A catio gives your cat the outdoors without the roads, the fights or the wildlife. We build them and we install them: framed catios made to suit your house, cat netting and enclosure kits you have already bought, and the cat doors and tunnels that connect them to the house. Every job is quoted as one fixed price, in writing, before we start.
Framed catios built to suit the house
Most cat enclosures in Perth are netting on a frame of posts and wire. That works, and for some yards it is the right answer. But a catio that sits against the house is something you look at every day, and it can be built to look like it belongs there.
We build catios from treated timber or aluminium framing, with mesh or netting infill chosen for the spot. They can run off a wall, sit under an existing patio or pergola, wrap a side passage, or stand on their own on paving or lawn. A roof section keeps the rain and sun off part of it. Timber is sealed or painted to match the house trim, so the catio reads as part of the building, not an add-on.
Inside, we fit what the cat will actually use: shelves and ledges at different heights, a ramp or two, a sleeping box out of the weather, and a gate wide enough for you to get in to clean. Where the catio connects to the house, we fit the cat door into a wall, a timber door or a window panel, so the cat comes and goes on its own.
Before quoting a framed build, we check what your council and the building rules allow for a structure of that size and type, and tell you if anything needs approval first.
Kits and netting you have already bought
A lot of people buy a cat netting roll or an enclosure kit online and then find they do not have the time, the ladder or the patience to put it up. That is a common request, and we are happy to do it.
We install netting along walls and fence tops, over courtyards and side passages, and under pergolas, with the wire rope, tensioners and fixings set so the net stays tight and there are no gaps at the edges. Modular mesh kits are assembled, squared up and fixed down so they do not shift. If you have bought the kit, send us the product name or a link with your enquiry; it tells us most of what we need. We will tell you up front if something you have bought will not suit where you want it, or if it is missing parts you will need.
If you have not bought anything yet, ask before you do. Depending on the space, a framed build or a different kit may cost about the same and last longer.
See flatpack assembly and installation for the same approach to other kits.
Indoor climbing walls, cat doors and tunnels
Not every cat needs to go outside to be busy. A climbing wall gives an indoor cat somewhere to go up, and it is one of the jobs we are asked for most. The wall below has four sisal steps leading up to two timber shelves at different heights, with a floor-height scratching post beside the balcony door.
Shelves a cat jumps onto take a sudden load every time, so they need to be fixed properly. We check what each wall is made of before anything goes up, mark the layout out first so you can see the spacing, and fix each step and bracket to suit plasterboard, timber or masonry. If you have bought the steps and shelves already, send us the product links.
The smaller jobs are just as common: a cat door fitted into a timber or hollow-core door, a pet door insert set into a sliding glass door, and a tunnel from a window to an enclosure.
Rentals, units and strata
Tenants often want a catio they can take with them, and owners want to know nothing will be damaged. A free-standing catio, or netting fixed with the fewest possible holes, solves most of that. For strata buildings, anything visible from outside usually needs the owners corporation's approval first. We can give you the details they ask for, and we already work with property managers on approvals, access and invoicing.
What we pass on
Some things that come up with catios are not ours to do. We do not cut back or remove trees; if branches overhang where the enclosure needs to go, an arborist does that first. Lights or power points inside a catio are an electrician's job. Large concrete slabs or digging for major footings go to the right contractor. If one of these is part of your plan, the quote says so and prices the rest.
Where we build
We are based in Ardross and work across Perth's southern and western suburbs, from South Perth and Como through Applecross and Melville to Bull Creek, Willetton and Fremantle, and across the western suburbs. For the full list, see where we work. Related work: fences and gates, decking and outdoor timber and painting repairs.
Getting a quote
Use the form below with your suburb and a few photos of where the catio would go, taken from far enough back to show the wall, fence or patio it would attach to. Rough measurements help. If you have bought a kit or netting, include what it is. Most jobs are quoted from photos; a framed build may need a short visit to measure. You get one written, fixed price, valid seven days, free of charge. We work Monday to Friday 7am to 5pm and Saturday 9am to 3pm, and we are closed on Sunday.
Handy Home Heroes is based in Ardross. ABN 88 948 290 829, $10M public liability, GST registered, rated 5.0 from 157 Google reviews.