Here’s your chance to help make Katio a reality! They are running a Kickstarter campaign to launch this awesome idea and you can get some great perks for supporting them. Katio is a window enclosure that fits in standard windows just like an air conditioning unit. Simple to install and made of 1″ thick ultra-sturdy molded plastic, the Katio has a clear window facing outside so kitty can watch the birds. This is a simple way to create a special place where your cat can enjoy the view and expand her territory just a bit.
Inside your home, Katio has two doors that open for easy access and cleaning. One door has a cat flap installed and there’s a little ledge for kitty to perch on when entering and exiting the Katio. Because Katio is well ventilated and can be closed off from the inside of the house, you could also use it for the litter box. This would bring the litter box up to window height, making it easier to clean. Watch the video on their Kickstarter page to see it in action.
Support the Katio Kickstarter Campaign!
Head on over to Kickstarter to learn more about Katio (and it’s sister, Dogio) and check out the perks you can get, including a chance to win a free Katio. We’ll be sure to keep you updated on when Katio is available for sale.
As a “window box” for cats to look out on the world, its rather worthless, because it is the same as the window the box is sitting in….just “extended” out a bit.
As a “litter holder” it’s absolutely ridiculous. Pulling a litter box in an un-insulated box with a window is like putting your litter under a heat lamp. Heat will grow bacteria at a much faster rate and will stink you out of house and home.
Sorry to be so negative, but this product was created without any scientific reason relating to bacteria growth.
Cindy, you’re absolutely not understanding the Katio or how it works, so we want to clear up your statements here.
The Katio is 100% insulated – just like an ice chest – weather & UV proof for year round use.
Just a few benefits:
ADA Compliant at wheelchair height in your window
No bending/kneeling/squatting down to scoop or change the litter
Space saving – especially when you live in a small apartment/condo/house
Odorless – keeps odors outside where they belong while allowing fresh air in through the louvered vents
If you have dogs they can’t access the litter box for a “treat”
Contains litter spread
Easy to clean and maintain
We’ve been testing our prototype with our own 3 cats in both extreme cold and heat here in HOTlanta – as well as allowing friends & family to test it with their cats and they’ve all taken to the Katio instantly without issues! In short – we are our own customers!
I invite you to watch our working prototype video here to understand what our Katio product better – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jau7ZELU8yw
Doesn’t a cat like just a little more privacy?
If you mean while using the bathroom, not really seeing that a lot of cats use open top litter pans vs. boxes, but to address that, Katio will come with a 9″ opaque privacy panel that you can easily remove/re-install depending on usage as a litter box or just a window perch.
Thanks
Alden
This doesn’t seem safe. It seems like an “open window” for intruders to break-in your home. And if side extensions aren’t secure, cats could easily escape. My cats’ safety is my number one priority. I’m sorry, although this product seems like a cool idea, it makes me a little nervous. Also, it’s probably not ideal in winter climates.
Animal Advocate,
Katio is not only 100% secure, but we’ve been testing our prototype with our own 3 cats in both extreme cold and heat here in HOTlanta – as well as allowing friends & family to test it with their cats and they’ve all taken to the Katio instantly without issues! In short – we are our own customers – so if we wouldn’t risk the safety of our own cats [kids], we certainly wouldn’t with yours!
We also have a monitored alarm system in our house and will be posting up a video on security that talks about this shortly. You can remove the window contact and insert it into the extension panel right on the sill contact so you have closure. We’ve had our prototype setup this way for the past 3 years without issue. Again, we are our own customer, so we know precisely what we’re doing here!
The Katio is 100% insulated – just like an ice chest – weather & UV proof for year round use.
Just a few benefits:
ADA Compliant at wheelchair height in your window
No bending/kneeling/squatting down to scoop or change the litter
Space saving – especially when you live in a small apartment/condo/house
Odorless – keeps odors outside where they belong while allowing fresh air in through the louvered vents
If you have dogs they can’t access the litter box for a “treat”
Contains litter spread
Easy to clean and maintain
I invite you to watch our working prototype video here to understand what our Katio product better – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jau7ZELU8yw
Usually I try to say only positive things here, but this time I have to agree with the three posting before me. It’s too small for true enjoyment; it’s not private for litter-box placement; and it may not be safe. Maybe they can come up with another, better idea for this concept.
I have to agree with all previous posts – this was not thought out on so many “cat” levels. This is actually just a closed-in version of the Cat Veranda that was on the market several years ago – at least that had 3 open sides so cats could look out at birds and watch what was going on outside all around them. I can’t imagine any cat wanting to use a litter box in this when outside noises are all around. I’m sorry but it needs to go back to the drawing board.
I’d love to address some of the valid concerns you all bring up about Katio so that we’re on the same page about its use and safety.
Manufactured Katios will be made of UV sealed high-density plastic that is double-wall insulated. As long as your home is air-conditioned, the air inside Katio will remain room temperature for your cat. Our current prototype is made of birch and we do not have heat related problems with odor at all. The carpet tiles inside Katio are replaceable and easy to change which we recommend doing every few months– especially if you have a messy kitten like we do. Changing the litter regularly will also help fend off bacteria. Katio will have vents in both sides that are able to be screened (for bugs) or closed completely (for winter). The privacy screen Alden mentions above will help disguise the fact that it’s your cat’s potty to your neighbors!
The safety of your home and cat are very important. Katio units are installed with screws into your window frame– they aren’t going anywhere. The extension panels used on the sides are the same extension panels people have been using with A/C window units for decades. When installed properly, your cat will not be able to escape. There are other measures you can take for security, such as adding wood blocks cut to size in your window frame that inhibit further upward movement of the window, or placing the contact for your alarm system in the extension panel. We have our prototype set up this way so that if the panel moves, our home alarm will go off just as if someone opened the window. Please see our installation video for details: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=97D6ciXwtl4
The outside perch aspect of this will mostly likely depend on your cat’s demeanor and where you live. If you have a very timid cat and have a window on street-level with lots of traffic, then it might not be the best solution for you. But for apartments, second-floor windows or above or homes with yards, we do not believe it would be a stressful environment for a cat. All three of our cats have used the Katio regularly in various windows– even the one with busy street noise.
Katio has been in development for several years now with working prototype testing and feedback. We assure you it’s been thought out and lived out on many “cat” levels, and we would never suggest the product to others if we didn’t know it was SAFE and a great space-saving solution. For us, it even helps our 3 cats get along better by offering a more private, enclosed space for potty breaks in a place where no one can ambush you right when you come out! 🙂
Thanks everyone for your comments, and we’re happy to answer more concerns!
-Kelly
I just don’t see the point of it if all three sides aren’t windows, like the Cat Veranda mentioned above. Sorry, but I have to agree with the others that the design needs to go back to the drawing board.
Nancy, we’re actually coming out with a 3 sided window version as well, but for now…
Animal Advocate,
Katio is not only 100% secure, but we’ve been testing our prototype with our own 3 cats in both extreme cold and heat here in HOTlanta – as well as allowing friends & family to test it with their cats and they’ve all taken to the Katio instantly without issues! In short – we are our own customers – so if we wouldn’t risk the safety of our own cats [kids], we certainly wouldn’t with yours!
We also have a monitored alarm system in our house and will be posting up a video on security that talks about this shortly. You can remove the window contact and insert it into the extension panel right on the sill contact so you have closure. We’ve had our prototype setup this way for the past 3 years without issue. Again, we are our own customer, so we know precisely what we’re doing here!
The Katio is 100% insulated – just like an ice chest – weather & UV proof for year round use.
Just a few benefits:
ADA Compliant at wheelchair height in your window
No bending/kneeling/squatting down to scoop or change the litter
Space saving – especially when you live in a small apartment/condo/house
Odorless – keeps odors outside where they belong while allowing fresh air in through the louvered vents
If you have dogs they can’t access the litter box for a “treat”
Contains litter spread
Easy to clean and maintain
I invite you to watch our working prototype video here to understand what our Katio product better – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jau7ZELU8yw
Wanted to add: I don’t find the concept of a window “pet potty” remotely appealing. I’m sure my neighbors, who already think of me as the resident “crazy cat lady’ would flip their you-know-what if they had to watch my cats do their business in plain view. I don’t find it entertaining, why do I want to subject my neighbors to that?
Well, if all three sides were windows, then your neighbors really would flip their you-know-what because everything would be in plain view! But because it is a space for cats to use the litter box, not a veranda, it is more private. The one window that is present is able to be privacy screened so that no one will see what your cat is doing. Just that there is a cat in there. No one is forcing your neighbors to watch your cat while in the Katio or stare into your windows in general. We have not had any one of our neighbors comment negatively on the Katio for the past two years and neither did our trial users.
That said, it will probably depend on your neighbors and what window you use. If you have a window in view of their dining room, maybe don’t put it there.
Katio isn’t for everyone, but we know it will work for many people in need of either a higher place for the litter box (easily accessible and ADA compliant) or just having it up and out of the way. Floor space is a premium for millions of people in high-density cities.
I meant that I would only be interested in it as an actual catio, where the cats could enjoy a greater view of the outdoors. Four clear panels, windows and ceiling, would be awesome. My comment was in regards to using the Katio as a pet potty without the privacy screen. Neighbors may not complain, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t shooting each other significant looks and making a cuckoo gesture while pointing at the nutty neighbor’s house with the cat potty in the window. With the holidays coming up, I imagine you could make things festive with fake snow and a wreath. Or express your sense of humor with a stocking in front of the litter box so that it looks like Santa’s little helper is leaving a special present for a loved one.
On New Year’s the neighbors could watch the “ball” drop.
Nancy, we already have plans to sell a Katio top with 2 side windows, but you do not want your cat in a completely clear panel box – especially in the summer. Katio was also designed with a removable 9″ opaque privacy screen that can be taken in/out as needed – depending on use – so no need for the neighbors watching the “ball” drop =^..^=
It seems to me that you’re already dealing with some neighbor problems (perhaps a nosy neighbor who likes to gossip?) before even getting a Katio? It’s not fair to attack Katio/Kute Kitty for problems that may or may not happen. Especially since they’re still in prototype . (Which you probably won’t even try anyway.)
LOL….THANK YOU Midori, for “getting it!”
KK
I was able to test out the Katio for my kitty Sam, aka Stinkbomb. He’s actually pictured on the Katio Kickstarter site. I didn’t have any of the issues that some of the comments have described.
The Katio is deceptively big. There was plenty of room for Sam’s box and for him (and my goal was space saving, not about giving him a view, so we did use the opaque panels); he could climb in and still have room to turn around and then get out and scratch his litter.
There was no bad odor (well, no more than usual. He’s a stinker). The Katio itself never felt hot when I would clean it, and the windows in Sam’s room get full sun (that’s why it is HIS room).
It’s also built solid. After installing it, I did not have any fears about safety. There is no way Sam would have been able to open the side spacers from the perch and escape.
Honestly, my biggest worry was that Sam would not want to use it. I left the doors open for a few days, just as away of easing him gently into using it. The first time I noticed him jumping up to it, I spied for a minute to make sure there were no angry messes (that’s how I got the photo of him in the Katio). He didn’t care at all.
I think it’s good that people are asking these questions. Pet products can be so pricey and seem great, but then your cat rejects them completely. This is a good product because the creators have spent a lot of time thinking about all of these and testing with their many cats.
Kute Kitty thanks mew =^..^=
I hope this is configured to fit horizontal sliding windows as well. Most of the ones I’ve seen are for vertical sliding windows.
Could you define what you mean further Mona? My patent is written to where you can rotate the Katio 90 degrees to fit in standing or slider windows, but with the way we’re manufacturing, we’ll be coming out with a dedicated sliding window unit all on its own – due to so many people requesting it from us.
=^..^=
I need a Katio window that fits a casement window. They are much harder to find and not that easy to install since the window would have to remain open and have some way to block the other side of the window.
Hi Noreen, yes, we already have a casement and slider window version Katio in the works and plan to release it either simultaneously or shortly after the standard window version in Spring 2015. The casement/slide version will rotate 90 degrees in the window and a longer, wider extension panel will close in the top of the window.
Thanks for your interest in Katio and please sign up for our Mews Letter to keep up with the latest Katio info here – http://mykatio.us3.list-manage2.com/subscribe/post?u=429304bd6858eafd62b4d4386&id=d576fcaf2e
I like the idea as a window box. I think it would be something that would work better for apartment or condo dwellers. Install your window air conditioner in one window and install this a couple windows away. We have a triple window living room and our a/c goes in the left opening. I think this would be great in the right opening especially because it’s closer to the tree ;-). That leaves 1 window in between for ventilation (the view is open above our sliding glass)
Thanks for your comment Christine, and yes, we actually have our Katio prototype in our triple window right next to our desk in our Katio office. There’s a small field right outside and our 3 cats take turns watching the birdies at different times of the day. There’s even a beautiful Red Cardinal that sits on a lower limb and chirps at them in the evenings.
You can watch our Working Prototype video here – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jau7ZELU8yw
Rre-order here – http://mykatio.com/store/
Thx
KK
Did you try again with this idea? It seems like some of the concerns here were not explained in your video. I still think its a cool idea especially for small houses or apartments- or handicapped individuals. I am thinking about my parents who have a small dog who needs to pee every 4 hours- but at their age moving up and down the staircase is sometimes difficult. this would have been an interesting solution. Anyway—all the best to you.