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About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 10, 2019)
B1 THE ASTORIAN • SATURDAY, AUGUST 10, 2019 CONTACT US FOLLOW US Jonathan Williams editor@coastweekend.com facebook.com/ DailyAstorian THE CAT WOMAN OF NAHCOTTA ‘Catio’ provides space for family of rescues By LYNDA LAYNE N AHCOTTA, Wash. — Many clients of Oceanside Veterinary Clinic in Seaview will recog- nize Sooz Laughlin as the nice lady at the front desk who checks in their pets. But there’s more to know about this woman who lives in Nahcotta with her six rescue cats. Those six cats have a fancy catio (cat patio) that Laughlin had built two years ago as part of her car port. It is furnished with an artistic touch, not surprising, as she is also an artist who paints miniatures and hand crafts sun catchers. Laughlin also has a long history as a vet tech in Oregon. And, she owns and operates The Kitties’ PJ’s cat sit- ting service, which she does before and after her day job and on her days off. Fancy feline digs When Laughlin pulls her little red Miata into the carport, she can look through the windshield at the 8 x 12-foot wood and wire catio that her six “babies” occupy. Because of a clever short tunnel, they can easily walk in or out of the house. The pet door-type setup spans from Laughlin’s studio room, where she creates her art. She has a fl ap that works if she ever wants to close it, but mostly the cats just come and go as they please. The catio has a cover structure which spans from the house. Rain water just runs right off. The catio was built by a man from St. Helens, an area where Laugh- lin lived before moving to the Penin- sula. She said that he had two catios and she really liked them. There was a labor trade involved, but she purchased all the materials, including the cedar, 2x4-inch wire, hardware, plexiglas, rolled plastic and some of the interior features, such as a nautical rope. Mate- rials cost about $1,000. Catios are becoming popular as a way of providing fresh air and a safe outdoor experiences for house cats. Since Laugh- lin lives on Sandridge Road, where traffi c is a concern, this catio gives her peace of mind that her kitties will be safe. Another consideration is safety from wildlife. “I once lost a cat to coyotes,” she said. Because of other wild- life concerns, she never leaves food or water in the catio. “I don’t want to [entice] the bears or raccoons,” she stressed, adding the cats can easily go into the house to eat and drink. But for their pottying plea- sure, she does have a cat box in the catio with a broom hung up for clean- ing the fl oor and a tap light mounted on one wall for working after dark. When she does go into the catio to clean or just to interact with the cats, she is careful not to give them an opportunity to escape. “The door opens outward,” she says, which gives her a lot more space for entering. Once inside, she can easily secure the door until she’s ready to come out. One day last week, some of her cats were in the catio, but two remained inside the house. A black and white female, LuLu Belle, was perched atop a tall cat tree. Laughlin said the tree was a gift from a friend who moved away and couldn’t take it. LuLu Belle not only enjoys that high spot, but she also sometimes naps in a cubby-hole below it. A few minutes after being on the top tier, she climbed down onto the fl oor and spread out on a door mat that See Catio, Page B2 Photos by Lynda Layne TOP: Sooz Laughlin gets cat kisses from her tabby, Slinky. ABOVE : Laughlin’s cat, LuLu Belle, likes the top perch of the cat tree in her Nahcotta catio. ‘EVERYONE ALWAYS WANTED MY NAME AT CHRISTMAS PARTIES BECAUSE I WAS SO EASY TO SHOP FOR. I WAS KNOWN AS THE CRAZY CAT LADY.’ Sooz Laughlin | takes care of six of her rescue cats in a fancy cat patio in Nahcotta
