I was talking to my cat Fatty this morning about a story in the Times (which she, of course, had already read), that takes note of a new trend for cat, er, owners: the "catio."

Here's the lead:

WHEN it comes to their homes, there are few things New Yorkers prize as much as a little outdoor space — a terrace, perhaps, or a small deck in the backyard.

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Steve Payne for The New York Times

Madelaine Ann Hare’s second-floor porch in Toronto encloses three Abyssinians, as does an attached 25-foot walkway. 

Their cats feel the same way.

So some cat owners who would never dream of letting their pets roam free outside have come up with a creative compromise: an enclosed space — usually in the form of a screened-in porch or deck — that allows them to share the great outdoors.

Please don’t call it a cage. They prefer the term “catio.”

Fatty was scornful of this, as she is most of the "trends" found in the Times style sections.

"Catio?? What are you, kidding me?" she said over a saucer of lightly-foamed, warm skim milk. (I know, I know.)

"These New Yorkers think they're all that. They should have interviewed me. I'm thinking about getting an enclosed space for you and Dan. Why settle for a catio when you can own the whole house, like I do?"

It's bad enough that cats control our home lives. Now we have to compete with them in business. Here we are, trying to provide quality content on the web, and our biggest competition is a bunch of  grammatically-impaired talking cats.

Sometimes it feels like cats are taking over the world and, in our pursuit of unconditional love, we're just rolling over and giving it to them. It's just not healthy and something must be done about it.
                                                                          --BJ Roche