Letting your cat outside is something of a curiosity for many cat owners. We don’t think twice about letting our dogs out, but some feel that cats are to be locked inside. Luckily for the kitties, the overall well being of cats has been the subject of great debate over the past few years and creating safe outdoor space for cats is gaining in popularity for the many mental and physical benefits for cats.
There are several methods that are available for creating an outdoor cat enclosure. They take multiple forms and configurations, some even being portable. The smallest provide enough open-air area for a cat to stand, sit and turn around while the largest can be so sprawling a cat would be hard-pressed to utilize the entire protected area in a long afternoon. Each general concept is made for different scenarios but all are made to let your cat bask in nature and get take in the sights, sounds, and textures of the great outdoors.
Below we review each of the most popular ideas to get your started on your path to discovering the right fit for you, your space, and your kitty!
Window Boxes
The smallest in size are the window boxes. These small structures are usually window insert units and give the cat up to about a maximum of 6 square feet of space. They typically incorporate a locking cat door for controlling kitty access. They are most appropriate for apartment dwellers looking to give their cats some fresh air. They are very small and offer no hope of exercise for your cat but it certainly better than your cat laying against your window screen in an open window. Window boxes are commonly constructed from wood, metal wire, and vinyl. Pricing ranges from $200 to over $1,000 depending on the size and features. DIY versions can be made for less but would require you to construct and install it yourself.
Portable Enclosures
Collapsible and portable cat enclosures are basically specialized camping tents made to contain cats. These systems are differentiated by the quality of the materials used in their construction and their ease of set up / take down. Some even have special covers to block sun and distractions. The current offerings on the market are in the realm of 20 – 30 square feet in size. Still not big enough for a cat to run around but a cat can do more than turn in a tight circle. These are great for porches and patios and can even be taken to parks (depending on your cat). You would not want to leave your cat out unattended in this type of enclosure due to possible issues with overheating, discomfort, or other possible dangerous scenarios. They are the least expensive option for letting your cat get some fresh air and sunshine and their small size and portability do have some distinct advantages.
Catios
The next category has the largest variants in size and construction type. Fully enclosed “catios” range in size and form from small homemade wood and chicken wire encloses to large professionally built aviaries for cats. Most non-professionally built catios are DIY but there are a few out-of-the-box systems available. Some of thelargest and most extravagant examples can cost thousands or much more. The sky's the limit both in size, scope and cost for these systems. DIY designs can cost as little as $300-400 if you are going to do the work yourself and looking for something with barebones features. A drawback to this type of enclosure is that ones of a decent size where a cat could manage to get some amount of exercise are more expensive than other options that provide more space such as fencing systems.
Turn Your Existing Fence into a Cat Proof Enclosure
The idea of “cat-proofing” existing fences has been around for a while. There are a lot of DIY options and several commercially available options as well for this method of forming outdoor cat enclosures by modifying existing structures. We discuss this in more detail at: (link to recent PF article). Cost is always a big factor in considering cat-proofing an existing fence but even more critical in the system choice should be effectiveness.
Create New Cat-Proof Fencing Enclosure
The final major category of outdoor cat enclosures is from-the-ground-up fencing. There are fewer DIY systems in the category. This is mostly because the simplest DIY answer to the vertical fence portion of a ground-up cat fence is actually a traditional fence making it a two-step process of building a fence and then adding a topper for cats to that fence. There are a handful of complete ground-up cat fence systems but they vary greatly in design and quality of materials. Further to that, the companies providing these products vary even more greatly in the included instructions and the layout a design help they offer customers.
Lots of Options, Let the Experts at Purrfect Fence Help You!
Depending on the space you have, your budget, and your interest level in providing a stimulating and healthy environment for your cat(s), some or all of these options may be a good fit for you. At Purrfect Fence we pride ourselves on helping cats get the safe outdoor space they need while making sure it is a good fit for their owners as well. Get in touch with us about your ideas for your enclosure and let us help you like we have thousands of others across the world. We look forward to hearing from you!
To keep your cats safe for years to come, order Purrfect Fence today, and find out why our cat containment systems are being described by cat owners, veterinarians, and animal care professionals as a "life-changing experience.
We installed a 15x30 foot free standing enclosure with a window door and a heavy gate. We struggled quite a bit with the installation even though we watched the video several times and followed the instructions. I wish I had read the instructions about three times before starting the project. Also, we are fairly handy, good with tools, and have done many projects. This one was tough! It didn’t turn out picture-perfect but it has been a game changer for our two cats. At first I was skeptical that they could not escape. They’ve tried. It’s so wonderful for them to enjoy the outdoors without any danger of being harmed. A final note, the locked cat door was easily opened by them, so we reversed it so the knobs face outside. We can still open it from the inside but so far they haven’t been able to. I also highly recommend getting the hog ring pliers - so much easier than all those zip ties.
I have no building experience. This went up great. My cats love it. They don't want to be in the house anymore. They still watch birds, but can't reach them anymore.
I bought the fence out of necessity because a new neighbor was threatening my cats. However, I have been a cat lover for many years and truly wish that I knew about these fences and had it installed a long time ago. I paid a couple of coworkers to install it around my small yard in front of an existing fence. It took 3 days to do almost 300 feet with 3 gates. The cats do not try to climb it, but a couple still search the bottom for a hole every day. Several meet me at the gate but none try to run out. The fence hasn't slowed down the raccoons however, still have 6 of them coming and going every night. The fence works purrfectly for who it was intended tho. My only complaint is during rainy weather and getting through the gate. The netting holds water and you do get wet. But that is a minor issue to deal with to have safe happy kitties!
After putting it my cats stopped escaping. Now I can leave them out without worry and we are all enjoying the experience. My only point of improvement would be better hardware to attach the arms to the wall of the house. I am in a situation that I couldnt place it as close to the wall because of the fence design so now I need to find my own solution to fix it to the wall. Other than that, it was a great experience
