Was it hard to make, or build? Any advice on what you would do differently next time?
2007-03-13 10:58:22 · 5 answers · asked by ♥ Jasmine ♥ 4 in Pets ➔ Cats
Its a great idea to make an outdoor enclosure for your cat. I was going to build one myself but the constant rain in Oregon defeated me so... I went out and bought a chainlink kennel with a top at PetSmart. It measures 13ft long x 7ft wide x 7ft high. It has a door and a meshed roof. I assembled it by myself in the back yard - took 1 day. Then I "enriched" it by placing logs of wood and plastic plants. I threaded vine-like plants through various parts of the chanlink fence to provide "provacy" screen for the cats while they are inside the enclosure. I put in ledges where they can perch and wooden boards running from log to log so they can have someknd of a "cat walk." The enclosure is on a grassy area. My cats absolutely have a ball in there. Now, they can enjoy the outdoors and be absolutely safe from racoons, dogs, other cats and the local wild life is safe from them too!
But, if you want to build your own, there are several sites on the net you can look into. Just google "cat enclosures" and you'll see.
2007-03-13 11:59:09 · answer #1 · answered by Phoebhart 6 · 3⤊ 0⤋
I built a screened in porch for my cats and am going to enclose part of the yard next so they have a place to run and eat grass.
Here are a few tips on the porch. If making a screened area be sure to use metal screen. On the lower area I have a heavy steel mesh with 1/4" openings. The cats can still look out, but it makes it tough for any animal to break in. The screen also keeps mice out. One got in once but didn't make it far! The heavy screen blends in with the other screen so it doesn't detract from the look of the house. Be sure to have perches and a way for the cat to get in the house should something try and get in. ( I live in the woods so I have had bears come up to the screen before. Bears scare cats by the way.) Even if you are always watching out for the cats, you can't always be watching out. I have bird feeders outside for entertainment.
I would think the dog kennel idea would work great. It's a big version of the cat tunnel I have seen in catalogs. (I wouldn't trust one of those, it looks too cheap.) Be sure to build in perches and shelter. A way to escape into the house would be a great feature.
On my outside project I am planning on combining this with my flower garden. The fence will need to look good but still keep in cats so I am using the coated metal fence behind a wooden fence. It will look like a regular decorative fence but have mesh behind for safety. The coated fence comes in colors so it doesn't stand out and look bad. I will have a running fountain but not a pond. Open water can pick up all sorts of bad things that cats shouldn't drink. I am going to have lots of paving stones and crushed rock to keep the soil to a minimum. Soil contains bugs like fleas, so I want grassy areas towards the middle with crushed rock and paving around the outside. This should make it tough for bugs to just crawl directly there. Woodticks are a big problem here too, so that might limit them also. I read that outdoor cat runs should be treated for fleas a few times a year. I have to read up on safe products yet.
I'm going to put in a bench so I can read while the cats play. I don't trust leaving them outside, even if surrounded by a fence.
I will post progress on my website http://www.inthecompanyofcats.org You will have to wait because we still have much snow on the ground. :(
2007-03-15 14:39:12 · answer #2 · answered by aGhost2u 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
When we remodelled our house, we had to build an outdoor "cat kennel." What we did was go to Home Depot and buy the pre-fab woven wire fence segments they had. We bought four segments and one segment that had a gate. We took these home and set them up in the backyard: three segments plus the gate to form the walls, and one segment on top as a cover.
We put a Rubbermaid shed inside to give them a place to get out of the weather, and put the whole thing on a nice patch of lawn in the back. This worked out fine for us and I think the cats were happy, too.
2007-03-13 18:16:56 · answer #3 · answered by Karin C 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
GREAT QUESTION!!
Pity no one has answered! I have seen some FANTASTIC ones in the stores and they don't seem TOO hard to build....
Try Posting your question in the DIY section...Maybe you'll get better hits there!!
2007-03-13 18:12:17 · answer #4 · answered by January00 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
No I have not , but this sounds like an awesome idea, I'll keep checking back to see if anyone has suggestions for you , Great question by the way
2007-03-13 18:03:18 · answer #5 · answered by Cindybear 4 · 1⤊ 1⤋