Cats can safely enjoy the great outdoors with new enclosures

By Dr. Marty Becker
McClatchy-Tribune News Service (MCT)
Posted on Wed, Aug. 23, 2006

Should cats be indoor-only or allowed to enjoy the great outdoors? Good, knowledgeable, well-intentioned people on both sides of this issue have strong opinions.

Perhaps the best response takes into account individual cat personalities and the safety of the immediate environment. Let's face it. Some cats are happy living indoors and others never adjust. However, there is a solution or compromise that addresses most safety issues and gives cats some much needed enrichment.

You can create safe outdoor cat enclosures that will keep your cat from being a nasty neighborhood dog's lunch or road kill and will allow the sun on her face, grass on her feet, and the opportunity to pounce on unsuspecting interlopers like bugs or butterflies.

Purrfect Fence outdoor enclosure is one option. It's a two-part system - a bottom portion of chew-proof, vinyl-coated steel mesh and top portion of see-through polypropylene mesh - with a combined height of more than 7 feet. The fencing is attached to vertical support pipes that feature an overhanging arch that turns the fencing downward at a 90 degree angle (like the top part of prison fencing) turning a furry-Houdini upside down and back towards the ground, thus preventing her from escaping.

All black and nearly invisible, company officials say the Purrfect Fence system has had only two escapes recorded out of 10,000 cats enclosed. (company provides free retrofit kits to better contain those contortionist-kitties who try to make it over the top) Contact: www.purrfectfence.com or 888-280-4066.

Other options include building a small, simple screened porch or garden window for your adventuresome cat. Home improvement stores can help you get creative with this weekend project.

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© 2006, McClatchy-Tribune News Service
Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.