IndexArticles
18th Jun 2009
By Susan Shoring as featured in Paws & Claws Magazine
“Ensure your cat is kept contained to your property at all times. A $75 on the spot fine applies to cats that are not contained to their own properties. Your cat may also be impounded.” - Gold Coast City Council.
This is a very sensible law. However, we all know that cats are not great respecters of boundaries or even fences, let alone the law!
Cat enclosures are a great option. These are usually attached to the house with direct kitty access via a cat flap in a suitable window. Home handymen can check the Net for suggestions on self-constructing cat enclosures or go to a hardware store for ideas. There are also many companies that deal exclusively with creating cat enclosures, and while some structures are DIY, many companies do have their own installation experts if required, for an additional fee.
Catmax’s safe, strong Clearnet is knotted, pre-stretched, low visibility nylon netting. Daniel Cannon from Catmax recommends a DIY free-stranding Caboodle enclosure, priced from $870, as it can be added to at any time and is easily attached to a cat flap leading into the house, if desired. Clearnet enclosures can encompass sections of gardens, verandas, side awnings – your imagination and budget are the only limits. Custom jobs vary according to designs ordered: a small balcony (with a carpeted step or catwalk included) costs approximately $1200. The side of a house, using the wall and fence as two sides, is priced from $1800, including a catwalk and pet door. Enclosures that encompass an entire back yard, therefore requiring steel poles, start at $3000, and will usually include a couple of accessories. Clearnet does need to be installed by Catmax, unless you are a very clever handyman (preferably a tradesperson) who can measure the area, then order through Catmax who cut to size. These structures, suitable for felines over the age of six months, can be left with the house if you move, or taken down by Catmax and moved with you, and are guaranteed for 10 years against stretching, sagging and UV deterioration. http://www.catmax.com.au
Catnip enclosures are wire mesh constructions. Their modular cat enclosures are connected to one another via tunnels to create a kitty play park for hours of feline enjoyment. Accessed via a cat flap from your house into a tunnel, these modules come in a variety of sizes and can be ordered either as a pre-designed complete kit or as a self-design to suit your cat and home/garden layout. Kristy-Lyn Nicholson from Catnip says that the size of the wire is such that cats look past the wire instead of through it as they might in an aviary style cage, allowing the cat to enjoy the landscape rather than focusing on the wire. A starter kit suitable for one cat will cost from $998; a larger kit suitable for three to four cats will be $2,245, but the great news is that these kits are designed for DIY installation with instructions supplied. Order online, add freight, and the flat packs will be delivered straight to your door. http://www.catnip.com.au
Aussie Cat Enclosures supplies both steel mesh and netting enclosures. Pat Lee from Aussie Cat Enclosures quoted under $1000 for a fully installed enclosure of 800mm high, 1200 deep, and 1200 wide, with a tunnel going to a cat flap – which can be added to. Aussie Cat Enclosures also has DIY enclosures which start at $395; they are flat packed and come with full instructions. These enclosures can be attached to a cat flap via tunnels to your home, or the modules can be free standing. Waterproof ‘roofing’ is available too, so your cat can remain dry while out enjoying fresh air. http://www.catenclosures.com.au
The wire mesh cat enclosures come galvanised as standard, but may be powder coated, which is well worth the additional cost to blend the enclosure in attractively with your house and/or garden. They are completely relocatable, and it’s worth inquiring if the enclosures can be included within your household insurance policy.
When planning your budget, include the cost of extras such as tunnels, shelves, hammocks and climbing posts. These help to keep the cat satisfied and interested while outside and encourage exercise. Leave room in the enclosure for a chair so that you can enjoy the outdoors with your cats!
You can start off with a relatively small set-up with all these enclosures, adding on as the budget allows. The website links mentioned here are well worth following to see photos of the imaginative enclosures that some lucky kitties have the pleasure of playing in. Whichever system you choose for your feline companion, you will have the peace of mind only achieved by always knowing your cat is safe – and within the law!
