Homemade Cat Enclosure?

I'd like some input on this as well! I feel sorry for my kitty home alone all day.. the apartment is basically a big cage. I've considered getting her a companion, another cat, but really can't afford the vet bills etc and many apartments will only allow one pet. I try to play with her as much as I can when I'm home but still feel guilty.

I have a wire dog kennel (48" size is best but a 36" will work). Across the back we put a shelf to give the cat more room and placed the catbox under the shelf with enough room for the cat to get in and out.

Sue Nestor

October 30, 20050 found this helpful

I'm presuming that you mean an outdoor enclosure, and if so, I can help you.

A few years ago one of my cats suddenly went deaf, meaning that I could no longer safely let him outdoors. I visited a fencing shop and bought a roll of mesh wire fencing (the mesh forms two-inch squares), some clips to join the wire, and a tool to close the clips. Then, basically, I made a large, bottomless cube from the mesh, about 6 foot square. My method was to straighten the roll on a large concrete area, then bend it into shape with the help of a plank of wood for sharp, right-angled corners, and use the clips to hold the cube together. To get the 6 foot height I had to cut a second piece which I shaped in the same manner and then clipped securely to the top of the first cube. The wire was thick enough that the cube could now stand on its own. I cut another piece of mesh, and clipped it to the top as a roof.

After this I measured and cut the amount of wire mesh I needed for a door, and cut a slightly smaller hole in one side of the cube with wirecutters. I used the clips as door hinges, and a few pieces of coat hanger wire as latches. I then easily carried the cube to the garden, and attached it to the ground by hammering in tent pegs at regular intervals. The entire process took me only a couple of hours.

The cube can be dismantled at any time by removing the tent pegs and cutting the clips with wire cutters. It can also be added to. I later added a gabled roof to my original cube, and this was then covered in shade cloth. Afterwards I made a second cube which attached to the first with a twenty foot wire mesh tunnel.

Inside the enclosures I put up shelves at various heights for the cats to sleep on, and also a few large tree branches for them to climb. They had lots of toys in there as well. The cats could safely watch the birds through the wire, and they enjoyed lying on the grass that grew at the bottom. The cubes were so strong that I even added hanging baskets of catmint inside, and pretty flowers on the outside.

The enclosures were big enough for me to get inside for cleaning, or just to keep the cats company. My cats love them. But, best of all, they are very inexpensive to make compared to the cost of commercial cat enclosures.

Buy or make one or more window shelves for her to sit on (and sleep on) during the day. She can watch the squirrels, birds and goings on through the windows. Fasten a carpet scrap on it to make it extra inviting.

A Morris

November 21, 20050 found this helpful

Try this link for ideas www.cat-world.com.au/cat-worldenclosures.htm
or google "cat enclosure"

go to www.thecatsden.com. click on the photo galleries, especially under apartments. these units are self-supporting will cover a window and you can remove and take with you.

lorraine43

May 9, 20060 found this helpful

I think guest Lynn meant www.thecatsden.net/, not .com, for pictures of outdoor enclosures for a cat by Cats Den.

Hi,
I have always let my cats have access to the outdoors. I'm still in the same place. and have a top deck which leads downstairs to a small square yard. To the left & right of me are others yards. The cats can very easily go into the other yards which never was a problem (except once) because there are "slat" in the sides of the fence that separate the houses. There's ONE street that I don't want the cats to get to, and if they wander laterally enough, say, 10 houses, they will hit that street and be in danger. The street is directly over the back of the fence, but I've never seen any of my cats attempt to go over that part of the fence, because it leads to the street, and is covered with jasmine and trees.

They tend to want to go to the yards. What I want to do (me and my neighbor) - is get either screen material or mesh material to cover the sides of the fence so that they can have 2-3 yards and can't go any further than that. The fences are pretty high anyway, and I've never seen any of my cats try to jump over the fence. They've always just wandered through the slats. I believe that will keep them in the yards. My neighbor think this is a good idea also. What kind of mesh would be best? My cats scratch on my screen door and can't seem to get through it, which is good. The cat door is already there. i want my cats to be safe out there so badly and enjoy the outdoors during the day as my previous cats did. I don't care if it costs $500 to do....I'd just feel better letting them out if I felt 100% safe about it. Thanks, Trudi

Thank you for all your feedback. I'll be reading the webpages in more detail.
Mainly, my neighbors & I (4 cats) don't want the cats to be able to wander through ALL the other yards which would lead to "the street" where there is traffic. Cats have their bag of tricks though so that they can get anywhere they want to. But I think it's doable if taken seriously and I really am. I wish there was a contractor that did this kind of thing and know how to do it effectively and right....
I'll keep on looking. Meanwhile, I have been walking my cats with a nylon harness and they have accidentally gotten out a few times, but mostly as much love and affection as I give them and I'm home with them most of the time, they seem bored...and I feel guilty about that, but if something happened to either one of them, I don't know if I could forgive myself.

Hi,

I have successfully used black vinyl netting (the kind used to cover fruit trees and berry patches) attached to my chain link fence to prevent my cats from getting out of the enclosure.
I simply hook the netting onto the wire ends that stick up at the top of each panel. I put the netting on the inside as it makes the fence harder to climb and I also once had a cat who stuck her head through one of the open spaces in the fence and just about strangled herself.
I also run netting over the top of the fence area, so just in case they can climb up they'll bump into a netting barrier.
I really think that the netting would work very well for the "slat" fence problem. It's cheap, strong and can easily be replaced.

The best thing i used in Kentucky was a product made by a deer fencing company www.purrfectfence.com Easy to put up in the early spring when the ground is soft. this product gave me the largest fenced in area for my cats. I actually fenced in my whole backyard and installed one of their access gates. Great product but be sure to use the rodent proof chew guard around the bottom or you can get holed your cat will surely find.

Also be sure your access gate is snug. I had one skinny cat who could slip through if it was off at all. I added some hardware cloth to the bottom of the gate and this solved the problem. I also had to lock the gate because of ignorant neighbors. Be sure kitties have access to your house in case of intruders (possums, and coons still found their way in AND into my cat door by the way)

Another note on enclosures, my cats have ALWAYS hated any enclosure I could not go in with them. They knew they were caged.

I now live in an apartment with a shared patio. Not ideal for the long run but it will do for this summer. I bought a screen house like the ones used for camping. 12X12 for around 200 dollars. I cut flaps in the roof that I can roll open if need be. I wrapped the base of the tent around boards and staple gunned them to the tent.

I also put a big planter in the center and lots of potted plants to hide in and explore. They LOVE it but I do not leave them in there unattended. They chase bugs, visit with the neighbors (who love to visit the kitties there) and spy on the dog next door.

We go for outings in the tent when I want to drink coffee & water the plants, catch up on phone calls or enjoy an evening drink with friend. I put solar lanterns inside because with my work schedule we often go out at night. This is not often enough but the tent was a quick option that the landlord had no issue approving because it is totally removable when I move out.