My new enclosure

I am so excited.  It was finished today and is wonderful.  It has a double door, although I have to reinforce the inside one.  We built it for Schofield, who is a little too wild for us to take inside but not so wild that he doesn't want loving.  After I trapped him and had him fixed, he stayed with us (in our recuperation shed) for two weeks.  When I let him go, he came and went for the next two weeks, then decided the little Rubbermaid house I'd made was ideal for his purposes.  He still goes somewhere else during the day (or if we have activity - like the enclosure being built!)



My husband and I decided we'd see if he was happy in there, as we worry about what he's up to when he's not on our patio.  We live on a heavily traveled road and I can't stand the idea of him being hit.  I have asked around the neighborhood and no one else claims him, so we are going to try to keep him safe in the enclosure.  Our only worry is that he has friends he likes to visit and that he may get lonely in there all by himself.  We're going to play that by ear.



Just wanted to share.  I wish I could bring him in but we already have six rescues inside and there's just no more room!  This was expensive but a lot cheaper than adding on a room!  The little red barn is actually a chick coop - there's a small door at the back, a big window for ventilation and the side pokes out where the nests are - perfect bed for Schofield.  He's already been sleeping in it but abandoned it for the Rubbermaid house, which I plan to move into the enclosure, too.
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BTW the enclosure is 12' x 30', with a wire top and sides.  We used wire that has openings of 2" x 3", which are small enough that a cat can't fit through them.  The builder said he thought the wire would keep a Rottweiler in, so hopefully, Schofield will be happy.  I plan to add shelves and other "climby" areas for him later.

I love it, especially the double door and coop (which is a brilliant idea).

Ohhhhhh  I am so envious.  What a perfect place for your kitty to live.  He will be safe as well as having a nice warm and dry place to stay.  When we move in the next few years I hope to have screened porch or patio enclosure where my ferals can come and go.  Yet, moving with ferals scares the crap out of me!!

VERY, VERY awesome!!!! It is SO wonderful!! Just perfect for Schofield. What a great idea - the chicken coop. Great job, very well designed! :bigthumb: Would love to see pictures of Schofield after he is acclimated to his new digs. ix:

ShadowsRescue said:

.  When we move in the next few years I hope to have screened porch or patio enclosure where my ferals can come and go.  Yet, moving with ferals scares the crap out of me!!

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The porch will be the perfect and easy solution for you to move your feral cats. Easy! Just keep them confined to that porch for at least a month. What a great plan.

Thanks for all the comments.  I got my inspiration from this site:

http://www.catsofaustralia.com/cat-enclosures.htm

They basically have a huge porch, so your idea is right on.  Plus, you won't have to walk outside to feed them.  I just hope next winter is as mild as this one was!

I don't blame you for worrying about moving them.  But once they get to their new home, it should all be worth it. 

Its purrrfect!!! as long as though you visit with him a few times a day. Give him attention and love and some playtime. I think he will do fine. Its better safe then dead!

Schofield is still a little rough around the edges.  He'll accept pets but only for so long, then he swats at you.  I am thinking about ways to interact with him and my husband suggested we put some raised beds in there and plant things - mint, for example.  That will keep me busy and him used to human contact, I think.  It will also give him other places to hide and/or lie.  Plus, I understand that mint is good at keeping ants away!  I'd like to find something for fleas, too - anyone know of any plants fleas don't like?  I heard that pennyroyal is good for that.  I also have diotamaceous earth to spread around.

I have also purchased quite a few interactive toys, so he has to "work" for some of his food.  He doesn't care for dry food, so I will be feeding him two to three times a day.  That will also increase his human contact.

If he seems lonely, we will probably decide to introduce another cat.  Lord knows there are plenty of feral and semi-feral cats who could use a good home.  Our city has a wonderful TNR ordinance.  Residents can register their colonies and get help with food, S/N, etc.  Just having a network helps sometimes.  I know if I put out the word, I'll have my choice of potential roommates for him.

Schofield is one lucky kitty!   I love your enclosure....about plants what about some catnip?????   Oh and oregano too, I used to have a cuban oregano plant (the fuzzy leaves) my cats loved.

THAT - IS - AWESOME

great work, i am very jealous.

Thanks. I am planning a trip to the nursery today to have a look around.

that's an amazing enclosure! Great job! Schofield is one very lucky kitty indeed.

Oh tha is a wonderful ideal. Great job.

Oh tha is a wonderful ideal. Great job.

Oh tha is a wonderful ideal. Great job.

love your enclosure. it warms my heart to know other people go above and beyond to do things for their animals. 

i came across that same aussie site and it inspired me to build a 12' x 17' catio for my cats. it used to be a garden area next to my back covered patio with the 17' side being a brick side of the house. the catio was recently finished and being completely screened in (with removable screens for easy cleaning or replacing if they get torn), i can use it as well and not have to worry about mosquitoes. it's convenient because it's right off my dining area with glass doors. it has a cathedral ceiling and two skylights. i just had it tiled which makes it so much easier to clean than cement. i had all kinds of shelving, ramps and a kitty ladder installed. i didn't want to enclose my covered patio because i have three feral cats (TNRd) and they are used to eating and sleeping on my patio. plus in the winter i provide them with warm houses to get out out of the weather. they're cute little redwood houses with a loft on top so the cats can be inside or outside. of course they have cozy blankets inside.

next month i plan to have an outside enclosure built similar to yours. it will be connected to the catio via a tunnel. everything will be screened in, possibly over hardware cloth since it will be out in the yard where the raccoons and squirrels can get on top of it.

your enclosure being for your feral cat makes me think that perhaps i should build a separate enclosure for mine. it's just that they seem to be so happy with their life the way it is. on the other hand, i wouldn't have to retrap them every year to take them to the vet for their shots update. two run together and the other one is a loner. my house backs to a park that has woods but we only have squirrels, deer and raccoons. the cats seem to co-exist quite well. all three cats hang out in the woods during the day and come to eat on my patio in the mornings and evenings and usually spend the night on the patio. 

Augie thanks for your kind words. Your set-up sounds like heaven for your kitties. I know what you mean about the ferals, though. Schofield has been in his enclosure for about a week now and I am still not sure. He never tries to escape, even when I open the door. But he does get annoyed sometimes and I am not sure why. We're playing this by ear. i built the enclosure because I did not know where Schofield was during the day - he wandered the neighborhood, which has some very busy streets. If you're confident your ferals aren't in danger, maybe you don't need them enclosed.

odine - since schofield had kitty friends before, if they are feral maybe you could trap one and put them in together. if they are not feral and belong to someone else, maybe you could adopt a kitten from your local shelter and get it and schofield to become friends.

or, you could try spending as much time as you can inside the enclosure until schofield gets used to you. talk to him and if he starts getting near enough, try stroking his tail. eventually, you should be able to pet him on his back and head. the next step would be to try and pick him up. someday he might become tame enough to be an indoor kitty that you could put in your enclosure during the daytime and bring in the house at night and during cold and hot weather.

my loner outdoor cat, miss kitty, likes to be near me when i'm working in the yard. eventually, she will rub against my legs and i'm able to stroke her tail. this was the case this afternoon and i was able to gently pick her up and bring her inside. she's due for her annual shots so at least i didn't have to lure her into a trap. i always feel like that's traumatic to them. i'll take her to the vet tomorrow. it's going to be cold tonight so maybe she will appreciate being inside and having my back bedroom all to herself (with food, water and a litter box of course).

one of my cats, bi-bi, a huge, long haired tuxedo, is one of three cats i adopted that i didn't actually bring home because they needed meds - just love and understanding. her owner gave her up after 8 years for some lame family excuse. anyway, i brought her home and put her in my back bedroom with everything she needed and just let her have her space to decide when she wanted to be part of the rest of the family. i would go in and talk to her and pet her as much as possible, especially when i took her nightly wet food in (all of my cats always have dry food to eat any time they want and in addition they get a wet food meal at night - this includes my outdoor cats).

by the way, that reminds me, if schoefield doesn't like dry food, you might not have hit on the right one that suits his taste. if you can afford it, give him good dry food - read the food labels - it should start with a meat or even two meats. don't get anything that has corn or corn meal and never, ever any food that has the word "by products" in it. there are several good brands and cat food manufacturers are getting more intelligent about pet health. you won't be able to buy a good cat food at the big box stores. i get mine at petmart and get the blue brand or science diet brand. i also get grain free. both brands include protein, antioxidants, natural fiber, omega 3 and 6, vitamins and minerals, and amino acids. they contain no corn, wheat, soy, artificial colors, flavors or preservatives. here's the link that explains why these are important: http://www.hillspet.com/ideal-balance/ideal-balance-cat-food.html. i've made a real effort to learn about cat food. my theory is that the healthier my cats are on the inside, the less likely they are to get sick which keeps my vet bills down. my example about good food vs junk food is that it's the same with me - if i eat a healthy, balanced meal, i feel better and i'm not always hungry between meals. eating junk food all the time would not be healthy for me.

the good thing about petsmart is that if you get a bag of food and your cat doesn't like it, and even if you've had it for two weeks, you can take the (opened and used) bag back and tell them your cat doesn't like it. and if you have your receipt you will get your money back, and if no receipt you will get a store credit. if you're trying different types of food, you could just buy the smallest bag until you find one schofield likes.

you might want to leave him a small bowl of dry food in case he gets hungry between wet food feedings. be sure to put it in a moat of water so the ants don't get in it. in case you don't already know, just use something like a glass pie plate for the moat and a glass food dish (so it doesn't float) for the dry food that is about an inch smaller than the pie plate. put the food dish in the pie plate and fill the pie plate almost to the rim with water. if you have raccoons you should bring the food dish in the house at night because they can smell it even if they can't see it. i do this for that reason after my outdoor cats have finished their evening feeding.

i also recently read something in a kitty health email i get every day. they said cats don't see still water very well, that's why they like to drink out of a running faucet and why some cats will dip their paw in the water. so i bought my cats a drinking fountain that has a water fall spout. the falling water keeps the water moving. some of my cats drink out of the bowl part and some only drink from the water fall. cats need lots of water so they don't get kidney problems so any way you can entice them to drink more is a good idea.

anyway, back to bi-bi. she didn't come out of her bedroom for two whole months. then one night i was watching tv and she came out and got on the sofa next to me like it was just the most normal thing in the world. she still only tolerates the other cats and i have to feed her separately but that's ok.

another of my cats, rocky (one of the three i adopted that wasn't sick), was at the adoption center for three months. no one would ever take him because he's basically feral so he's no lap kitty. for this reason i brought him home and just let him have his space. he took up with one of my older cats, ruthie, and became her shadow. they sleep together and groom each other. he's still feral and you can't just pick him up so when i want to clip his nails i have to get him when he's distracted while eating. in the beginning he would run the minute i, or anyone, came into a room. now he only runs if he thinks you're going to pick him up. 

the point of all this is that with patience, schofield may come around to being more sociable.

good luck and keep us all updated on his progress.

Ondine said:

.  I got my inspiration from this site:

http://www.catsofaustralia.com/cat-enclosures.htm

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Awesome site! Thanks for the link. I have this one bookmarked. Great ideas and beautiful enclosures. My mind is spinning with the possibilities. :spin: