Large cat enclosure help for 65 cats?

I'm building a large enclosure for 65 sanctuary/rescue cats. I'm going to either buy a shed for their housing area (found one that's 10x12 & it's metal) or build one out of plywood. So the housing area will be about 120 sq ft. The attached enclosure will be 15x35; about 525 sq ft plus vertical space with ramps & shelves lined all around the enclosure. Does this sound like enough room?

I'll be using welded wire with 2" openings. Can they squeeze through 2"? But I've been looking at lattice as well to use. If I use lattice, do I still need to attach wire to it or is the lattice safe enough by itself? I'm stumped about ground covering though. That much traffic will turn it into dirt in no time so what's an affordable option for ground flooring? Any other suggestions for the enclosure? Thanks guys!!

How wonderful that you are building this for the cats! It doesn't sound like the area will be large enough. I work with my local humane society and we have open cat rooms. There is a formula that will tell you how many cats you can safely have in an area. Let me see if I can get it for you.

i'm going to see if one of our members might be available to reply. this member has a great enclosure for her cats; not 65 cats, but quite a few.

let me see if i can attract her attention. @Norachan -- may i ask for your input/advice for the OP (original poster)?

in the meantime, i'll go see if i can locate the thread which has photos of her enclosure.

I was trying to Google sq footage and one thing I found was 10 per cat which would be 650 total & minus 120 for the housing area would leave 530 which is about 15x35. That was all I had to go by anyway lol. I appreciate you trying to find your formula though & thank you!

The formula is a minimum of 20 square feet with 30 square feet being preferred of varied space per cat. You described a building of 120 sq. ft and an enclosure of 525 sq. ft. for a total of 675 sq. ft. Based on sheltering guidelines that would be adequate for a maximum of 34 cats and would be ideal for 23 cats. For them to be physically and mentally healthy they need sufficient space.

They will shred lattice over time, so study construction with the wire is your best bet. The floor will need to be something that can be cleaned and sanitized. Poured concrete and waterproof paint would work. The risk with housing large numbers of cats (or any animals) is spread of disease so you will need to be able to sanitize both the building and the enclosure.

Good luck with your project!

okay, i'm back -- with a link to the thread that has photos of the enclosure i was talking about. here you go -- http://www.thecatsite.com/t/276982/moving-house-taking-the-colony-with-me-any-advice-please   and she has 20+ cats in her enclosure, though my understanding is that these cats can freely come and go from the house to the enclosure and back -- they're not living solely in the enclosure. my hope is that she'll be able to give advice based on experience of constructing very similar to what you're wanting to.

Thank you! I'm gonna rework my design to make it bigger. I've decided to build their house so I can insulate it for them & cut out ventilated openings--covered with wire. Any ideas about keeping it warm in the winter inside their house & cool in the summer? There won't be any electricity run to it because there's not a way to do it where it's gonna be located.

Hi luvfelicia.

I see that @mickNsnicks2mom  has already sent you a link for the thread with pictures of my enclosure. (Thanks mickNnicks2mom.  )

I'll be back in a few hours when I finish work with some advice for you.

I've also moved your thread to our caring for stays and ferals forum where I think you'll get more advice.

Back soon.

OK, I'm back.

The area you've described does sound a little too small for so many cats. I have a total of 1000 square meters, including the house, for 20+ cats but they all get on well together. Are these cats already an established colony? I think you might have trouble getting such a large number of cats to tolerate each other if they're not already good friends.

Rather than one shelter, several might be better. You could stick to your original design but divide the inside up into four spaces each with an entrance and an exit. I have a cat door to let my cats in and out of the house but I have had problems with one cat guarding the door and not letting the others through or ambushing them as they come in. Alternative exits help to keep the peace.

Remember to expand upwards if ground space is limited. You could make a two or three storey shelter and provide outdoor cat trees or walkways to make the most of the space you have.

The best insulators I've found are cardboard and straw. Several cardboard boxes, one inside the other with layers of newspaper between and straw inside, keeps them warm. Straw stays dry and warm and lasts for ages. You could have several of these cardboard box beds inside your shelter, they don't take up much space at all. If they are out of the rain and the wind they'll be fine.

What kind of fence are you going to put up around the enclosure? They won't be able to get through lattice work but they will be able to climb it. As a rule, if you can fit your fist through a space, a cat can fit his head through and once their head is through they're out.

The fence I've made isn't perfect as I had to stick to building restrictions for the area I live in. I think a metal fence would have been better, but this area is National Park and only wood and deer netting is allowed. My fence has a top that angles in at 45 degrees. This will stop most cats but not all. One of my cats still climbs out, but as I live miles from any roads or people this isn't such a disaster. The top of the fence, the part that needs to be angled in, must overhang more than your biggest cat measures when stretched out. Here are some pictures of how my fence has evolved.

First attempt.


This was high enough to keep most of them in but one cat learnt how to climb up the netting, brace his back legs against the top rail and haul himself over.

Second attempt.


I extended the netting and supported it with metal gardening poles. Not strong enough, he just hung off it until it bent and he could haul himself over.

Third attempt.


I now have the extended length of net supported by a wooden plank with an extra arm holding that plank up. This is working for now, but it's only been up there a few weeks and he's already looking for ways to get over.

Also if you are going to use net you need to go round regularly and check for gaps, because they constantly try to find one.


Have you thought about potty pits? This thread is really helpful.

 [thread="265743"]Outdoor Potty​[/thread]  

Also, I think @jcat  has an enclosure for her ferals, maybe she could give you some advice.

Post a few pictures of the area you have here and we'll try to make a few more suggestions.

Hope some of this helps.

Thank you!! I'm gonna try to make it either 20x50 or 30x50 including the house. I'll be using welded wire with 2" openings. It's an established colony & they all get along great. I'll be adding vertical space as well like shelves & trees. For the ground I'm leaning towards rubber. Found a site that sells rubber flooring mats & I'm thinking about lining the entire enclosure with it. Sound ok? About how much sq footage per cat do they need for sleep? I had read somewhere that it was 3. That sound right? Trying to figure out how big I want to make the house now that I'm reworking it all. I'll be completely enclosing the top. Thinking a gable style with fiberglass roof panels like they have on greenhouses. I'm hoping to keep it at around $3000 for it all. It's dark here right now but I'll take some pictures of the area in a few hrs & post them. Also what about water in the winter? Any ideas how to keep it from freezing with no electricity? As far as a bathroom area I'm not sure yet. I was thinking about buying a couple of plastic dog pools to be kept filled with litter in a designated spot. What do you think?

That sounds awfully small for 65 cats, even if they get along. Our shelter has half that number of ferals, and the enclosure is about 1/4 acre (10,890 sq. feet) with two insulated cabins (roughly 150 - 200 sq. ft, with multiple entrances), a shed (no door) with large cement tubs for litter boxes, and constant access to a heated feeding room with bookshelves they can sleep on. The latter has lots of water bowls. In winter the water bowls in the cabins are changed 3- 4 times a day. One of the cabins is due to be hooked up for power and heat any time now (it's a new addition, because 1/2 the cats are in the process of being moved outdoors - nine more to go!)

The cyclone fence is 2 meters (6.5 feet) high, with an electrified, inwardly slanted extension on top (and we've had at least two escapees). The enclosure has grass, but there are a few sand pits the cats can use as outdoor toilets.


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luvfelicia said:

Thank you!! I'm gonna try to make it either 20x50 or 30x50 including the house. I'll be using welded wire with 2" openings. It's an established colony & they all get along great. I'll be adding vertical space as well like shelves & trees. For the ground I'm leaning towards rubber. Found a site that sells rubber flooring mats & I'm thinking about lining the entire enclosure with it. Sound ok? About how much sq footage per cat do they need for sleep? I had read somewhere that it was 3. That sound right? Trying to figure out how big I want to make the house now that I'm reworking it all. I'll be completely enclosing the top. Thinking a gable style with fiberglass roof panels like they have on greenhouses. I'm hoping to keep it at around $3000 for it all. It's dark here right now but I'll take some pictures of the area in a few hrs & post them. Also what about water in the winter? Any ideas how to keep it from freezing with no electricity? As far as a bathroom area I'm not sure yet. I was thinking about buying a couple of plastic dog pools to be kept filled with litter in a designated spot. What do you think?

Click to expand...

OK, if you're putting a lid on the whole thing that should keep them in. The rubber flooring mats sound like they'd make great scratching pads but do you really think they need them? Little kitty paws tend to pack the earth down but they don't churn it up and make it muddy like horses do. We get a lot of rain and snow here but I haven't found I need anything special on the ground.

If you're going to use regular clumping cat litter in the toilets you need to make sure it's under cover as it just turns to mush once it gets rained on. The outdoor potty pits in the thread I showed you above have aquarium gavel in them. This is really expensive but lasts much longer than cat litter and it doesn't matter if it gets wet. I only have one outdoor potty pit full of cheap gravel from the gardening center. I haven't been using it for very long, so I can't tell you how well it's going to hold up, but so far so good.

Looking forward to seeing your pictures.

I obviously still have to clear the area & tow the vehicles but this is the space I have to work with. The litter pools would be enclosed & the litter will be horse pellets. Here's another idea I had inspired by the pit thread. What if I dug a good sized hole in the ground (like you would do if you were gonna make a pond, etc) and lined it somehow (it would be square shaped) and it would be one gigantic potty pit? Any ideas about how to line it? You think that would work well? Yeah they'll definitely need a ground covering of some sort. Thinking now about mixing it up some though. Rubber here, pavers there, etc

This is a photo of my enclosure and the chicken coop I purchased to use as a house.  The entire enclosure is 15' x 40'.  The coop is about 6' x 6'.

I also have two Rubbermaid tote houses, a cedar dog house, a cedar potting table, two cedar end tables and a cedar cat tree.

I made a 4' x 2' raised potty out of raised garden corners and Trex boards.  It was half filled with stones and paving stones, then topped with sand.  I scoop it just like their inside potty, which is inside the coop.  I replace the sand once every summer.  Raising the litter box(es) might make it easier to clean them (rather than getting down on your knees to clean out the hole in the ground).

You will need a bigger space for 65 cats.  Adding shelving will help.  I used welded wire fencing with 2" x 4" spaces and it is plenty.  In fact, the man who built the enclosure said that wire would keep in a Rottweiler.  The entire enclosure is covered, even the top.

I planted catnip and basil in pots in the enclosure - they cats enjoy the catnip and the basil helps with the flies.  I spread Diotomaceous Earth all over a couple of times during the summer; that keeps down the fleas.

I have some ground spaces with pavers, some with stones and the rest is grass.  I do have to weed-wack the grass once or twice a summer but I am not over zealous about that.  They like having hiding spaces.  With 65 cats, you probably won't need to do that though.

Thank you so much for protecting them all.  Kudos to you for helping them!

Love your enclosure!! So far here's how I've got it reworked: it'll be the welded wire covering the top halves of the walls & 2x4 planks covering the bottom half. The entire roof (house & run) will be covered by roof panels. I'm also gonna attach lattice panels to the top half of one of the 50 foot sides to block rain so they can still run & play if it's raining. The house will be insulated and there will be plenty of beds for them, toys, wall shelves, etc. I'm still working on the ground cover but I am gonna mix it up with various types (rubber, pavers, grass, etc). Shelves and ramps will be scattered throughout the run. I'm gonna enclose a section that will house the sanboxes filled with pellets for their litter. Still drawing up the plan but this is what I have so far

It looks like a nice spot. It's great that you have some trees to provide shade. I'd suggest going upwards as high as you can, make the house three of four storeys (Each storey only needs to be a couple of feet high) have walkways going around the outside walls and different levels, just make as much use of the space as you can. If your going to have a roof you don't need to worry about them getting up high enough to climb out. You can recycle all kinds of stuff to make climbing trees.

This one was made from an old table and recycled fence poles.


My potty pit is a hole in the ground with breeze blocks on all four sides to make a wall. I started with rocks at the bottom, then a layer of smaller pebbles, then gravel at the top. The whole thing is about 8 inches deep. I scoop out the poop every day and pour water over it so that the pee rinses down into the earth. I'm looking for some suitable plants to put around it to keep it smelling nice.

Basil, that's a good idea @Ondine  !

These enclosures are very much a learning process, you have to try a few things to find out what works best for you. If you're on a budget I'd suggest just leaving grass on the ground for now and then decide if you need to splash out on rubber mats. I have a lot of cats galloping around the enclosure but, as you can see, they haven't churned up the ground at all. The grass and weeds are way above their heads now.

Keep us posted, I'm excited to see how it turns out.

Thank you! Looks like I'm gonna have to make it an L shape. Trying to learn how to do that. I know how to do a plain gable roof but I'm trying to learn how to make an L meet correctly. I'm considering using corrugated roof panels. Seems to be the cheapest but durable at the same time

I found a Shelter Guide that was put out by the Association of Shelter Veterinarians in 2010. It's a long document but well worth reading the whole thing.

Are you planning to establish an official (licensed) shelter or is this something you're doing privately. Either way, you need to check out the legal aspects in addition to arranging the physical environment for that many cats. Are there any local ordinances that limit the number of animals you can keep on your property? Are you going to run into any zoning issues by having a shelter on your property?

You mentioned 65 cats. Where are you getting the cats? Do you already have some? Is this an established colony that you'll be moving? Are you just anticipating being able to take in that many cats?

As others have mentioned, the space you're describing is not really adequate for 65 cats. Can you reduce the number of cats you take in? If not, is it possible to expand the area you use for the enclosure?

Do you have anyone to help you, either volunteers or employees? The article I linked recommends 15 minutes a day per cat minimum time to care for them. For 65 cats that comes to about 16 hours a day. You'll need even more time if you're planning to socialize the cats for adoption. Doesn't leave much time for sleeping, eating, or anything else for yourself.

I think it's wonderful that you want to rescue these kitties and don't mean to discourage you. I'd just like you to know exactly what you're getting into before you're in over your head.

It's an established colony. Not shelter related; private. Over the last 15 yrs strays have wandered down to my house in the woods & they've stayed. They've all been s/n. I've actually got them in an enclosure already but it's not big enough & it's not in the best shape so that's why I'm building a new one. I am gonna build it bigger than the original size mentioned. It'll be at least 14-1500 sq feet plus a lot of vertical sq footage. I've decided to only add a solid roof to half of the enclosure for shade & rain protection & leave the other half uncovered (it'll have a wire top panel just no solid roof panels) that way they can bask in the sun. Still planning & tweaking. Thank you for the link!

I wonder if with that many rescued cats you could actually register yourself as a shelter? It wouldn't mean you have to take any more cats in, but you might be able to get some financial help with building the shelter, ask for donations, maybe get a few volunteers to help with building and taking care of the cats.

You could also start trying to get some of the adoptable ones into new homes that way too. Not always possible with former feral cats, I know, but if some of the cats used to be pets there's a chance they could be re-homed.