Dictionary

catio en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• /ˈkæt.i.oʊ/ (Canada, US)
• /ˈkæt.i.əʉ/ (Australia)
• /ˈkæt.i.əʊ/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• [ˈkæɾ.i.oʊ] (Canada, US)
• [ˈkæɾ.i.əʉ] (Australia)

Etymology

Blend of cat + patio.

Meanings

1. An outdoor enclosure for cats.
   • So some cat owners who would never dream of letting their pets roam free outside have come up with a creative compromise: an enclosed space — usually in the form of a screened-in porch or deck — that allows them to share the great outdoors. Please don’t call it a cage. They prefer the term “catio.” 2010 June 16, Jennifer A. Kingson, “‘Catios’ Bring Cats Outdoors”, in The New York Times:
   • Behaviorally, catios help cats organically cross their own challenge line; like any Catification project, catios should be scalable and filled with everything from scent soakers (for comfort, both physical and territorial) to superhighway elements that can change over time to accomodate the cat's curiousity and maturation. 2014, Jackson Galaxy, Kate Benjamin, Catification, Designing a Happy and Stylish Home for Your Cat (and You!), page 227:
   • She made a “fence” of them for Varmint inside the wrought iron white fence that bordered the patio so that it was his “catio.” 2010, Sue Tatem, Mones, Xlibris, →ISBN, page 35:
   • And we have a catio of sorts, a small screened porch built by the previous owner for humans. 2010 June 21, Teresa Mears, “Do your kitties need a 'catio'?”, in MSN Money:
   • They're happy to hang out on what we call their “catio” all day, lazing on the couch while glowering at chipmunks and letting the sun warm the downy fur on their bellies. 2012 May 1, Jen Lancaster, Jeneration X: One Reluctant Adult's Attempt to Unarrest Her Arrested Development; Or, Why It's Never Too Late for Her Dumb Ass to Learn Why Froot Loops Are Not for Dinner, New American Library, →ISBN:

Forms