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Don's Custom Catios and Help for Hire

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Safe outdoor cat enclosures and help with DIY projects.

10/21/2026

Poor kitty!

I had to lock some kitties inside today while I did a remodel on my landlords catio.

It's one of my early ones and was built before I rented the basement.

Originally I just did a flat lid with wire on it to allow for bird watching.

But there's a lot of trees and I've since learned that stuff falls off of trees and make a mess.

Hey like I said. It was one of my early ones. And you learn by doing. 😆

So I tore the lid off. Then took the upper walls off and built new ones.

Gave them as much pitch as I could and used a different wire that blends well with the dog panels.

Finished off by putting white plastic up for a roof to keep most of the stuff out.

But at one point one of the kitties made me laugh a bit and feel sad at the same time.

Because it was frantically pawing at the kitty door and crying as it couldn't figure out why it's door wasn't opening?

But the torture is over and it's door is now open once again.

10/21/2026

Someone turned their back porch into a decent little catio.

But they sure didn't have much room to work! In fact they had to set up and build everything in the alley.

10/18/2026

She's so cute!

Every morning after getting my coffee started. I go outside for a cigarette.

Then when that's done get a cup of coffee and head for the couch.

Where my girl Frack will be laying on the coffee table waiting for me.

Then after I sit down she will come join me. And after wandering around a bit lay down next to me.

But as I pet her she will stand up and spin around head butting my hand etc.

10/17/2026

Now that's cute!

This kitty has a small fenced in side yard. (For now)

And to keep him in the yard he has a harness with a spoon attached to it. 😆

10/11/2026

The one that I always wished that I had kept.

With about 30 cats tnr. And about the same number of young kittens placed with rescues. Or in this case the humane society.

I've always wished that I had kept this one. 6 years ago I was working in my carport on a clid rainy day and kept hearing a kitten crying.

Stopped to go look for it a few times with no luck so went back to work.

Then he walked in and righr up to me and rubbed on my leg.

And I immediately thought. What are you doing out here? You're way to young to be running around on your own!

So I scooped him up and took him inside. My plan was to try and find someone to claim him.

And if that failed? To then find someone that could take him in.

But when I got inside and set him on the floor as I grabbed a b**r.

My 2 original adoptees who weren't a heck of a lot older.

Came over and sniffed him. Then hissed and ran and hid!

Which i thought was weird. But before long after sitting on the couch he climbed up onto my leg.

So I reached down to pet him and discovered that he was covered in fleas!

At which point I scuffed him and actually took a good look at him.

Then I saw the puss around his eyes and said OH SH*T...I need to isolate you!

So I took him out to my kitty condo for the night.

And immediately took him to the local humane society the next morning.

Where he was cleaned up and treated for a URI and adopted out.

But sure enough my guys ended up sick as a result.

However it was nothing that a little money for a trip to the vet and some meds couldn't quickly cure.

So it was a small price to pay to learn a valuable lesson.

Now strays DO NOT immediately come inside!

And as I care for a colony of 8 besides the 4 that live with me and occasionally get the new arrival.

My humongous 450 square foot catio has a center wall and gate so it can be used as two by simply closing the interior gate.

Plus I have a 2 section temporary emergency holding area for use by local rescues in true do or die situations that's kitten proof.

So when I do get the new arrival? They stay isolated until further action can be taken.

10/09/2026

For those that are new.

A quick introduction to my 4 indoor kitties and their 450 square foot catio.

I also care for a colony of 8. And new arrivals will TEMPORARILY stay in the catio as it has a center wall and gate so can be used as two.

Thus new arrivals that take up residence get trapped and temporarily held on one side.

If not tame? Then they stay there just long enough to get into a clinic for tnr. (Trap neuter return)

But if tame? They IMMEDIATELY go to the vet to see if fixed and chipped?

Sadly with around 30 tnr and about the same number of young kittens placed with rescues for adoption.

I have yet to trap a cat that's chipped. So I just temporarily hold while trying to find someone to claim them.

Which also sadly has never happened. Thus I've adopted a few out directly.

And have gotten a few placed with rescues that were able to adopt them out.

Important side note! I never trap immediately! But instead wait until they take up permanent residence.

As of now there's one that has been coming around for awhile but not taking up permanent residence.

Which makes me pretty confident that he has a home nearby. So I leave him alone.

10/09/2026

She's so silly!

For those that are new. This is my girl Frack adopted along with her brother Mister Mellow as baby ferals.

And every morning at breakfast as everyone else waits on the floor.

She jumps up and immediately starts eating as soon as I start dishing their plates up.

But with 4 indoors I use two plates. So she will start eating immediately.

Then once I dish up the second plate she will switch over to eat.

Because obviously fresher is better! 😆

10/07/2026

A truly sad anniversary that constantly reminds me of how high the price can be when we make bad decisions.

RIP to the 10 that rode four three zero in.

November four three zero Alpha was the tail number of a Cessna Grand Caravan.

And would show on.the tail as N430A and was an aircraft that I had ridden in several times with Phil at the controls.

And I never would have doubted his judgment or competency.

But 18 years ago today he made a HORRIBLE mistake that hurt A LOT of people real bad!

A skydiving center in Idaho had rented the aircraft for the weekend for a special event.

So 9 local jumpers hitched a ride to spend a weekend having fun.

But he departed Idaho with weather coming in. Flying vfr (visual flight rules)

In a non pressurized aircraft without supplemental oxygen.

And a flight path that would have taken him through the Cascade mountain range where giant rocks stick up 14.000 feet by visually following highway 12.

But once into the mountains the weather moved in leaving him flying blind.

Radar track and other data shows that he did the only thing possible in that situation.

Which was to circle and climb in an attempt to get above the weather.

But he simply went to high for to long. And the lack of oxygen to his brain caused him to fly a perfectly good aircraft straight into the ground.

A hunter heard them go in with the engines revving.

But as it was way up in the high country it took him awhile to drive down so he could call it in.

Reports of an overdue aircraft and a plane crash along it's planned flight path.

Pretty much told authorities what they were looking for and approximately where?

Thus a search and rescue effort was launched at first light.

With a bunch of family and friends driving down and waiting for news at the staging area.

Which they finally got just before dark as the wreckage had been found.

However the team on site could only account for seven.

Which gave everyone some hope! Because there was 10!

However if 3 had managed to jump? God only knew where?

Which suddenly made search and rescue FAR MORE complicated!

However that hope was short lived as early the next morning the team that found them and spent the night at the scene.

Reported that all 10 were accounted for. It just took them a bit to get an accurate count as the impact was so catastrophic.

So it just became a recovery operation where the bodies had to be brought out.

Which took awhile as it was extremely high rugged mountainous terrain.

And although I didn't know any of them well. I had jumped with them on a few occasions and always enjoyed their company.

So I know how I felt when I got the initial call then waited for further news as I wondered who was on board?

And it was a sick feeling! Thus it really made me sick as I thought of what all the families and friends were going through.

10/04/2026

The day I picked up a hitchhiker. 😆

I was loading up some pallets to take to a friend that had some acreage with a big fire pit.

And it was a warm day so I started the car up and turned on the AC.

But I left the door open! Finally got done and started to head out.

Looked in my rear view mirror and saw my neighbor's cat Oreo chilling on top of my back seat.

Apparently he thought that the big cool box was an awesome place to relax. 😆

So as I had only gone a few feet I put it in reverse and made him get out.

And boy did he get lucky! Because had he stayed down low where I couldn't see him?

There's a real good chance that once I got where I was going and got out.

That he would have gotten out as well and ran off!

Now I habitually bang on my car truck and traikers before leaving an area to make sure that I don't have any hitchhikers?

Address

Puyallup, WA
98371

Telephone

+12532820122

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