I want to build a cat enclosure for my two cats because I get so nervous when they go outside but they demand it and of course who am I to say no? Any ideas on weatherproofing a cat enclosure but still giving them the benefit of feeling like they're outside? Thanks.
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Cat enclosure
- Thread starter jdp1886
- Start Date
i think one of the easiest ways to build a cat enclosure is to add a roof and screened sides to an existing porch or deck. would you happen to have either a porch or deck?
i've located some threads here at TCS, where members have posted pics of their cat enclosures. these may give you some ideas for your cat enclosure.
http://www.thecatsite.com/t/158321/our-cat-enclosure-is-done
http://www.thecatsite.com/t/202395/outdoor-cat-enclosure-pictures-included
and here's a thread that has pics of an outdoor cat enclosure sprinkled throughout it -- http://www.thecatsite.com/t/276982/moving-house-taking-the-colony-with-me/90
here's a very interesting approach to a cat enclosure, this is a recent thread -- http://www.thecatsite.com/t/302534/large-cat-enclosure-help-for-65-cats
http://www.thecatsite.com/t/210517/our-outdoor-cat-enclosure
as you can see, there are many different designs, and approaches, to building a cat enclosure.
http://www.thecatsite.com/t/158321/our-cat-enclosure-is-done
http://www.thecatsite.com/t/202395/outdoor-cat-enclosure-pictures-included
and here's a thread that has pics of an outdoor cat enclosure sprinkled throughout it -- http://www.thecatsite.com/t/276982/moving-house-taking-the-colony-with-me/90
here's a very interesting approach to a cat enclosure, this is a recent thread -- http://www.thecatsite.com/t/302534/large-cat-enclosure-help-for-65-cats
http://www.thecatsite.com/t/210517/our-outdoor-cat-enclosure
as you can see, there are many different designs, and approaches, to building a cat enclosure.
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #4
We're about to do just this--screen in under an existing deck so there's a place for cats and people--so thank you very, very much for searching out these links so I don't have to!
you are welcome!
We're about to do just this--screen in under an existing deck so there's a place for cats and people--so thank you very, very much for searching out these links so I don't have to!
something to keep in mind is the wood you choose for the enclosure. my deck is low to the ground -- well, not too low but certainly not high enough for me to easily even crawl under. I plan on using cedar posts/studs for all the framing and side supports for my catio, and have the same metal roofing I have over the rest of my house put over the catio. the cedar is pretty much rot and insect resistant. based on my figuring -- I'd rather spend more for the cedar wood, than go with pine posts/studs that need those vinyl sheaths over them and pay for the extra labor of having the sheaths installed. plus, I plan on having ramps and shelves put up in the catio for my cats, and those need to be cedar -- otherwise, they'll be vulnerable to rot and insect damage over time.
you are welcome!
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #8
micknandsnicksmom2 - great idea about screening in an existing porch...I should've thought of that! Would you use chicken wire so that the cats couldn't get out? Also, I want to add trees, dirt, etc things that would give them mental stimulation. What would you suggest DIY on a bit of a budget. Also, the porch I would use isn't exactly accessible from the house (our house is kind of old and very strangely built)...any suggestions about getting my cats from the front door to the screened enclosure safely? A tunnel or something, perhaps?
i'm happy to tell you what i plan on doing, or what i would do, but i don't have experience in building an enclosure at this point. so i hope members with experience with building a cat enclosure will reply, because their input would be very valuable.
yes, i'd use either chicken wire or (my personal preference for my catio is going to be) sturdy welded wire fencing -- surrounding the screening. it's not my cats that i worry would pop through the catio screening, it's wild critters who might try to pop through from outside the catio.
i'm not sure i'd put dirt/soil on a porch, simply because with rain/snow or possibly even cats urinating in it (if your cats have been indoor/outdoor and are used to using dirt to urinate and defecate on/in) the (i assume the porch would have) wood flooring would absorb the 'aromas' as well as eventually rot from the moisture. now you could use a children's sand box or one of those children's round low-sided heavy plastic wading pools and fill that with soil, though you'd have to be aware that your cats may decide to use it as a litter box.
you could use the posts/studs on the sides of the enclosure (around the porch) to attach ramps and cat shelving to -- i'd suggest using cedar for the ramps and shelves, as cedar is pretty much rot and insect resistant. what i plan on doing is using 4x4 cedar posts for the studs along the sides of my catio. to put up the ramps and shelves, i plan on using pieces of the 4x4 cedar posts cut to specific lengths and attached to the cedar studs -- as support pieces. then i'll use cedar boards (i'd say minimum of 1/2 inch thick, but 3/4 inch thick might be better/sturdier -- my concern would be possible warping over time) and screw those into the support pieces. bear in mind that cats prefer a 'slope' (incline) of no more than 30 degrees, so the ramp isn't too steep for them. i'd have ramps and shelves instead of trees. cats love to be up high and to climb on shelves and ramps, and since they'll be attached to the sides/walls of the catio/enclosure there will be much more open space for them to walk around or lay around on the floor area -- and to place something like the children's wading pool filled with soil.
how about an open window? is there a window that looks out onto the porch you're thinking of converting to a cat enclosure?
It sounds like you're doing something very similar to what we are... we're also using cedar (our floor will be set on old concrete pads... that's a whole long story unto itself!) and we're also as concerned with keeping cats in as keeping other animals out. We have a lot of squirrels and chipmunks in our yard, not to mention occasional skunks, a woodchuck, and lots of neighbor cats, so there's plenty to keep out!
It sounds like you're using some sort of hardware cloth; we are, too. Because of the oddity of what we're screening in, there will be a couple layers of that plus two layers of screening, some of it regular screen, some of it PetScreen; essentially, there will be double walls. It's all rather complicated and won't always be pretty but the main point is functionality and two-way animal control anyway, particularly since we have a sliding glass door that opens onto the c/patio space.
As for cat features, I'm sure we'll put in some sort of sisal-covered climbing post: we have a cat loft inside that the cats love to climb. They have ramps and shelves, too, and love all of it but I think it's the climbing posts they use most. I agree with you about the incline of ramps, too: we have one on the loft that's a little steep, though covering it with a sisal scratching mat makes it more than acceptable for them!
I think I have a pretty good base to start with though. I have French patio doors that open from my living room onto the patio and the backyard. The patio is about 6 feet to 8 feet cemented, that's just eyeballing it, not exact measurements. It has a wood awning covering the cemented area. The awning starts at the top of the house and slopes downward to the other end toward the yard. There's a sturdy squared post supporting the awning on the left and right on that end. The posts even have drains at the bottom so the wood doesn't rot out from standing water. There's also an outdoor fan under the awning.
Does that seem like a big enough space for 3 cats? What kind of wood and wiring have worked best for anyone? How do you build shelves on a catio? I know I've seen a lot of examples online with wood from trellises. I wonder if that would add security at the top and bottom. I have so many questions!
Once I get some real house repairs taken care of, my dream is to have a catio built. I'd have to hire someone though because I'm not handy at building stuff at all. But I'm not sure how to explain such a project. They will definitely think I'm a crazy cat lady. But if it was screened in well, I might actually get to enjoy my patio too without getting eaten by mosquitoes and whatever.
Does that seem like a big enough space for 3 cats? What kind of wood and wiring have worked best for anyone? How do you build shelves on a catio? I know I've seen a lot of examples online with wood from trellises. I wonder if that would add security at the top and bottom. I have so many questions!
Once I get some real house repairs taken care of, my dream is to have a catio built. I'd have to hire someone though because I'm not handy at building stuff at all. But I'm not sure how to explain such a project. They will definitely think I'm a crazy cat lady. But if it was screened in well, I might actually get to enjoy my patio too without getting eaten by mosquitoes and whatever.
My husband finished our whatever-it-is (we jokingly call it "the veranda"...) over the weekend and I finally took a picture of the cats enjoying it yesterday. It's basically just an enclosed area under a deck that has:
-ceiling that's the floor of a second-story deck (it does let in a few bugs but not many)
-cedar floor (it's beautiful wood and I love the smell!)
-two layers of hardware cloth and two layers of screening on the lower course
-two layers of screen on the two upper courses (outside layer is regular screen, inside layer is Petscreen)
It's very sturdy! There are lots of chipmunks, squirrels, cats, and other animals in the area so the big goal was to keep these two in and other animals out. The Petscreen is very thick and required a different size spline than the regular screen. I'm very happy we have Petscreen, though, because these cats love to climb screen!
We're going to build a climbing/scratching post with sisal and probably some sort of shelves and/or ramps.
I'm glad he finished this before the cold part of fall sets in: it was nice eating dinner on the veranda last night!
-ceiling that's the floor of a second-story deck (it does let in a few bugs but not many)
-cedar floor (it's beautiful wood and I love the smell!)
-two layers of hardware cloth and two layers of screening on the lower course
-two layers of screen on the two upper courses (outside layer is regular screen, inside layer is Petscreen)
It's very sturdy! There are lots of chipmunks, squirrels, cats, and other animals in the area so the big goal was to keep these two in and other animals out. The Petscreen is very thick and required a different size spline than the regular screen. I'm very happy we have Petscreen, though, because these cats love to climb screen!
We're going to build a climbing/scratching post with sisal and probably some sort of shelves and/or ramps.
I'm glad he finished this before the cold part of fall sets in: it was nice eating dinner on the veranda last night!
that's a beautiful veranda!!!
i love how you layered the screening and hardware cloth -- very safe and secure! and your pic with your two cats enjoying the new veranda is wonderful!
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Your veranda is very lovely! I wish we would hurry up and find a house so we can do something like this. In addition to the scratching posts/cat trees you are planning to add, I also want some cat friendly plants/greenery. We have a potted palm on our balcony and our cats even try to climb that. Since adding all the plants to our balcony, we do have more bugs up there, and not sure if the netting would be successful in keeping those out or not, but the cats like playing with them and chasing them so its not a big deal. Our ragdoll loves chasing flies. She is funny to watch and I think has better luck catching them with her mouth than I do with the flyswatter. She certainly has more patience for it!
We framed hardware cloth onto all of our screened windows. It lets the cats have full safe access to the windows. The accidental side effect was while looking for a place to hang a suet feeder I hooked it onto the mesh and suddenly we had a screen full of birds. The cats hunt daily and interestingly the birds seem to mock the house fluffies and a few species even seem to tease them. I did learn to use the peanut cake blocks as opposed to the ones with the white suet as them make very little mess.
Thanks so much! My husband gets the credit for the design, though hardware cloth was my idea: my father used it in on our porch when I was growing up, so the dogs wouldn't claw/run through the porch screens. Hardware cloth is great stuff. I think my husband was a little skeptical of the hardware cloth but I kept telling him, "you won't regret it!"
@Kittens Mom, your post came in just as I was about to hit "submit" -- what a great story about the hardware cloth, your cats, and the birds! I suspect our cats and the yard chipmunks will soon have a similar rivalry!
Thank you! We were wondering about plants, too, though cold weather will be setting in soon so we have plenty of time before next spring. Our cats also love chasing bugs and some do get in through the (upper) deck floor... it's not such a bad thing for these two! I hope you find a house where you can make yourself a nice veranda, too. This one came about after the harsh winter last year heaved the concrete pads that are now under the cedar floor: my husband decided to make the deck sturdier and then screen the area in, too, while he was at it. The pictures of him digging and installing huge footings are muddily gruesome but all is now well!
@Kittens Mom, your post came in just as I was about to hit "submit" -- what a great story about the hardware cloth, your cats, and the birds! I suspect our cats and the yard chipmunks will soon have a similar rivalry!
I am wanting to build a cat enclosure but until I find a place to buy or unless I decide to buy the place I will be renting it will have to wait. I am going to make one of the bedrooms into a cat room. It will include all of their stuff. It has a window they can look out of and I am hoping to build a set of shelves they can sit on to look out.
I think a cat room is the next best thing to an enclosure! Our cats use the guest room a lot: one especially likes to sleep in her carrier, which is on the bed. Have fun setting it up!
Oh, well done your husband! That's beautiful. With all those wooden beams it would be very easy to build cat shelves for them. You could have three levels of walkways, with beds in the corners so they can sit up there to take a nap.
Our indoor cat highway is a work in progress. We put shelving around the walls and beds that fit into the corners like this.
I bet your cats love it. Looking forward to seeing more pictures as you add bits on.
Our indoor cat highway is a work in progress. We put shelving around the walls and beds that fit into the corners like this.
I bet your cats love it. Looking forward to seeing more pictures as you add bits on.
Thanks for the ideas, Norachan! We know there's going to be a big sisal-wrapped scratching post but are probably going to keep observing the cats for a while to see what they seem to like best: we've definitely been thinking of walkways and shelves but aren't quite sure how/where best to position them. We've also been thinking of making some sort of hammock they can lie in; I have to figure out what materials might work since the veranda leaks from the top, thanks to the gaps between the deck boards! For now, I put a "curl" scratcher out yesterday and one cat's been lying in that a lot, keeping an eye on the chipmunk crossroads. It's fun to watch them enjoy it out there!
