My first version had the poles at only 180cm (about 150cm out the ground) but with no overhang. I thought no problem as the plastic fencing was tight up against the conifers. Was wrong though. One of the cats managed to sort of jump to the top of the fencing and then hang on and push his way through the conifer ! (He is very determined).

I then added a foot of overhang, just by cutting a strip of fencing mesh and cable tying it to the existing structure. This worked but didn't look too nice. There have been no breaches of the current version though. The good thing as well is that the mesh is virtually invisible from a distance. Also, the posts are green and the cloche hoops so nothing really stands out. The combination of the height and the overhang seem to be right. On the other side of the garden I have the metal Protectapuss brackets as there's a wooden fence. They work well on a fence but are expensive and I didn't want the whole garden looking like a prison !

Forgot to add yesterday, I also put a weed membrane down under the conifers and then covered with bark - as once you fence them in it's a pain to undo it all and 'weed' behind it.

DL

 

Here's one of the little men we have to stop from escaping !:

 

Looks good Daniel

 

So cute Daniel

Viv xx

 

scrummy tummy!!

 

Hello! I figured this would be the best place to ask for some help/advice on how we can make our porch cat proof.

It looks like this:

I was either going to attach a net to the balcony above and down to the fence and cover up the holes at the bottom; alternatively use telescopic poles from zooplus which tilt in a bit at the top and attach the net to them as well as the fence.

The tricky bit is: we would like for the door to NOT be inside the net, i.e. we would like to still be able to use it and the other half of the porch with the cats accessing the enclosure through one of the windows. Since we rent the house I don't want to drill holes in the wall to attach the net... does anyone have any ideas of how I can get the net flush against the walls, including flush against the window frame which is further in from the wall? If there is a tiny gap our cats will find it! Also, how do you get the net to fit tightly against the floor so that they can't crawl out underneath the net?

Any help is appeciated!
Thanks

 

May need to think about this a bit more but a tricky one !

I think I would attach netting from the balcony above as there seems no obvious place above the window - looks like UPVC frame ? I would double it up at the top and bottom and attach with a staple gun if you are allowed to do that (will only make tiny holes). I would also do this to the floor - looks like decking ? Black mesh with as big a holes as you can get away with would mean you won't lose too much light.

DL

 

This is a great idea. It would also be good if people posted details of who built their runs/cat proofed their garden if they didn't do it themselves.

 

Really this is a great idea. It would also be good if people posted details of who built their runs/cat proofed their garden if they didn't do it themselves

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/291608034609

 

I love all these ideas, havent gone through them all but they look great.

I have the tiniest of back yards and wouldnt want to cat proof the entire place as I'd feel too closed in. I like the look of the little enclosures, but my door opens outwards, and I'd need to get out.

I'd also want to give my cats free access via the cat flap in the back door. Has anyone experimented with a large tube that links cat flap to the enclosure. I was thinking a large plastic tube would fit the cat flap and would be flexible enough that I could open the door without breaking the tube link to the enclosure.

Anyone done that or aware of any such large tubey thing around?

Thanks
Z

 

Excellent idea we looked for loads while this is not connected to the house yet but hoping by the time summer comes there will be a tunnel to it.Its completely covered roof is well worth the extra cost - as you will find out when you are standing out there in the pouring rain!

 

I need to replace my old netting as it breaks too easily. What type would you guys recommend?

Thanks

Jo

 

The mesh on my run is galvanised , 1" square, 16 gauge. I'm very pleased with it. Dylan's habit of sometimes climbing the mesh ( its apparently more fun than jumping from shelf to shelf! ) has not affected its security at all.

 

Thanks for this, I'll have a look

Have the added problem that my 14 week old kitten has worked out if she tailgates my fat butted Mishka, she can get through the flap into the garden!!!
I have another microchip flap in the garden gate to let the moggies out. Need to devise something to stop her doing the same thing there too!!! This little girl will be the death of me!!!

 

Great idea for a sticky, some of those outdoor areas are inspirational. Thanks For Sharing this.

 

Thanks For sharing a wonderful post.I've also been thinking about the possibilty of turning it into pens for foster/feral cats. It's very large so both might be a possibility as long as

 

I'm a newbie here, so please be gentle with me!

This time last year I didn't have a cat and had no intention of getting one.

It's a long story but Tilly Mint came to me last New Year's Eve and she means the world to me now.

For various reasons I'm considering catproofing my garden. Felisafe are based about 3 miles away from me so they could come and measure up and, provided it's not ridiculously expensive, I would get them to install it.

Has anyone who has this or a similar system had any problems with neighbours not liking it, or considering it an eyesore? Did people tell their neighbours before they had it done?

Thanks in advance for any answers.

 

@Tilly Mint Hi and welcome to the forum.
I have no personal experience of the type of fencing involved with the "Felisafe" system but I think that many have used similar methods to catproof their gardens.
Some have gone down the professional route and others have used a DIY approach.

I doubt whether any neighbours could object to it as it doesn't affect their fencing nor block any light,not sure how many have actually asked neighbours for their opinion though.
Good luck with your venture ,I hope you can find a system to keep your cat/cats safe.
Any questions you have just ask,it is possible that your questions may be missed here though,it might be better to start a new thread on Cat Chat where more members will see it.

 

@Tilly Mint I have a DIY version of the Felisafe, you can hardly see the netting from most angles. In my opinion I suspect my neighbours would prefer the cat proofing as there is no way my cats can go in their gardens. Win, win all round. It doesn't effect their fencing although I did tell one side I was putting it up as my handyman drilled into the concrete fence posts and it was the side they were responsible for. You need to be careful drilling concrete posts as there is a steel rod running down the post.

 

@Tilly Mint - I am not sure from looking at the photos on line of Felisafe whether the mesh is rigid or quite floppy. I had something similar fitted above the fence in my back garden 20 yrs ago and because the mesh was quite rigid one of my young cats was able to climb up and over it, like a monkey. In the end the only thing that worked to deter him from climbing was to have floppy mesh attached to the top of the fence with it falling forward in a roll.

Personally I would always mention such plans to my neighbours first, as some may regard the mesh as unsightly and object to suddenly being hemmed in by it. Also it is worth noting that for anyone living in a conservation area there may be rules about not having such mesh visible from the road.

If I was having the garden fenced again I would go for Katzecure as it is pretty much foolproof, not visible to neighbours, and IMO less unsightly than being hemmed in by high mesh.

http://www.katzecure.com/

 

You can also do a DIY version of the Katzecure with rolling poles....I remember someone posted their version on this thread somewhere. They used bamboo poles inside plastic drainpipe if I recall.

 

Hello all, been following this thread for a while and thought I'd better join up !

I have a couple of Bengals that I worried over each time they went outside and keeping them indoors didn't feel right, so I went ahead and ordered a cat run from woodenart, absolutely thrilled with the outcome. I had a run made to enclose my patio windows and they also fitted climbing shelves. The cats love being outside in their run and I don't get stressed anymore about them, plus in Summer I'll be able to open the patio doors fully, at the moment they access the run by a cat flap fitted to the side of the doors. It's similar to some of the runs on their website, great people to deal with.

 

Did they have to travel far to you? Did they charge much for travel expenses?

 

Getting frustrated......we've had the garden cat proofed for two years now but now out of our six cats Luna has become the Houdini cat! I've just pulled her down from the pergola, two days ago off the trellis and a week ago out of the side gate. We keep looking for her areas of escape and closed them off, tonight they are all on lock down until I can sort the pergola escape issue. I think a good trim of her nails,and a renewed set of collars around the top of the pergola posts may resolve it. It's a shame as I've always raved about 'Protectapet', being one of their first clients, maybe they need to do a service every couple of years at a certain cost to maintain protection.

 

If you think a cat can get out, it can! it's also important to make sure there are no gaps larger than 2 inches anywhere including under the fence, both for safety, and for keeping them in. Once your cats are used to the garden and feel safe in their jungle they will forget about escaping. it's useful to be there at first to gently discourage any escape attempt. Some cats can jump onto refrigerators and on top of high cabinets, keep this in mind if your cat is like that.

 

I've now had Felisafe out to give me a price - £500, including installation. This doesn't include replacing a fencing panel, removing a tree and some foliage, which I would have to arrange and pay for myself. Also, I have a single storey flat roofed extension and don't think it would be protected in any way - and Tilly loves to climb!