Terese Dennison was cool with moving into what she called "the smallest house in Tucson," an 824-square-foot adobe home just south of Reid Park.
She was more concerned for her two cats.
Dennison, a literature and history teacher at Green Fields Country Day School, kept her playful pets, Titus Andronicus and Bella, indoors, for fear that they might scamper into traffic or fall victim to dogs or any number of other Tucson critters.
"It went against every natural tendency a cat has," Dennison said. "I felt really bad for them."
Looking for some freedom for her furry felines, Dennison turned to friend, welder and artist David Voisard, for help.
His solution: An enclosed, steel-enforced "catio," geared toward giving the animals some much-needed space and relieving Dennison of any undue anxiety.
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Over the course of four days, Voisard constructed the catio along the length of the west end of the house, using recycled steel T-posts, recycled aluminum panels and 2-inch steel panel grids that run from the gabled roof's edge to the corrugated tin fence that lines Dennison's backyard.
Voisard, 55, had some experience in creating enclosures. He built one for his own cats at his home in Tubac after two of the four were carried off by "aggressive" coyotes.
Voisard, who moved to Southern Arizona from Napa Valley, also witnessed a mountain lion attack on his Shar-Pei, Yogi.
"In two seconds, there were 137 stitches," he explained.
Voisard actively sought out materials for Dennison's catio that were both protective and inviting.
"We didn't want to make it look like a prison," he said. "We wanted the mesh that, once rusted, could blend in and not be ostentatious to the neighbors."
He equipped the catio with a series of creature comforts.
A doggy door leading into the house, allows Titus and Bella, and even Dennison's dog, a large mixed-breed named Niobe, access to come and go as they please throughout the day.
There is a tall tree post suitable for scratching and two large nylon shade screens that Bella likes to use as hammocks.
"She is usually up there when I get home, just watching for my car," Dennison said.
A small sculpted kitten, made from recycled steel, sits atop the catio entrance from the backyard, while another metal cat - this one about 3-feet high with a bright orange fish in its stomach - greets you as you walk in the door.
"There are always artistic elements to my jobs," Voisard said. "I'm in the service area, whether creating something for beauty or for function. So why not make it clean and beautiful, with some humor to it?"
Dennison has gotten just as much use out of the catio.
The space is furnished with several chairs and a decorated patio table where she likes to grade papers and entertain guests on the weekend.
"You are still in the elements," she said. "It rains in the catio. The birds can fly in and poop on the table. It is very open, which is what I wanted."
Catio by the numbers
• Time to complete: Four days.
• Labor: $1,800
Supplies
• Recycled steel T-posts from Tucson Iron and Metal, 690 E. 36th St.: $135.
• Four recycled aluminum panels from Tucson Iron and Metal: $30 each.
• 2-inch steel panel grids from a wholesaler: $900.
• Fence-post concrete mix: $45.
About the artist
David Voisard, 55, moved to Tubac from Napa Valley nine years ago.
Voisard received his degree in education from Illinois State University but loved creating with his hands and eventually moved into woodworking.
He turned to metal in 1999 when he was offered $10,000 to build three ornate tasting tables for a Napa Valley winery.
He stuck with it after moving to Tubac.
"Arizona is so far from the rich wood resources that exist in California," he said. "Metal still has a freshness, a newness."
From his Southern Arizona studios, under the moniker David Voisard Designs, he creates art, as well as decorative doors, gates and fences for customers both locally and abroad.
His work can be seen at the Oracle Crossing Shopping Center in Oro Valley and at the Tucson International Airport as part of the "Tubac and Surrounding Area Artists" exhibit through Sept. 6.
For more information, visit voisardstudios.com.
Keep Pets Safe
Bears. Bobcats. Coyotes.
We might live in the desert, but it's a jungle out there when it comes to keeping your pet safe from wildlife.
The Arizona Game and Fish Department has a few guidelines on keeping them out of harm's way:
• Feed your pets inside the house. If they do eat outside, feed them only what they can eat in one sitting and take in any leftovers.
• Avoid feeding any desert creatures.
• Eliminate garbage can odors by cleaning them with a 10 percent chlorine bleach solution. Put out the trash on the morning of pickup, not the night before.
• Never leave your pet by itself. If you do, make sure they are in a secure enclosure with a strong roof.
Contact reporter Gerald M. Gay at 573-4179 or ggay@azstarnet.com For a complete list of guidelines, visit azgfd.gov online.