouldn't slow the finish work. Homeowner was home on day four for the walkthrough.
A month later
Both cats figured out the slider flap within 48 hours. The homeowners say the catio has quietly become the backyard's most-used room. No complaints from the HOA.
