Outdoor Catio in progress (little zoo arising)

We decided to make the outdoor catio fence in good and thick quality galvanized steel. I don't like stick-welding this type of steel because, although outdoor, of the hazardous smoke and splashing sparks. So a different way with cutting and screwing.

Hard work to dig the holes for the frame and poor concrete. Sand and gravel were delivered and happy we have the mixer to prepare ourselves. 

Still very hot and humid around. A friend of us showed figures about how the last 15 years also here the weather (temperatures and humidity) changed a lot. 

Last month of October a significant 2 degrees C increase and last October 31 even basic temperatures during the day of 35.2 decrees C. Feeling temperatures, as I told last published blog, still around 40 degrees and sweating. 

The framework is made of 32 x 32 mm profiles. We screw the galvanised 25 x 25 mm mesh panels of 1 x 2 meters to the frame. At the underside we will place a 24 cm high snake protection mat and there will be a galvanized netting as 'ceiling' to protect the cats to climb out and birds of prey to fly in. Still we are sure this all will not give a 100% protection of the cats inside against snakes, birds and monitor lizards but this for us is the best we can do. 

During nighttime the cats will be inside the cathouse and during the day also our dogs are around. 

As sun and rain protection, to also keep a 'dry' and 'cooler' outdoor space, we will add some Bluescope metal sheet panels. 

We have to install indoor and outdoor 'furniture' and a create the outdoor playground. 

We hope before the end of the year the cats can and will enjoy their new place. 

After that we have to finish the carpoort walls and floor. So, still enough to do. 

Frans & Phatsamon

email:   pyramidhousethailand@gmail.com

Doors, windows, mosquitoscreens, water, electricity and sewage for catio

We went for a three week break to Mae Rim / Chiang Mai to relax and visit friends. So not too much progress at our construction site.

We are still in the (end of) the rainy season. We still have very high temperatures and high humidity levels. During the day around 34 degrees C (feeling over 40 degrees C because of the high humidity). Chiang Mai temperatures were more comfortable but it is the way it is. I cannot go on for long periods working. I keep on telling myself I am retired ;). 

On the other hand, because all the rice fields as well as all grasses and weeds are flourishing at the moment I have to deal with my hay-fever period of this year again. Lots of sneezing, itching rash, etc., that forces me to use strong medicines for a while. Sweating causes me even more problems. 

Working hours turned into half hours. But... we slowly go on. 

For the catio all the doors, windows and mosquito screens are installed. Our village company again did a good job. We only had to wait three days because they had to order a thicker quality aluminum, we wanted, as they regularly use. Both doors automatically close to make the 'escape risk' for the cats as less as possible. 

Inside tiling and joint filling is finished and we even got a mosquito protection ventilation ceiling installed.  

We started with the underground electricity lines, water supply and sewage for the small kitchen inside the Car port to store the cat supplies. 

Next week we will start with the outdoor cat residence / cage. 

Too much sweating... pfff

(updated: 24-10-2026)

Frans & Phatsamon

email:   pyramidhousethailand@gmail.com

Tiling the Carport/Catio

Phatsamon is more and more busy with other things around and in the village with caretaking of animals so she only offers a helping hand if I ask for it. I can understand she also has had a little bit enough of construction work after over six years. 

Most work now is not to heavy. It's most all tiling and we have to deal with the rainy season. So, slow, slow, only a couple of hours a day. Working under the metal-sheet roof now but sometimes, as the picture below shows, after a next rain shower, hard to walk to the workplace to pick up some tools. 

But still, everything get's more form and view. For the outside walls of the Carport/Catio I could use 'spare' tiles we used for the main house and workplace. So all together the buildings look the same on the outside and the whole project, so far finished, 'connected'. 

The floor tiles, we used for the outdoor walls, we ordered already five years ago. Because I was not sure about possible changes or extensions of the building during the process, I ordered 25% more. Happy we could store them all at the big storage room at my mother-in law her house. 

Believe it or not. We have of both (dark- and light grey) tiles only one package of six and some individual tiles as spare left. 

We installed two Philips (BVS010) solar lights with motion sensors at the front. We wanted to install the same street lamps but they were to far under the roof so did not get enough direct sunlight. Reason we changed to these different lights that work perfect. 

Frans & Phatsamon

email:   pyramidhousethailand@gmail.com

Long time not see, but... going on.

Long time not see Frans & Phatsamon, everything OK? Still in the building process?

Yep, don't worry, we are still going on, are not finished yet, and enjoy more and more the way of life at our place using the parts that are finished (over 90%).  

So just a short up-date.

As we told in our last blog (June 24, 2026) we take relaxed steps forward and take more and more breaks in between. 

We are in the rainy season now with a combination of high temperatures and high humidity. Lots of work to do in the garden. 

We brought a 2,5 weeks visit to The Netherlands, took another two weeks break afterwards to do all kind of other things and to deal with a small problem on my leg, got a new animal and work only a couple of hours a day. Just to keep in action, to stay strong and flexible ;). 

So, we made a little bit of progress with the Carport & Catio. The first picture is of yesterday afternoon. Preparing for tiling now. So our attention is on finishing this place and creating the big outside walking area/playground/cage for them.  

We hope our five cat's can live at their new place before end of the year. 

Five cats? Indeed. Starting July 22nd, 2026, the very young lady kitten Boinki joined the group. Our dogs are really interested in this new 'baby-snack' so she need to get used to our place and we need to be very careful. Great we have the doghouse she can use during the night. During daytime she is already joining the other four at my mother in law's house.  

After our visit to The Netherlands we decided to give more priority to surround our land (all together around 55 x 160 m2) with a good not too high fence. We are more and more in the mood to create our own free and happy place with our dogs and cats and can start with creating the forest, pond and island, we intend to make. 

We are fortunate to have the possibility to live this way and got this wonderful land of Phatsamon her parents. Now we want to use the nature, energy and freedom at our place as much as possible. For the dogs, cat's, and who knows in the future some other animals (we are thinking of some (2) water buffalo's) a nice and safe place where they will not disturb others. For us more and more the idea of being free of disturbances in the big world around we cannot change and only disturbs happy living with negative energy. And indeed, that's also a mindset. 

It's not to show people are not welcome to visit us or our place. Not at all, we like to meet friends and have face-to-face contacts. Our labyrinth, for instance, is open on a daily base to walk free. So it is with bicycle guests that want to stay one night (friends on a bicycle) or other friends who want to visit. 

It's just a matter of making an appointment and we are happy to meet-up. 

We hope we can arrange that fence and new gate somewhere in the beginning of next year. Have to save some money again first. 

Frans & Phatsamon

email:   pyramidhousethailand@gmail.com