Think about being perpetually trapped indoors – no thanks! We love the outside and, because it seems, so do our cats. They get pleasure from rolling within the grass, basking within the solar, and feeling the wind of their whiskers. We love our furry mates and need one of the best for them however, as all-round animal lovers, we cringed when our carnivorous companions introduced dwelling “items” from unsanctioned neighbourhood jaunts.
In addition to, the nice outdoor additionally hosts its justifiable share of risks and we are not looking for our cats to be on the improper aspect of an encounter with a canine, automobile, or coyote.
So, caught between our cats’ wellbeing and the protection of native wildlife, we launched into a mission: to construct the final word cat-safe, wildlife out of doors paradise. Welcome to Catcatraz!
Undertake a Cat, Obtain a Complete Household
Our earlier cat fence labored nicely with our two older, much less adventurous cats. Nevertheless, proper earlier than the pandemic, we discovered a younger feminine cat alone in La Vérendrye Wildlife Reserve, with no proprietor in sight. Affectionately named Trinity for her fierce independence – mirroring the character from the Matrix trilogy – she adjusted to her new dwelling. We quickly found she was pregnant, including extra pleasure to our lives.
Mama Bear Cat
Our unique plan was to maintain Trinity however discover properties for her kittens. However after discovering a house for only one, we realized we couldn’t half with the others – it was too arduous. Our household out of the blue expanded to incorporate Trinity and her three remaining kittens. Embracing our new standing as “loopy cat folks,” we confronted a brand new problem. Trinity, a seasoned survivor, handed on her escapologist abilities to her offspring. Our present “catproof” fence proved ineffective towards their dedication and ingenuity. They slipped via each small hole they discovered, exhibiting us that our earlier answer was no match for a household honed by the wild. Recognizing this, we tore down our outdated system and began anew.
A New System, a New Failure
After exploring quite a few choices, we lastly settled for a fence with curler bars, designed to spin and thwart any cat’s try at escape. We constructed a DIY model utilizing PVC pipes and angle brackets. Initially, it appeared promising – for about 30 seconds. It wasn’t lengthy earlier than Trinity and her younger accomplices shortly mastered a way of reaching over the bars to the highest of the fence with out touching them, bypassing our new system in mere minutes.
We spent the subsequent a number of months fortifying this new setup with aluminum flashing, beefed up rollers, corrugated plastic sheeting, and even motion-controlled sprinklers. (It become a post-apocalyptic junkyard fortress.) Sadly, after every tweak, our cats would shortly determine a solution to overcome the brand new impediment utilizing a mixture of resourcefulness and athleticism. The chilly climate appeared to gradual them down however come spring, it was clear – we would have liked a greater system.
If At First You Don’t Succeed
Dismantling the makeshift “fortress” that our fence had change into – a lot to our neighbours’ silent aid – we looked for the subsequent answer. We found catnetting.com, which supplied a strong design utilizing tall, angled poles and durable UV-resistant netting. Skeptical but hopeful, we ordered the system regardless of the price and customs charges.
Set up proved to be somewhat time-consuming, involving a number of nights and weekends becoming poles and metal wires, threading ropes via nets, and attaching elements. All of the whereas, our 4 cats melodramatically protested behind glass doorways. Their antics, which ranged from pawing on the glass to emitting pitiful mews, had been their methods of hurrying us alongside; they had been clearly lacking their out of doors time.
The Fence Is Performed; the Cats Start
Lastly, the fence was prepared, and we launched “the zoo crew” into the yard. (They fairly actually leapt over one another to get out the door.) All 4 cats eagerly explored our new handiwork and paced the yard, testing the brand new boundaries we had set. Preliminary probes had been thwarted, and we cautiously hoped for fulfillment. Nevertheless, our optimism was short-lived; inside three minutes, our first escape artist scaled the netting and was free, main us on a frantic chase, a lot to the amusement of our neighbours who had change into fairly accustomed to this ritual.
This new system was primarily based on the premise that cats don’t wish to crawl the wrong way up on a versatile floor. Clearly, the designers hadn’t met our cats. Regardless of the frustration over the money and time spent, there was some pleasure in our cats’ tenacity. Embracing this attitude, we believed we’d ultimately outsmart them and our persistence would ultimately prevail … proper?
Rome Was Not Constructed In a Day and Neither Was Catcatraz
We briefly thought of constructing a catio however shortly dismissed it; the cats had been already used to the complete yard. Failure was not an choice.
We added one other piece of netting from the highest of the cat fence, hanging it down from the apex, making it theoretically unimaginable for the cats to climb over. This appeared efficient till they cunningly gathered the hanging netting collectively so they might put their paw excessive.
We countered this system by putting in a rope alongside the underside fringe of the hanging netting with poles to maintain the netting stiff sufficient that it couldn’t be gathered. For the subsequent week and a half, we let the cats out and monitored their escape makes an attempt intently in order that we might reinforce any weak spots instantly. It was a each day sport of “cat and mouse,” tweaking our design after every tried jailbreak.
After a number of extra breakouts and subsequent refinements, we now have lastly bought to the purpose the place we will belief everybody out within the yard with out supervision. Even Sterling, who is robust sufficient to hold for minutes from the fence with one forelimb whereas he works on an answer. Even Trinity, who can climb up a brick wall. Even Sophia, who lets the automated sprinkler bounce off her again. Even India, who can crawl beneath the smallest hole. Our yard was lastly remodeled into a real Catcatraz, resilient towards essentially the most fearsome feline escape artists.
Now, we get pleasure from birds singing with out fearing for his or her lovely little lives with the peace of thoughts that our cats are safely having fun with the nice outdoor. Our cats love their outdoors time, and so they love their yard. And we love that they’re staying in it.
Searching for extra data on how one can catproof your yard? Please contact the authors at [email protected]
