Research overview: catios and outdoor enclosures as a containment compromise

Outdoor enclosures, often called catios, and other containment systems offer a middle path between free roaming and strict indoor living. This overview surveys research and welfare reasoning on these solutions, which let cats experience fresh air, sights and stimulation while preventing predation of wildlife and protecting cats from traffic, disease and fights. It examines how enclosures and leashed walking can satisfy behavioural needs for exploration and basking, considerations for designing stimulating enclosures with vertical space and varied substrates, and the conditions under which containment maintains good welfare. The survey situates catios within the broader containment movement promoted in regions concerned about cat impacts on biodiversity, presenting them as a practical reconciliation of feline enrichment with responsible ownership and wildlife protection.