"I'm sad to be leaving my hometown club in many ways and I want to thank all the supporters and the club for everything they have done for me over the years," Cattermole told the offical Boro website.
"I just think the time is right for a new challenge and I see working with Steve Bruce here at Wigan as a fantastic opportunity because this is a team really going places.
"You just need to look at the squad to see that and I know I'm going to have to work really hard to get into the team."