Ax’s shatio pitch (and work-in-progress HEROISM, haha)

So… yeah. I struggled to share anything not (ahem) pitch perfect, hence the delay. But here it all is! Suggestions welcome!

I may take a run at The Atlantic with this one. If that fails, I’ll try a mix of design, pet and general-interest outlets.

Q: I had a timely angle with Portland’s Catio Tour in early autumn, but it’s in its 13th year. So I might report that in 2026, then pitch ahead of the 15th anniversary. (Feels like a bit too much for this piece, but I’d love to hear other POVs!)

Also, I went with a longer headline with emotional and personal touches, a current trend. But I’m not 100% on it. Thoughts?

FINISHED PITCH DRAFT
Hello X,
I’m a reporter proposing a feature on the ultimate cat hack: hutches containing automated litterboxes that quarantine all the associated smells away from living spaces. Go beyond catios. Think “shatios!”

I’m a Seattle writer for national titles who lives in a tiny home with a pop-out like this. I’d love to share the idea with your readers.

A ‘Shatio’ Contains Litterbox Stink While Keeping My Kitties Safe and Secure
Almost 50 million U.S. households include cats — a number that grew by 23% in 2024, according to the American Pet Products Association. We may love our cuddly companions, but their ability to spread dirty litter like glitter? Not so much… Thankfully, a new space-saving way exists to avoid the pungency without scented products, which can harm the health of cats and their humans too.

Enter the “shatio” — a hutch built onto the side of a home to exile the peak reek. Kitties use cat flaps set into walls or window inserts (handy for anyone who can’t alter their building). Pair one with a https://people.com/best-automatic-litter-boxes-8399616 and enjoy more time for chin scritches and less time spent scooping!

As a bonus, these structures can provide the calm, quiet, easy-to-reach spaces that cats prefer when doing their business. (Note: the story will discuss shatio downsides too — like not enough escape avenues for beefing kitties.)

Nothing has been written about this trend yet in the mainstream media. I’d like to change that! I’ll speak with a cat behavioralist, as well as contractors and pet owners who have built shatios. I’ll also draw on my own experience, working with a tradesman who was cartoonishly incensed to be building a “crap palace for cats.”

I contribute to a range of titles from AARP to Wired, National Geographic and The New York Times. My portfolio is amandacastleman.com, but I’ve included three relevant clips here too.
• Good Housekeeping: This $10 Accessory Will Stop Your Cat Killing Wild Birds
• Sierra Magazine: Welcome to the Library of Things
• The Seattle Times: Small, by choice: These radical downsizers find freedom in the tiny house life

Many thanks for your consideration.

Cheers,
Amanda

15-MINUTE WORK-IN-PROGRESS VERSION
Hello X,
Please consider a story on the ultimate cat hack: hutches containing automated litterboxes that quarantine all the associated smells away from tiny living spaces. Go beyond catios. Think “shatios!”

I’m a Seattle writer for national titles who lives in a tiny home with a pop-out like this. I’d love to share the idea with your readers.

Let a ‘Shatio’ Contain Litterbox Stink While Keeping Your Pet Safe

Almost 50 million U.S. households include cats — a number that grew 23% in 2024, according to the American Pet Products Association. We may love our cuddly companions, but the scent of their waste grows ever more challenging, as people work and study at home. Enter the “shatio” — hutches built onto the side of homes to contain litterboxes!

Kitties use cat flaps set into walls or window inserts (handy for renters who can’t alter buildings). As a bonus, these structures provide the quiet, private, easy-to-reach spaces that cats prefer.

Nothing has been written about this trend yet in the mainstream media. I’d like to change that! This article will inspire pet parents, and hopeful ones, who are dealing with compact spaces.

I’ll speak with cat experts, as well as contractors and pet owners who have built shatios. I’ll also draw on my own experience, working with a tradesman who was cartoonishly incensed to be building a “crap palace for cats.”

Professional photos

• Rodale Organic Life: This $10 Accessory Will Stop Your Cat Killing Wild Birds
• Sierra Magazine: Welcome to the Library of Things
• The Seattle Times: Small, by choice: These radical downsizers find freedom in the tiny house life
About me

PREP FILE
I’m not normally so systematic, but I used this as an example for a class exercise designed to overcome some common pitching challenges. Sometimes it can be helpful to separate the research phase from crafting the pitch. It lets your brain handle one channel — your expression, your editors wants and your readers needs — at a time!

Proposed headline — “Shatios” Banish Cat Litterboxes from Living Spaces Safely

Description — Americans own around 95.6 million cats, according to the American Pet Products Association. We may love our cuddly companions, but the scent of their waste grows ever more challenging, as people work and study at home. Enter the “shatio” — hutches built onto the side of homes to contain litterboxes!

Kitties enter via cat flaps set into walls or window inserts (handy for renters who can’t alter buildings). As a bonus, these structures provide the quiet, private, easy-to-reach spaces that cats prefer.

Why now? Is there a timely angle? — Many people are still confined at home because of the pandemic and western wildfires. Also shelters have seen surges in demand for pets, which offer companionship and improve mental health during this exceptionally difficult time, personally and politically. The tiny home vogue has further increased the need for diminishing kitty stink in small spaces. Finally, this appears to be an emerging trend, which hasn’t been covered yet. I’m hoping for (ahem) a scoop!

Why you? What unusual skills, expertise or access can add to your allure for editors? — I live in a tiny home and built a shatio to contain a Litter-Robot (a self-cleaning device that sends a “clean me” notification to my phone). Moving its noise, smell and night light to a sheltered spot outside greatly improved our living space!

What else has been written on this topic recently? Include links to five to 12 stories. — Builders report constructing many of these in Seattle, but I can’t find any coverage of the trend yet. So I’ve surveyed some general stories about litter box placement and how to accommodate pets in small spaces.
• Apartment Therapy: https://www.apartmenttherapy.com/8-purr-fect-diy-ways-to-hide-the-litter-box-232008
• Buzzfeed: https://www.buzzfeed.com/summeranne/27-useful-diy-solutions-for-hiding-the-litter-box
• Pet MD: https://www.petmd.com/cat/behavior/best-and-worst-spots-your-cats-litter-box
• Rover: https://www.rover.com/blog/where-to-put-a-litter-box/
• Spruce Pets: https://www.thesprucepets.com/litter-box-placement-554839
• Spruce Pets: https://www.thesprucepets.com/clever-ways-to-hide-the-litter-box-4590007
• This Old House: https://www.thisoldhouse.com/pets/21162803/hidden-litter-box
How will your piece be different and add to the conversation? — As I mentioned above, I can’t find coverage of the exterior hutch that we built – and that contractors report creating for other local families too.

What demographic will your article help or entertain? Who needs to read your story?A quarter of US households — 32 million families — now live with cats, according to the American Veterinary Medical Association. Around 20% of the population lives in apartments and many others are taking advantage of the trend towards smaller homes. This article will inspire pet parents, and hopeful ones, who are dealing with compact spaces.

https://www.axios.com/2023/08/25/why-houses-are-getting-smaller-high-mortgage-rates-housing-affordability

What types of sources do you plan to use? (Statistics, interviewees, etc.) — I’ll speak with cat experts, as well as contractors and pet owners who have built shatios. I’ll also draw on my own experience, working with a tradesman who was comically incensed to be building a “crap palace for cats.” I’ll also draw on statistics about the number of cats in the U.S. and the adoption/foster surges (I’ve seen conflicting reports here and need to sort through it more).

What types of outlets would be a good fit (genres like “regional newspaper” or “social justice magazine”)? — National outlets focused on news, general interest, architecture, home décor and pet ownership. I could also see repurposing this material for a regional outlet like The Seattle Times.

What would be your dream outlet(s)? — The Atlantic, which does quite a bit of cat coverage…
Have you published similar stories before? If so, please include three links. — I’ve only written one cat story before, so I’d highlight that in my pitch, along with some national-level lifestyle pieces.
• Rodale Organic Life: This $10 Accessory Will Stop Your Cat Killing Wild Birds
• Sierra Magazine: Welcome to the Library of Things
• The Seattle Times: Small, by choice: These radical downsizers find freedom in the tiny house life
Do you have other value-adds to offer? (Photos, multimedia, the ability to do a quick turnaround, etc.) — Professional photos, quick turn-around, ability to shoot high-def video (though I don’t think the story merits it).

What URL will you include to show your expertise best? (Portfolio URL, landing page, Linked In, etc.) — http://www.amandacastleman.com

• This topic was modified 7 months, 1 week ago by Amanda Castleman.