ping people with cat enclosures

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Helen Wheels - 28 Feb 2006 06:53 GMT

What sort of mesh materials are your cat enclosures made of? I've been
enclosing my existing back verandah to make a space for the cats to play
in and am about to order some mesh for the walls. The mesh I've been
recommended by a local supplier is made of a UV stabilised plastic
material with mesh squares about 15 mm wide (about 5/8" for you modern
USAnians :) ). The threads are made up of 3 plys and feel sort of like
fishing line.

But... most of the enclosure photos I've seen have metal mesh walls and
I wondered whether that means there's a problem with the plastic mesh.
Does anyone here have an enclosure made of the plastic stuff? The
company sent me a sample and I have no doubt it'll be strong enough, but
I was wondering how well it stands up to the weather, especially hot dry
conditions.

If anyone has this kind of plastic mesh on an enclosure I'd be
interested to hear how well it's stood up.

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Victor Martinez - 28 Feb 2006 12:15 GMT

> But... most of the enclosure photos I've seen have metal mesh walls and
> I wondered whether that means there's a problem with the plastic mesh.
> Does anyone here have an enclosure made of the plastic stuff? The

I think Marina's is made of plastic. While I'm sure there are very
strong plastics out there, I am 100% certain no critter can chew through
the metal of our enclosure mesh. :)

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Victor M. Martinez
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Marina - 28 Feb 2006 16:52 GMT

>> But... most of the enclosure photos I've seen have metal mesh walls
>> and I wondered whether that means there's a problem with the plastic
[quoted text clipped - 3 lines]
> strong plastics out there, I am 100% certain no critter can chew through
> the metal of our enclosure mesh. :)

No, it's metal, very thin metal, but it can hold at least 5 kilos of
cat. ;o) (As seen here http://tinyurl.com/bqmyb)

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Marina, Miranda and Caliban. In loving memory of Frank and Nikki.
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jmcquown - 28 Feb 2006 12:16 GMT

> What sort of mesh materials are your cat enclosures made of? I've been
> enclosing my existing back verandah to make a space for the cats to
[quoted text clipped - 13 lines]
> If anyone has this kind of plastic mesh on an enclosure I'd be
> interested to hear how well it's stood up.

I've got one of these outdoor cat enclosures made of durable stretchable
fishnet. It has held up to the weather for 3 years without a problem.

Jill

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Inge Grotjahn - 28 Feb 2006 12:41 GMT

Dear Helen,

Am 28.02.2006 schrieb Helen Wheels:

> What sort of mesh materials are your cat enclosures made of? I've been
> enclosing my existing back verandah to make a space for the cats to play
[quoted text clipped - 3 lines]
> USAnians :) ). The threads are made up of 3 plys and feel sort of like
> fishing line.

in our first enclosure we used a military camouflage net which is UV
stabilised. That worked quite well. Have a look at:
http://www.gwsystems.com/inge/Galerie/050702/e_index.html . Now we have a
metal fence around our garden. The mesh squares are about 35 mm wide and
perfect: http://www.gwsystems.com/inge/Galerie/alkatztraz/e_index.html

I'm a bit anxious about the plastic material, because it breaks easily
after beeing outside in the weather for some time. Although your supplier
states that it is UV stabilized, I wouldn't trust it. On the other hand,
the plastic gives predators like martens a chance to get in (and the cats
to come out). When they use their teeth, the plastic has no chance.

I would always prefer some chicken mesh. Then you can be sure, that the
enclosure lasts for a long time:-)

Purrs to you
Inge and the catgang

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CatManiacs World: http://www.gwsystems.com/inge

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Dan M - 28 Feb 2006 19:01 GMT

That sounds like what we originally used to cat-proof the back yard. The
plastic mesh I put up 2 years ago is still there and is holding up just
fine. This is in southern California so lots of heat, little moisture.

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Helen Wheels - 02 Mar 2006 01:38 GMT

Thanks folks... now I'm even more undecided. I think I'd go for chicken
wire or lightweight weldmesh if it were available in the width I need,
but it looks like I'd have to join pieces to cover the area I've got.
I'm a bit worried that would defeat the purpose of using the stronger
material.

Has anyone here in Oz got one of these enclosures: http://catmax.com.au/
? That's the sort of netting I'm looking at.

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Cheryl Sellner - 02 Mar 2006 02:22 GMT

> Thanks folks... now I'm even more undecided. I think I'd go for
> chicken wire or lightweight weldmesh if it were available in the
[quoted text clipped - 5 lines]
> http://catmax.com.au/ ? That's the sort of netting I'm looking
> at.

The enclosure I built is made using plastic mesh from
friendlyfence.com. I know you've had lots of good input, but now I
have to share a funny story that happened this past weekend:
My enclosure is the mesh stapled on to posts that support the deck
above (the deck is 8' high, so plenty of height to the enclosure)
but apparently there are gaps large enough for squirrels to get
through. Sunday morning, Scarlett and Rhett were no where to be
seen at breakfast. So I went downstairs looking for them, and found
Rhett at the sliding glass door, doing a fantastic JRT
impersonation (imdogonation?) because there was a squirrel in the
enclosure and it seemed to be trapped and going crazy trying to
find his way out. So I got dressed, grabbed a pair of scissors all
set to free mr squirrel. By the time I got back down, it had
already found his way out (hopefully the same way he got in, or my
enclosure isn't very secure).

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Cheryl
Note to self: thoroughly examine mesh before kitties get to go out
again in the Spring.

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