Moved and have "new cat enclosure"!!!

jcribbs

TCS Member
Thread starter
Top Cat
Joined
Dec 2, 2005
Messages
2,064
Purraise
25
Location
In them thar hills...
Well, it's been a long time since I was here.. So just a quick update on all.

We have moved back to Arkansas and my husband and I have nearly completed a 1200 sq foot cat enclosure for our ferals. We still have all our cats and they are doing A-ok!!

Here are some pictures of our new enclosure. We used sucker rod and welded it together. It is about 7.5' tall. The bldg is complete except for the human door and the kitty door and the front.. The entire thing is insulated with foam board so they will be very warm. We are going to tarp a 20x20 area and husband is going to build them a porch.

They have two kitty doors so noone gets trapped. We have the individual housing built but not installed yet also.

This spring I can plant all kinds of things in there for them. I am not sure if I am going to move thier gym or build them a new one. I envision a jungle setting....hehe

The enclosure is complete except for fencing the top and we should have that finished by this weekend.

well here ya go. They will be moving into it hopefully next weekend...


This is their NEW building..... Front is not yet finished. Still needs tin and the insulated human door...


This is the framework of one kitty door.


This is an interior wall. Husband did a great job! On the other side of the plywood is insulation and then the tin.


I am standing in the far corner here of the enclosure. It is huge. I love it!


This is a closeup of the bldg. You can see the two kitty doors and the human door.



See ya, Jenn C

p.s. Jimmy is doing great....!
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #3

jcribbs

TCS Member
Thread starter
Top Cat
Joined
Dec 2, 2005
Messages
2,064
Purraise
25
Location
In them thar hills...
ty very much!!...... I can't wait to see them in it.....! They love catnip so we have to have a catnip garden....

The structure and the perimeter are only the beginning..
 

ldg

TCS Member
Veteran
Joined
Jun 25, 2002
Messages
41,310
Purraise
842
Location
Fighting for ferals in NW NJ!
JENN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You've been missed!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Congrats on the move - I hope this is a happy thing!

And the enclosure looks GREAT!!!!!!! Does this one connect to the house too?

And you KNEW I was going to ask about Jimmy.
Tuxie sends a purr and a headbump to his TCS twin!

Any pictures of the kitties? And DETAIL on what "great" means?


 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #5

jcribbs

TCS Member
Thread starter
Top Cat
Joined
Dec 2, 2005
Messages
2,064
Purraise
25
Location
In them thar hills...
great means --BIG AND FAT and HEALTHY and SASSY!!!!! He is probably as tame as he will ever get. He lets me pet him and occassionally I can pick him up and put him beside me and he might sit there for a minute and then he does the "cat dash"... But he comes right back. He actually loves to be petted but on his terms. But when he sees me petting and loving on the others, here he comes!!! I'll try to get a few pics of him.

This enclosure is not connected to the house but it might be next winter. If not, I will be hauling cats in the house. Juan says he built the bldg short enough that we can put a flood light in there and they will stay warm. I am not putting hay in it. I am going to put thermal blankets in their cubicles to lay in so I can bring them in to wash. I'm afraid of hay and fire. You know? I know there is such a thing a blankets that retain body heat so I need to look at those. I have read something about them. I told hubby it better be warm because when it hits 0 degrees I am sleeping a night out on a cot to see if they are warm or not. haha


We still own our house in Missouri but due to my husbands job we had to move to the state he is employed in so here we are in Arkansas. So we are renting this 100 yr old farm house in the middle of 200 acres dirt cheap and we love it!!! The creek/river is right in front of the house and is stocked with fish. We have deer all over the place. And one very large bobcat. Yikes!!

So I drive back and forth working on the enclosure and taking care of my family. Basically I live in two houses. I can't completely move till the cats are moved. I spend every other night in a different house.

We like this house better than the house we own in spite of it being old, needing work, cold, barren etc.... . This is an old late 1800's farm house with concrete floors, 2 story and a fireplace and a wrap a round porch. We have wired it, installed propone (just in case) and are painting like crazy to get it liveable... i wish they would sell it to us... Maybe in a few years. The owners parents bougth it in the late 1940's. I have never loved a house/property like this one and it is not mine... But we plan on living here for years. It was just a fluke that we found it. You ever been in house that just suits you?. This house has had a lot of living in it in the last 100 yrs. It was empty for a long time and we are bringing it back to life...

I brought a few of the cats down to Arkansas just to solve the mice problem since the house had been empty but the majority of my kitties are in their OLD enclosure in missouri with me. The dogs are already in arkasnas with husband.

A few will be house cats for good.
Yellow -- 16 yrs old
Snoopy -- blind in one eye
Pattie Cake -- Scared of being outside.
Wooley Bully -- His baby but also will be in the enclosure at times. (he sings to her)

And that's my update...... I have missed you guys too.... I won't disappear again!!!

Jen
 

ldg

TCS Member
Veteran
Joined
Jun 25, 2002
Messages
41,310
Purraise
842
Location
Fighting for ferals in NW NJ!
I'm all smiles for you! Sounds like a lot of work - but that's something you guys really seem to enjoy.
So what're you going to do with the house you own once you're moved in there? Weekends?

Hope it all comes together for you! Any anticipated "move the cats" date?

And didn't you have a bobcat where you are now?

And I'm REALLY smiling at the Jimmy update!
 

feralvr

TCS Member
Veteran
Joined
Dec 30, 2010
Messages
18,474
Purraise
689
Location
Northwest Indiana
Hi Jen, that enclosure and house for the outdoor cats is absolutely perfect!!! Wow, that is my ultimate goal down the road. And I want the inside of my house to look like that house in that book "The Cat House"
You sound extremely busy shuffling back and forth from house to house and caring for all of your animals. I would love to see some pictures of your cats soon


I just joined TCS end of December so I am fairly new, but post a ton!!!!
and have some feral rescues and some outside TNR cats too. And more to do, so many cats.....
 

eilcon

TCS Member
Veteran
Joined
Mar 22, 2005
Messages
11,094
Purraise
1
Location
Cincinnati
Hey Jen,

It's so great to hear from you!
Glad to hear you, Juan and the kitties are doing well - and keeping busy, obviously.
The enclosure is awesome.


Of course, I'm thrilled to hear how well Jimmy is doing and that he's happy, healthy and loved. He's a lucky boy!
Would love to see pics of him and the others when you have a chance.

Hope to see you around more often now.
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #10

jcribbs

TCS Member
Thread starter
Top Cat
Joined
Dec 2, 2005
Messages
2,064
Purraise
25
Location
In them thar hills...
Originally Posted by eilcon

Hey Jen,

It's so great to hear from you!
Glad to hear you, Juan and the kitties are doing well - and keeping busy, obviously.
The enclosure is awesome.


Of course, I'm thrilled to hear how well Jimmy is doing and that he's happy, healthy and loved. He's a lucky boy!
Would love to see pics of him and the others when you have a chance.

Hope to see you around more often now.
Elly, last night was my night in Arkansas. All my camera stuff and the internet are here in Arkansas. I'll get you some fresh pics as soon as I get him and them moved. He is a big cat now.. It won't be long. So glad to hear from you guys....


LDG -- the anticipated move date is as soon as the top is on the enclosure so no escapes occur. We have the wire but my husband is in Ga until the weekend. I pick him up at the airport Saturday. Not sure right now what time he is arriving. If we can get the top on Saturday evening and Sunday, they will be moving. The little bldg require about one hr's worth of work more to complete it. If they don't move next Sunday it will be a day or two afterwards but by next week for sure!!!


Feralvr -- I also have wanted a house like the cat house. Isn't that awesome???


And white cat lover -- Name your price!!!! I might rent him out..........!!


You guys have a great day!!! Time to hit the tub...... (no shower here yet haha)

Jenn
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #12

jcribbs

TCS Member
Thread starter
Top Cat
Joined
Dec 2, 2005
Messages
2,064
Purraise
25
Location
In them thar hills...
Well, I have all my cats moved but 6...
Jimmy, Toe, Cow, Hank, Buddy and Princess Minnie Pearl are still in Missouri. My others are not in the enclosure yet but in the house with me in Arkansas. Husband has been out of town the last week with family in GA but I am picking him up at the airport in the morning. He says by nightfall tomorrow the top will be on. I doubt that because it is storming outside. I think it is more realistic to say Sunday night "it will be finished!!!!!"

It took me several trips to move them yesterday and today. I had to bathe JJ when I got him here. He pooped 4 times on a 40 mile trip and with only 3 legs he just lay there like the ride paralyzed him temporarily
.. It was horrible. So I put him in the bathtub and put a sprayer on him and shampooed him 3x with lilac shampoo. He smells great now!
He was so scared but he feels right at home now...
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #14

jcribbs

TCS Member
Thread starter
Top Cat
Joined
Dec 2, 2005
Messages
2,064
Purraise
25
Location
In them thar hills...
Here's a ;couple of quick pics........

Here's JJ looking a little disgusted but in spite of it, he is working that paw! He smells so good.....He is still a little damp. That's Pattie Cake back behind him. I think he is embarrassed because he smells better than the girls....



And here is Tink and Star all snuggled in for the night....


I will be busy this weekend but during next week I will try to post at least one pic of all of them!! Nite all... I need to crash...........jenn

p.s. OK...got to check the link out L...
 

eilcon

TCS Member
Veteran
Joined
Mar 22, 2005
Messages
11,094
Purraise
1
Location
Cincinnati
Great to see pics of some of your crew, Jen. They're adorable as always.
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #16

jcribbs

TCS Member
Thread starter
Top Cat
Joined
Dec 2, 2005
Messages
2,064
Purraise
25
Location
In them thar hills...
All the cats are officially moved. Should be in the enclosure by
Saturday evening........!!!!!

Jimmy was easy. I put soft cat food at my feet and while he was eating I was petting him. I just picked him and put him in the crate with Mini Pearl.

When we got here he stayed in the bathroom a couple hrs behind the toilet. When the lights dimmed, he ventured out. Now he is sitting by my feet grooming himself and appears perfectly content.


Easy move.

I'll try to post some pics of them this evening.....

jc
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #19

jcribbs

TCS Member
Thread starter
Top Cat
Joined
Dec 2, 2005
Messages
2,064
Purraise
25
Location
In them thar hills...
Well, they are in the enclosure.. I have a few pics. Will take more tomorrow when I am a little more rested. I have 15 in the enclosure and 4 in the house with me. I have JJ, Minny Pearl, Hank and Star in the house. I am going to transfer Star tomorrow. Hank and Minny are going to stay in with me for awhile. They are having a little trouble adjusting to a new house and I want to spend some one on one time with them with no competition until they get their kitty confidence back on track. The others absolutely love their enclosure. They have ran and played like crazy. I have got to research some plants now -- ever-greens so I can make them some tunnels and build some tings for them. We have a truckload of treated lumber to build some structures/gyms and play things for them to climb on.....

This was a very exciting day!!!


And (drum roll please) --- here's some pics of my crew...

Have to put zoey in here. She was very excited by all the activity today.


And this is yellow checking his kitty door out. He is nearly 16 yrs old!!


And Toe Man. He is pretty old too. Pushing 12 yrs now. That one is the rear is Tink.


He has an attitude and is a little peeved at being "stuck" in the enclosure.


And one of Jimmy...He is checking out his little house. This is his first moments out there. He was trying to figure out what was going on. That is Pebbles in the rear. She takes everything in stride.


After a few minutes, he settled right in to take a nap.... He was pretty easy to get out there. He let me carry him in my arms. He absolutely trust me and husband now. It has been a long road with him but worth every single minute of it. He is not the same cat as before. He is 100 percent relaxed in his little kitty group and with his two humans in his life. He is doing great!



And just a few general pics







And that's all for tonight... I went and checked on them just a few minutes ago and they seem to be doing fine. Tomorrow Husband is building their individual cubicles. Tonight I have blankets down on pallets inside the bldg for them to sleep on. The house feels so empty without them in here....

My little kitty colony has come a long way..

One more thing -- If you look closely -- one of the kitty door has disappeared. My husband forgot it was there when he put the front wall on. But when hot weather gets here, that wall is removable for air flow. He says he will cut it out then..... hahaha

More tomorrow.
jen
 

white cat lover

TCS Member
Veteran
Joined
Nov 17, 2005
Messages
22,206
Purraise
35
First I had to laugh at the Yellow Lab (Zoey, right?
) rolling in the dirt in the background on one of the pics!


Second - O - M - G am I jealous!!! I'd LOVE to have something that nice.....the kitties look great. You can see Toe Man's attitude in the pics.


I have a few (S/N) outdoor farm kitties, Fafeena's 16, gonna be 17 in a few months - and several of them are around 9 - 13 years old. Just goes to show how well cared for they are.
 
Top