How to choose a catio: size, access and total cost

UK catio systems worth comparing

Choose for the site and access you actually have. Manufacturer-stated sizes retain their 6 October 2026 basis. Omlet and ProtectaPet offers were rechecked 17 October; the Wingham offer below retains its 6 October observation. These are kit prices before delivery and site-specific work.

Start with how your cat gets back inside

A catio should give your cat a choice. Cats Protection advises letting cats enter voluntarily and keeping their route back into the house available. It discourages standalone pens that require cats to be carried in and shut inside. Its catio advice also cautions that restricting an established outdoor cat’s territory can cause frustration.

Draw the route from the house before choosing the enclosure. Is there a suitable cat flap, door or window? Would you need a tunnel? Can the connection stay secure while the house opening is in use? An enclosure in a convenient corner of the garden is less convenient if the journey there requires a daily hostage negotiation.

For a cat with mobility limitations, ask your vet about an appropriate layout. A tall climbing route is not automatically an accessible route. For the wider garden, start with our cat-friendly garden guide.

Measure the footprint, not just the product name

Mark the proposed outline on the ground and walk around it. Include the door swing, room to assemble the structure and access to drains, taps and anything you will eventually need to repair. Discovering the outdoor tap is behind a climbing wall feels avoidable.

Separate three measurements in your notes: the usable interior, the external structure and any skirt or projecting fixings. Then sketch where shelves, hiding places and the human access route would go. Height can add useful climbing opportunities, but shelves do not make a cramped floor disappear.

If several cats will use it, think about passing space and separate places to settle. A single attractive perch at the end of a narrow route may become a queue with opinions.

Download this diagram (SVG)

Why these catio picks?

Omlet: our starting pick for a modular garden enclosure

Omlet is our starting pick for a straightforward modular garden enclosure. The £619 full-height 2 × 2 × 2 kit includes its stable-style human door. If you can fit a longer enclosure, the £739 2 × 3 × 2 kit increases the listed interior to 1.8 × 2.7m (4.86m²), with a 2.2 × 3.1m footprint including the skirt. Both are 2.05m high; choose the space your layout needs rather than automatically buying the smallest.

Omlet’s support guidance distinguishes the compatible tunnel system from direct house attachment, for which it advises specialist help. Price the house connection, cover and required fixings separately. Kittens and very small cats may need additional mesh protection: confirm suitability with Omlet before buying.

ProtectaPet: consider it for a layout that needs adapting

ProtectaPet lists wall-mounted and freestanding configurations. It says the steel posts can be trimmed, with cut ends treated with primer. That flexibility may suit an awkward space, but it brings measuring and construction decisions that a basket total cannot make for you.

Use the £1,400 Catio with Gate as the walk-in comparison. Its £800 base option excludes that gate and is a different basket. The selected gated kit is 2.4 × 2.4 × 2.4m externally and 2.34 × 2.34 × 2.34m inside. Confirm the wall or freestanding arrangement and fixing details; steel-framed means a steel frame with poly-mesh here.

Wingham: an Amazon option for a suitable wall-side setup

The Wingham three-sided catio is available from Home and Roost through Amazon. The selected listing is the 6ft × 3ft × 7.2ft version. It needs a suitable solid surface to form its fourth side; confirm the building connection, exact dimensions and supplied components before ordering.

The matching Wingham shelf five-pack is another option for this system; confirm supports and load limits before fitting. See the placement guide for the wall-side layout considerations and manufacturer references.

When cat-proof fencing belongs on the shortlist

If your aim is to contain a whole garden, ask about a boundary system as well. That is a different project from enclosing a smaller area with a mesh ceiling. Existing fences, gates, trees and nearby structures all become part of the assessment. Compare the actual proposed work, not the cheapest starting price from each category. Our catio vs cat-proof fencing guide explains which garden layouts suit each approach.

Budget for the finished catio

Compare the enclosure, a usable route back indoors and the work needed to fit it to your site. Then add shelter, furnishings, delivery and labour. Check which items are already included before buying them twice.

The compact Omlet kit plus the matching £60 heavy-duty 2 × 2 cover has a known product subtotal of £679. That leaves the house connection, anchoring, delivery, site work and furnishings to price. Use our worked catio budgets and worksheet to carry those lines through to a complete quote.

For sustainability, I would prioritise a setup that fits properly, can be repaired and will stay useful. An expandable frame is worth considering if it avoids replacing the whole enclosure later. Neither a green finish nor an expensive price establishes an environmental benefit on its own.

Before ordering, use our free catio site, budget and supplier-quote pack. Mark included doors and parts once, record every unresolved site cost, and compare written quotes for the same finished setup.

Check before buying

• Get the current assembly instructions. Check tools, access, surface requirements and fixing details for the exact configuration.
• Ask about suitability for your cat. Check mesh openings and the manufacturer’s restrictions, especially for kittens or unusually small cats.
• Plan human entry. Decide how you will open the door without giving your cat an unintended exit route, and whether a compatible porch or airlock is needed.
• Check weather exposure. Look at the location at different times of day, including the hottest part. A mesh ceiling is not a rain roof.
• Confirm permissions before building. Resolve any landlord, property or local planning requirements for your particular project before committing to structural work.
• Read delivery and return terms. Establish the cost and conditions of returning a bulky kit, particularly if you intend to customise it.
• Keep inspecting it. Check doors, connections, mesh and fixings for wear or damage. Low-maintenance materials still need attention.

The useful purchase is the one that works for your cat and your actual house. The photograph with eight platforms and a beautifully behaved cat is allowed to remain somebody else’s photograph.