Building a Custom Catio
*This is a Makerspace project for my MLIS program. See earlier posts for other projects in the process.
I’ve been reno-ing old furniture and DIYing household projects for years. I’m comfortable with a variety of skills and tools. But over the years I’ve felt limited by a major gap in experience…saws! Many times I’ve wanted to remake something during a furniture project to update legs, add more stability or the like. Most recently I’ve had plans to make anew mantle… But the bigger projects requiring cut lumber have been repeatedly pushed aside thinking, “I really outght to learn to use a circular saw…one day.” I’d prefer to say the delay was only due to the demands of homemaking, but a significant component was simply anxiety. Power saws are intimidating! I’ve sliced off the top joint of a thumb before (“traumatic amputation” they called it) and I have no desire to repeat that pain. So I left my intentions unfulfilled for years.
Sometimes you just need a little something to kick you in the rear to bust through a mental block though…
Enter: This Makerspace class! Makerspaces in libraries emphasize designing and creating with technology. The American Library Association summarizes the maker movement as “teaching our patrons to think for themselves, to think creatively, and to look for do-it-yourself solutions before running off to the store. In short, a makerspace is a place where people come together to create with technology” (2013). For one of our large maker projects, we were called to make something entirely independently from design through finished product without the aide of kits, patterns, or others’ designs and most importantly in a medium that we are UNfamiliar with. (No stitching allowed for me!) When initially considering my project I knew I wanted to make something useful long-term and required me to develop a skill basic enough to assist a wide variety of library makerspace patrons in the future. This juxtaposition seemed like the perfect opportunity to finally delve into woodworking with saws. A patron may not be seeking assistance in constructing a cat patio specifically, but acquiring these skills and practice with woodworking will set me up to be a better Makerspace librarian overall. It was a lofty project for 6-8 weeks, but I was determined!
In addition to the hands-on functional practice, much of this project was about experiencing the design thinking process with problem solving utilizing “a system of mindsets and principles that have users build empathy and deeper understandings of self to define a problem; actively engage in ideation and prototyping to develop solutions; and iterate solutions through implementation and resulting modification” (ALA, 2023). So, I’m sharing about the making process here: empathize, define, ideate, prototype, and test, rather than the step-by-step how to craftsmanship. When thinking of my project concept the “problem” I wanted to solve was my cats craving being outdoors occasionally but their safety and the local bird population taking precedence. Was there a way to give the cats outdoor space without safety or visual aesthetics taking a hit? My initial concept aimed to give vertical space for my climbing cats, horizontal space for my lounging cat, incorporated natural elements, to not distract from the house facade, and to barter as many of the needed supplies possible for my sustainability minimalist heart. I planned to purchase the swing flap pet door and screens, hoping to acquire the rest at no direct cost.
There was a significant gap in between making my design draft, measuring, purchasing remaining needed lumber and actually cutting to fit. Why? That dreaded saw anxiety! After being stalled for 2.5 weeks (meanwhile knowing the clock was ticking approaching only 5 weeks to complete the entire project), I set a time to meet with a dear friend, Cliff, who agreed to give me a lesson on all things saws. He’s a woodworker so I knew I was in good hands. In addition to the needed operational skills, I learned a valuable lesson to take with me as I become the guide in library Makerspaces. Cliff guided me through every step of the process including setting up and using a circular saw, table saw, and miter saws but he importantly had me do each step myself. Meaning, he didn’t do it himself and merely let me observe, rather, he encouraged me to put my brave pants on and get my hands on the tools themselves. Setting my expectations for noise, pressure, kickback etc. attenuated anxiety of the unknown and sped up my process getting comfortable using the saws. It took more time over the next week to feel truly adequate, but having individual hands-on practice made all the difference in breaking through this major making barrier!
Highly useful…and terrifying. The gains in self-efficacy through this initially intimidating lesson was well worth it and vital to the making process!
Design thinking and making emphasizes the iterative process. It’s okay to change your design- it’s how you make your creation better and to best fit the intended needs. I was fortunate to have my main re-design before cutting/assembling lumber. Given the large width and multi-floor design of the catio, it was clear the triangular supports I’d envisioned would be insufficient. The weight across the floors needed to be more evenly distributed with extra support across the midline and Texas weather may have caused the catio to tip forward off the the sidewall. I was able to redesign to give the catio front leg supports instead. I found talking through my goals and the design with others immensely helpful in this stage. Without early feedback I may have wasted already tight hours and resources before revising. So while I’m forever an individual worker (anyone else loathe group work??) this process helped me appreciate the benefit of seeking help and guidance. Work smarter not harder as they say…
An unexpected and lovely part of this making process was how involved my kids wanted to be! Collaboration is a key component in design thinking and seeing my kids’ brainstorm together on how to make the catio more appealing and my eldest’s requests for a lesson from Mama on using basic power tools was a core memory moment for us. I can’t wait to foster that same collaborative creating with future patrons and their children- seeing the benefits of the process across generations.
At this point I’d received key help for the main structure, made the frame, and was ready to begin making the catio cozy. I opted for an impromptu addition of painting the frame to help it look more finished and to blend in with the yard better. I’m almost always pro-painting in projects- it’s a quick inexpensive addition with big impact!
Cue the fun part: the aesthetics! I knew a neighbor had turf leftover from a recent yard project he was looking to purge so I asked him if he’d be willing to trade for a portion- he agreed! I also traded a plant cutting for catnip plants, rifled through my late father’s garage for a staple gun/staples, removed a never used hammock from an indoor cat tower to add to the catio, and quite literally wandered the neighborhood and asked two neighbors if I could take some of their fallen branches (they happily obliged). This was another especially fun part of the process. Being resourceful in making is necessary and satisfying when on a budget. Makerspaces emphasize creating with technology, but that doesn’t mean using tech for every step. In fact, I’d argue one of the more useful parts of creating is using creativity to problem-solve and cut costs.
With the scale and time limit of this project, I didn’t make a formal prototype. However, for each stage I placed components and ensured they were functional and in line with my design before permanently affixing. Having a helper to hold, move, adjust things while I took a step back to see the whole picture was immensely useful in this stage.
Goals for catio components: litter box that is easily accessible for cleaning, ample open space for lounging, tons of sunlight, bringing nature in, real vertical limbs for scratching, plants to chew, and permanently affixed toys. I also wanted to be sure the structure remained sturdy long-term. Supports are reinforced directly to the decking and house eaves (no holes drilled into the brick), slanted roof eliminates precipitation pooling, and heavy duty pet safe screens keep the cats enjoying their space with me being able to confidently let them come in/out as they please without fear of escaping. The kids jumped in on this stage too, decorating some pieces of scrap wood to decorate the catio :)
This catio is STURDY, y’all! I know personally from getting onto the second level repeatedly to attach the clear polycarbonate roof and screens, ha! The only problem with the finished project is that I cuddle my cats far less because they’re in the catio all the time! Overall, though initially I worried my idea was too ambitious for the timeframe, the fast pace kept me motivated. I learned valuable skills in woodworking but also practiced asking for help, pushing through nerves, and working collaboratively with consistent feedback and adjustments. That’s what Makerspaces are all about! Turns out, I don’t hate working in partnership, you just need the right helpers :)
So, what do you think?!