"Lucky" doesn't begin to describe old Max the cat.
With a loving owner, all the treats he can eat and a closet full of cat toys, Max lives a life any of us would envy.
“He's a cat of leisure,” said his owner Kris Tsujikawa. “I think he sleeps most of the day.”
But a life of leisure can turn rather tedious.
So when Max needs a break from all of his napping, he retires to his patio, or more specifically his “catio.”
A catio is a custom made outdoor hangout for cats made by Seattle’s CatioSpaces.com.
With covered roofs and padded seating they let your house cat experience the great outdoors without fear of him running away, getting hit by a car or being eaten by a neighbor's dog.
“It’s very safe,” says Tsujikawa. “It's peace of mind, too.”
Max's pad is 10 feet tall, 8 feet wide and 4 feet deep. It has two entrances, cushioned napping stations, carpeted lookouts, and his own catnip garden.
It's a veritable kitty condo.
“We could probably get $2,000-$3,000 a month for this if we rented it out in downtown Seattle,” joked Catio Spaces designer Cynthia Chomos.
Catios cost anywhere from $1,500 to $4,500 depending on how fancy you want to get. Chomos says the most elaborate one she's ever made was her own "pet project."
“It has a 6-foot lounge chair, a spiral staircase, lots of vertical space,” she said.
When asked if it’s for her or the cat she replies, “It’s for both of us because cat naps are good for humans too!”
A tour of King County catios from Kenmore to West Seattle is happening Saturday May 21. For more information visit CatioTourSeattle.com.
