FAQ

A ‘Catio’ is simply another term for an outdoor enclosure for cats. It was coined in a New York Times article about Habitat Haven enclosures in 2003. That is why Habitat Haven is known as the "original catio!"

A Catio can be an enclosure around your patio, on the patio or away from the house as long as it is a safe place for your cats to roam outside. It can come in many different sizes and shapes. The term applies to an enclosure but also includes tunnels, stairs and bridges that can add interest to a Catio. Cat’s enjoy being up high, so Catios placed in a tree or along a fence are ideal for them.

Planning and design is FREE! We provide complimentary planning and design assistance. This means that there is no additional charge to you for working directly with one of our planning engineers.

Every Habitat Haven catio and component (such as tunnels, stairs, towers, etc.) is fabricated by hand in our workshop in Oxford, Michigan, and built to order just for you! Because of this, we need some time to build your order.

Lead times vary depending on the time of the year and order volume at any given time. You can find estimated dates for delivery shown at the top of the page for any given item to give you a better idea of when to expect your order to arrive.

Of course! Our team of planning engineers is available Mon-Fri between 9am-5pm ET to assist with any custom design services! 

The great thing about Habitat Haven catios is that they are modular by design! This makes it easy to expand or add on to your existing catio as you see fit. All of our catios and catio components are fabricated from the same wire mesh materials to make additions simple.

It is possible to partially disassemble your catio to move it to a new location! When we fabricate the catio enclosure for shipping, it will arrive partially assembled. In order to take the catio down to be moved, you will essentially follow the installation instructions in reverse to break down the catio into easy-to-move pieces.

There is virtually no regular maintenance required for your enclosure!

All Habitat Haven catios are fabricated using sturdy wire mesh panels that are made of galvanized steel and powder coated for added durability and longevity for use outdoors. Shelf bracket hardware and door frames are also made of galvanized steel with a powder coated finish. Should you find any scuffs or scratches in the powder coat finish, we recommend using Touch-Up Paint to seal as soon as possible to prevent rust from forming prematurely. 

Shelves, floor, ramps, and other cedar products are all made of untreated western red cedar that is naturally resistant to rot, mold, mildew, and even many insects! 

Environmental conditions such as salt air or acidic trees can shorten the lifespan of the enclosures. However this is uncommon.

It is recommended that you grease the pins of the door hinges once a year using bicycle grease or lanolin based lubricant such as Fluid Film (never use WD-40).

The wire mesh panels we use to construct our enclosures are custom designed for use with cats and small dogs in mind. The 2" x 2" grid pattern is selected to offer the least obstructed views while still providing a safe environment for your cats to enjoy. We do not rely on the notation of "gauge" for our products. This is due to every wire manufacturer/application having varying standards for sizing. However, we can provide you dimensions of our wire strands.The wire strands on our panels have a diameter of about 3.3mm (0.13") before coating and 3.5mm (0.138") after powder coating.

We offer free shipping within the 48 contiguous United States with the purchase of any Pre-Designed Catio or on any order over $999. If you are outside of the 48 contiguous United States, please contact us for shipping rates!

Due to the size and weight of our catios, the majority of them are shipped via freight service on a wooden pallet. Shipments are partially assembled and 'flat packed' with protective packing to ensure your enclosure arrives in great condition. 

We book all freight shipments with a standard delivery service that includes delivery with a liftgate so that the driver can unload the pallet right in your driveway. Before the pallet is delivered, the freight carrier should call you to set up a delivery window at a day and time of your convenience.

Additional supplementary services are not provided unless purchased. These options are not included with our standard freight delivery services. Make sure you have purchased what you need before the freight leaves our workshop, otherwise, you may incur additional charges from the carrier. Some common extra services our customers consider are below.

Small Truck Delivery / Limited Access:Our standard freight shipping service does not cover limited access areas (such as narrow or single-lane roads or low overhead clearance, for example). If the delivery area, typically at the end of the driveway) cannot accommodate a semi or truck that is over 26 feet in length, please let us know ASAP so that we can explore and arrange alternative last-mile delivery or terminal pick-up options for you! Additional shipping fees may apply.

Inside Delivery:All freight shipments are booked with "curbside delivery" which includes liftgate service to get the shipment out of the truck and delivered to the end of your driveway. While many delivery drivers are happy to place the pallet up the driveway or in the garage (assuming there are no obstacles!), this service is technically not included. If you need delivery any further than curbside delivery (into a garage, apartment, condo, hi-rise, etc.) this must be purchased from the carrier!

Terminal Pickup: if you cannot accept a semi-truck at your location OR are looking to save money on your shipment by picking up your freight at a local freight terminal? Save up to $150 by coordinating a pickup at the terminal before your shipment is delivered!

Smaller items that do not require shipment on a pallet are typially sent via ground service through UPS, FedEx, or USPS.

We certainly ship to Canada and do so frequently! We offer a special shipping program for Canadian customers where we subsidize shipping costs so that you only pay a fraction of the shipping charge. Please contact us today for shipping rates!

Most Habitat Haven catios are shipped via freight on a wooden pallet due to their size and weight. This type of shipping is probably different than what you may be used to with UPS or FedEx, for example, and can take some extra time. Most orders within the 48 contiguous United States will arrive within 7-14 business days. The freight carrier should reach out to you directly to set up a delivery date and time window when the catio is ready for delivery.

For small orders that ship via UPS/FedEx: If your order shipped via UPS or FedEx, delivery times may vary depending on your location. However, we generally estimate between 3-7 days for delivery within the 48 contiguous United States.

Our facility is located in Oxford, Michigan so if you are local to the area, you are more than welcome to pick up the order! Keep in mind that our workshop is not open to the public, so if you'd like to pick up your order, please let us know as soon as possible so that we can schedule an appointment during business hours.

Once you place your order, you have 24 hours in which to cancel your order for a full refund. Our enclosures are made to order. This means that we custom fabricate each component especially for you. This also means that any attempt to cancel an order after we have started the process of making your order results in a very large cost to Habitat Haven. Due to this, there is a minimum cancellation fee equal to 10% of the order value for standard catalog items and a maximum of 50% based on how much time has elapsed since your order was placed. If your order includes, but not limited to, modified enclosures, custom configurations, and special-order items, all sales are final and cancellations are not allowed.

All Habitat Haven catios are made to order and the majority of them shipped on a wooden pallet. This can make returns difficult, and we recommend that you review our full return policy before purchasing:

https://habitathaven.com/pages/return-policy

We offer several warranties that are designed to make sure you get the most from your Habitat Haven purchase:

• We offer a 36-month warranty for all metal parts against manufacturing defects (failure due to rust, failure due to defect, etc.)
• Since our high-quality cedar used with our shelving, platforms and flooring is untreated (treated wood can be toxic to pets), no specific warranty is provided. However, even untreated, it is expected that you will get many years of no-maintenance enjoyment from the cedar wood prior to the need to replace it. It is naturally resistant to rot, insects, and mold.
• We also offer a special mother nature discount warranty which provides a discount program for replacement parts for as long as you have the system in use if it is damaged by wind, falling tree, fire, etc.- We also make ourselves available for the life of the system to help with any planning, repair, replacement, installation, or performance issues you may have with the system regardless of the cause. This includes working through any issue to make sure the system performs consistently with its intended use.

All Habitat Haven enclosures are fabricated by hand and made to order in Oxford, Michigan. This means every catio, tunnel, tower, or awning is made just for you when you order it!

Our pricing model is not one where we hold sales or offer discounts periodically and keep inflated pricing in the interim. We always offer the best possible pricing available. We do not have pre-built or pre-packaged items sitting on shelves that we are looking to move quickly out the door. So, we simply try to make the highest quality, American-fabricated products for pets at the best possible value to our customers at all times. That way you can rest assured that you are always receiving the most favorable pricing available to you!

Because of this, it is extremely rare that we offer discounts or run sale promotions.

We are happy to offer a discount for registered 501c3 rescues and shelters! Please contact us for more information!