One of our favorite things to watch is how confidently cats move once they’re in a space that feels secure.

Tunnels like this often become the main “highway” pretty quickly, whether they’re connecting the house to a catio, linking one enclosure to another, or doubling as a favorite perch along the way. Lots of slow walks, pauses, and staring at everything outside.

Do your cats move through their catio right away, or do they take a few laps to inspect everything first?

A customer shared this photo with us and it instantly made us smile, what a face!

There’s something about the calm confidence here: bright eyes, a perfectly chosen perch, and that classic “I’m watching everything” posture cats seem to master. Beautiful!

Moments like this are why we love seeing customer photos, they capture how cats actually use their spaces day to day, not staged, just lived-in.

Does your cat have a favorite spot where they sit like this and quietly supervise the world?

Hello.

I have tested the basket on this cat tree.

It is soft.
It is comfortable.
I will now live here.

A customer shared this clip with us of their cat doing a quick “escape test.”

It climbs the fence, reaches the top where the spring-loaded arms are, pauses for a second… and then decides the ground is the better option.

This is from one of our Purrfect Fence setups, and it’s always interesting watching how cats react the first time they try to climb it.

One thing we see over and over with window enclosures is how quickly cats divide the space.

One claims the lower level and checks out completely, while the other heads up to watch everything.

Do your cats rotate spots, or do they each pick a level and stick with it?

A customer came to us with a request that started with, “So this might be a little crazy…”
Those are usually our favorite ones.

They had a custom catio they built in the backyard and wanted a way for their cats to travel back and forth from the house without touching the ground. The distance was...far, we’re talking a long, elevated tunnel run that had to span the yard, stay secure, and handle a steep change in elevation.

After a lot of measuring, planning, and head-scratching, this is what it turned into. A fully enclosed tunnel with support posts along the way and built-in steps so the cats can comfortably go downhill and back up again. Now it’s basically a private I-75 cat highway connecting the house to their outdoor space lol

Habitat Haven usually focuses on modular, DIY catios, but every once in a while a project comes along that’s just too interesting to pass up. Customer asked… we said “say less.”

The best part? The cats use it constantly. Just casually commuting like this is totally normal.

Would you trust your cats with a tunnel this long, or would you be standing outside watching the first few trips like a nervous parent?

“I have claimed this hammock.
I will not be moving.
Please adjust your expectations accordingly.”

Hello.

Please keep your voice down.
I am currently extremely busy doing nothing.

A customer came to us with more of a design puzzle than a product request. We love these😊

They had a second-story balcony, a three-sided catio (just out of frame), and wanted everything connected into one setup. It all starts at an access door from the house, so the cats can come and go when it’s unlocked. From there, the challenge was figuring out a safe, natural route that worked with the building and elevation.

Most of the work was really just planning things out: where the turns should go, how the cats would move vertically, and how to make it feel like one continuous path instead of a bunch of separate pieces. The end result wraps the balcony, connects into vertical climbs, and leads out (along the brickwork) to the catio without the cats ever touching the ground.

At Habitat Haven, we spend a lot of time helping customers think through layouts like this, especially when the space isn’t straightforward. No two homes (or cats) are the same, and sometimes the fun part is figuring out how to make something a little unconventional actually work.

Honest question: would your cat jump right in, or spend a few days inspecting every inch first?

There’s something really peaceful about watching a cat experience the outdoors from a safe, enclosed space.

Cat enclosures and catios give cats the chance to engage with the world in a way that feels natural to them — watching birds move through the trees, listening to outdoor sounds, tracking shadows as the light changes. Moments like this, with the sky shifting colors as the day winds down, seem to hold their attention in the quietest way.

What stands out is how calm and focused cats become when they have a secure place to observe. No overstimulation, no danger, just steady enrichment and a sense of freedom without the risks that come with roaming.

Cats don’t need constant action to be fulfilled. Sometimes all they want is a safe perch, a view of the world, and time to simply watch it go by.

A customer shared this setup with us recently, and it’s a great example of how flexible catio designs can be.

This enclosure sits right up against a Michigan room (an enclosed backyard deck), with a window insert and built-in cat door that gives the owners control over when their cats have access, free to come and go, or limited when needed.

The added awning helps keep the space protected from rain and weather, making it usable more consistently throughout the year.

What we love about setups like this is how they show that a catio doesn’t have to be a standalone structure in the middle of the yard. They can connect to existing spaces, adapt to the home, and be designed around how people actually live with their cats.

If you were designing a catio, would you want it fully open all the time, or with the option to control access?

A customer sent us this photo after finishing their catio setup and the whole space ended up looking like a cat adventure park.

The bridge walkway, shelves, and climbing areas give their cats a ton of vertical space to explore.

We always love seeing the creative ways people incorporate these setups into their homes 👍

I found this old video I recorded of Fort Sammie before it was taken down 😢

https://www.reddit.com/r/CatForts/s/nwCSxORTXS

Hope you like it!

Bonus pic of him inside his tent. He's the bestest little boy scout!

I set up this outdoor cat tree recently and my cat wasted no time racing to the very top. It’s wild how natural it is for them to want to climb and observe everything from above.

She’ll sit up there for hours just watching the yard, the birds, and probably judging me too. It’s been awesome seeing her so happy and engaged outside in a safe space.

If your cat loves being outside, I can’t recommend a setup like this enough — it gives them that “king of the jungle” feeling without any of the risks.