 |
 | Home | Contact Us | FAQ | Search & Site Map | Link to Us |
 | Sign In | Join | Other 45 Sites in Network |
| HomeDiscussion GroupsGeneral TopicsCat AnecdotesHealth and BehaviorRescue CatKB.com Contact UsLink To UsSearch & Site Map |
Cat Forum / Health and Behavior / July 2004My FriendlyFence enclosure is installed!!
I've finally gotten the cat enclosure I bought from Benner's Gardens put up. I had the week of the 4th off, so I used it to introduce the cats to it and make sure I could trust it to keep them enclosed. I was pretty sure I wasn't going to have any problems, as it has been tested with about 8 trapped gray squirrels even before it was completely sealed off, and only one was able to get out! As a bit of background, I have 4 cats -- a mother I rescued and 3 of her 6 kittens -- now 4 years old. She wants nothing to do with the outdoors. One of her kittens I adopted out to my landlord's son who brought him back, un-neutered, when he was 2, and had allowed him out on one of the busiest streets in the city. The other two have been indoor only their whole lives except on lead, and panic if they get loose. Ivan, the returned one, was the "guinea pig", as he escaped once when I moved here and returned after a few hours. Being a previously outdoor cat, he took to the enclosure immediately. The next was Robocat. The last time he was out was 1 year ago, on lead. I pulled the harness out of the draw and he began going nuts knowing he was going outside -- cats do indeed have excellent memories! I put him in the harness and lead him around the enclosure to make sure he wouldn't panic, but he realized he was in essentially another room of the house, so was fine, and I let him free. Floppy was excited at the site of the harness, but was skittish, so I didn't take chances and put him in his harness and lead, then put him in a carrier and brought him into the enclosure like that. He refused to come out of the carrier. It took about a day of him watching the other two in the enclosure before he ventured out, staying very close to the basement window. Daisy was obviously scarred by whatever event happened before I rescued her -- even 4 or more years later. I tried putting her through he window from the basement. She panicked, scratched me, and hid in the ceiling above the furnace for an entire day. Obviously, when a person puts he outside, it means they're abandoning her. After a few days of watching the others outside, she got the idea of it being another room in the house and was fine. The enclosure is about 25 feet out from the house, about 60 feet back, and then about 30 feet wide at the back. So, here's some pictures: http://web.newsguy.com/equalizer/enclosure%201.jpg http://web.newsguy.com/equalizer/enclosure%202.jpg http://web.newsguy.com/equalizer/enclosure%203.jpg Ivan, Robocat, Daisy: http://web.newsguy.com/equalizer/enclosure%204.jpg Ivan herding Robocat around to show him how it's done: http://web.newsguy.com/equalizer/Ivan%20&%20Robocat.jpg Robocat contemplating his next moth to stalk: http://web.newsguy.com/equalizer/robocat.jpg Total cost for this enclosure was about $1200, and installation was fairly easy. eq >Total cost for this enclosure was about $1200, and installation was >fairly easy. What lucky cats! That looks great. I enclosed my property with 8 ft fences, a lot more expensive than $1,200. > What lucky cats! That looks great. I enclosed my property with 8 ft fences, a > lot more expensive than $1,200. We just did the 8 foot fence thing, but I have news for you - cats can scale it! We have a stray that we feed and I was worried that she wouldn't be able to get to the food after installation of the fence - hah! She scales that baby like it was a 2 foot picket fence. But the good news is that the fence keeps out the marauding dogs that eat her food and harrass her. We also have a tri-level deck out back with a huge (10-person) spa (and an attached upstairs deck overhead that leads out from the kitchen) and when I let her out to explore last weekend my Bandit got under that and wouldn't come out! We finally sprayed under the deck with a hose and she squeezed out of a miniscule hole under the deck and into the neighbor's back yard! I had to trespass to go and get her home again. So, even with the $3,000.00 worth of 8 foot fencing, I still can't let my girls run around out back, they can still find ways of getting out. Hugs, CatNipped CatMom to: Bandit, (a.k.a. "Bitch Cat From Hell"), 14, DLH Tabby Demi, (a.k.a. "Ghost Cat"), 5, DLH Pure White Beauty Jessie, (a.k.a. "Jet Ski"), 4, DSH Tortoiseshell Samantha / Sammy, (a.k.a. "Mini Me"), 2 ½ months, DLH Tabby http://www.gcmensa.org/Cats.html (Jessie, Demi, Bandit) http://www.gcmensa.org/Sammy/ (Sammy) http://www.gcmensa.org/Sammy2/ (All my fur babies) >> What lucky cats! That looks great. I enclosed my property with 8 ft fences, a >> lot more expensive than $1,200. [quoted text clipped - 30 lines] >http://www.gcmensa.org/Sammy/ (Sammy) >http://www.gcmensa.org/Sammy2/ (All my fur babies) Suggestion: crawl around on the ground (cat eye level) and see things from the cat's perspective. It might even be fun! MLB >> What lucky cats! That looks great. I enclosed my property with 8 ft fences, a >> lot more expensive than $1,200. [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] >good news is that the fence keeps out the marauding dogs that eat her >food and harrass her. Here's an idea for existing wooden fences: http://www.lisaviolet.com/cathouse/backyard.html >We also have a tri-level deck out back with a huge (10-person) spa >(and an attached upstairs deck overhead that leads out from the [quoted text clipped - 20 lines] >http://www.gcmensa.org/Sammy/ (Sammy) >http://www.gcmensa.org/Sammy2/ (All my fur babies) > I've finally gotten the cat enclosure I bought from Benner's Gardens put > up. I had the week of the 4th off, so I used it to introduce the cats to > it and make sure I could trust it to keep them enclosed. That is so cool! I wish I could do something like that. We live in a townhouse/condo and don't have a yard of our own. BTW - Your cats are beautiful!  Signature-Kelly kelly at farringtons dot net Check out www.snittens.com > I was pretty sure I wasn't going to have any problems, as it has been > tested with about 8 trapped gray squirrels even before it was completely [quoted text clipped - 57 lines] > > eq >> I've finally gotten the cat enclosure I bought from Benner's Gardens put >> up. I had the week of the 4th off, so I used it to introduce the cats to [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] >townhouse/condo and don't have a yard of our own. BTW - Your cats are >beautiful! Thanks! << Total cost for this enclosure was about $1200, and installation was fairly easy. eq >> It's great! I'm jealous. So is that how they access it normally...thru the basement window? Candace (take the litter out before replying by e-mail) See my cats: http://photos.yahoo.com/maccandace "One does not meet oneself until one catches the reflection from an eye other than human." (Loren Eisely) ><< Total cost for this enclosure was about $1200, and installation was >fairly easy. [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] >It's great! I'm jealous. So is that how they access it normally...thru the >basement window? Yeah, it's the easiest solution. Eventually I'll make an access by mounting a small dog door on a piece of plywood cut to the size of the window screen. eq >Candace >(take the litter out before replying by e-mail) [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] >"One does not meet oneself until one catches the reflection from an eye other >than human." (Loren Eisely) > Yeah, it's the easiest solution. Eventually I'll make an access by mounting a small dog door on a piece of plywood cut to the size of the window screen. > eq It looks wonderful. Lucky kitties, and good for you! I've put the original full-size versions of the pictures up, they give better detail of the fence. But be warned -- they're 2-3 megs each in size: http://web.newsguy.com/equalizer/IMG_2236.JPG http://web.newsguy.com/equalizer/IMG_2242.JPG http://web.newsguy.com/equalizer/IMG_2244.JPG http://web.newsguy.com/equalizer/IMG_2245.JPG http://web.newsguy.com/equalizer/IMG_2249.JPG http://web.newsguy.com/equalizer/IMG_2259.JPG In the fine newsgroup "rec.pets.cats.health+behav", equalizer <> artfully composed this message within <news:4942f0p82ku2p3jeab7n1fienomcjafkvj@4ax.com> on 11 Jul 2004: > I've put the original full-size versions of the pictures up, > they give better detail of the fence. But be warned -- they're [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > http://web.newsguy.com/equalizer/IMG_2249.JPG > http://web.newsguy.com/equalizer/IMG_2259.JPG That is really great! Did you use chicken wire around the first couple of feet, and then attach the friendly fence? If so, was the for extra height, or strength? What did you use to attach the two materials to each other? I hadn't seen that as a feature on the website, so it looks like you modified it. Great! Second, can you get a lawn mower in there? Your kitties are very lucky and they look like they are enjoying it. :) Are you going to put some perches in there, add some shade? I know, questions questions! lol I'm just wondering because I may extend mine at some point. I can't get a mower in but I can use the weed wacker. It needs it again, in fact. I'm going to have to go back to using indoor- outdoor carpet because the moles are making a huge mess under there, too. SignatureCheryl >That is really great! Did you use chicken wire around the first >couple of feet, and then attach the friendly fence? If so, was the [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] >outdoor carpet because the moles are making a huge mess under >there, too. Hi Cheryl No, the fence is unmodified. The bottom half is plastic coated "rodent barrier", as on the web site. This is the "Houdini" cat fence. You use zip ties to attach everything together. That was also one of the problems I ran into -- a shortage of zip ties. They're still developing this product and their method is far from perfect. I discovered early on that I was going to be short about 5 bags of ties (100 per bag). Their price and Home Depot's was $8.95 per bag, but I found a source locally at $2/bag. I can get a lawn mower in fine. It has a 4 foot wide gate on one end. I was going to take a picture today, but alas my Canon S400 was in a belt pouch today when I took a bad crash and burn on the mountain bike and is no longer functional. I will eventually put some large branches in there to act as trees. There's plenty of shade from the trees in my yard. My sister suggested I plant some bushes in there to give them a place to hide and pounce on each other from. In the fine newsgroup "rec.pets.cats.health+behav", equalizer <> artfully composed this message within <news:6v13f0le16ur6mu74gspt8qmdud6mquafp@4ax.com> on 11 Jul 2004: > Hi Cheryl > > No, the fence is unmodified. The bottom half is plastic coated > "rodent barrier", as on the web site. This is the "Houdini" cat > fence. I don't think they had that one when I bought the fence material. You use zip ties to attach everything together. That was > also one of the problems I ran into -- a shortage of zip ties. > They're still developing this product and their method is far > from perfect. I discovered early on that I was going to be short > about 5 bags of ties (100 per bag). Their price and Home Depot's > was $8.95 per bag, but I found a source locally at $2/bag. I can't remember what I paid for the ones I got at HD. But that's a good point, there are other sources for some of the "hardware". > I can get a lawn mower in fine. It has a 4 foot wide gate on one > end. Did you get the gate kit from there? I looked at that too, thought about putting a gate in or at least make one, but never got around to it. It's really a pain the way mine is set up to get me in and out with the panel on the sliding glass door but its enough to get the weed wacker out there. I was going to take a picture today, but alas my Canon S400 > was in a belt pouch today when I took a bad crash and burn on > the mountain bike and is no longer functional. Yowch. Well I hope you heal up! > I will eventually put some large branches in there to act as > trees. There's plenty of shade from the trees in my yard. My > sister suggested I plant some bushes in there to give them a > place to hide and pounce on each other from. You did a great job and it was worth the wait to see it! SignatureCheryl > I've finally gotten the cat enclosure I bought from Benner's Gardens put > up. I had the week of the 4th off, so I used it to introduce the cats to [quoted text clipped - 61 lines] > > eq Wow. It's really great! You have very lucky cats!!!! And beautiful too. Great markings. >Wow. It's really great! You have very lucky cats!!!! And beautiful too. >Great markings. Thanks! They're definitely spoiled rotten. Dad was a jet-black, HUGE feral. Daisy had 5 tigers and one jet-black kitten, all boys. > I've finally gotten the cat enclosure I bought from Benner's Gardens put > up. I had the week of the 4th off, so I used it to introduce the cats to [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > tested with about 8 trapped gray squirrels even before it was completely > sealed off, and only one was able to get out! I'm very impressed:) It's lovely. What happened to the squirrels? Alison >> I've finally gotten the cat enclosure I bought from Benner's Gardens >put [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] > I'm very impressed:) It's lovely. What happened to the squirrels? > Alison The squirrels are none worse for wear, except for a slightly different outlook on life, judging by the occasional squirrel I see from time to time, high up in a tree, growling and chattering at the sight of me. There's definitely a place reserved for me in Squirrel Hell. > The squirrels are none worse for wear, except for a slightly different > outlook on life, judging by the occasional squirrel I see from time to > time, high up in a tree, growling and chattering at the sight of me. > > There's definitely a place reserved for me in Squirrel Hell.>> ROTFL, if any acorns mysteriously land on your head from nowhere , you'll know who it is :) Alison |
Reply to this Message |
 Sign In
 Join
 My Latest Posts My Monitored Threads My Blog My Photo Gallery My Profile My Homepage Start New Thread Enable EMail Alerts Rate this Thread
|
©2008 Advenet LLC Privacy Policy - Terms of Use
This website includes both content owned or controlled by Advenet as well as content owned or controlled by third parties.