When I heard that we would be moving into an apartment in Warsaw, I immediately added “catproofing” to the list. Not because I am a crazy cat lady (though I am). Because cats can’t fly, and ask us how we know that!

Poor old accident-prone Huckle has since left us. Our current kitties appear to be more coordinated, but we aren’t taking any chances.

Fortunately, there are sturdy screens on the windows. But, we still needed to figure out how to deal with this big balcony. Outdoor space of some kind is very important to both of us: we are not naturally apartment people. So, we wanted to be able to use it a lot without worrying about cats falling or wandering off from it.

So, shortly after our arrival, we employed a professional catio-creator to completely enclose the balcony. He did a great job!

This was not the cheapest project, even in low-cost Poland. But you know what? Emergency vet visits are expensive too, and harder on both the cat and his/her owners. (Catio Man said he hears that all the time.) Searching for lost cats is no fun, either!

We like having our coffee out here in the morning, or a drink in the evening. More patio furniture on the way. When our car arrives, I’m getting some (very hardy) plants to green it up, too. It’s not the most private place in the world, but if the old guy on the balcony across the street wants to water his geraniums in his tighty-whities (as happened this morning) then that’s just part of the atmosphere!

Call me a crazy cat lady, but I am glad we invested in this catio right away– so we can all relax and enjoy it for the next three years.