How can I keep my cat in my yard?
Have you ever wanted to take your cats outside in your backyard but didn't know how to keep your cats from jumping the fence and getting away from you?
You might recall a blog post I did the other day about Why I Choose to Let My Cats Outside. When I shared the link to that post on our Facebook page, many readers weighed in.
One reader, in particular, Harry weighed in a little more by sharing photos of the measures he took to make his backyard a space where his kitties could be safe and contained. I asked Harry if he would send me the photos to share on the blog as well and lucky for us, he sent them in.
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As you can see in the photos, Harry devised a cat fence topper that turned his fence into a cat containment fence.
Harry writes, "This was easy to do... and cheap too. I used vinyl 36-inch garden fencing and just stapled it up with half-inch staples. Angle brackets on the posts, so it naturally curled down. He can't climb upside down... yet... lol!
He always climbs to the top of the fence and watches his mortal enemies, the birdies, through the green fencing! He knows he can't get out but that doesn't stop him from looking for another way... lol.
We had to Simon-proof the flower garden because he would climb up and over the wooden fence in two leaping bounds. He is a purebred Ragdoll and we thought they were ground dwellers. This guy climbs anything he can get his claws into. His muscle strength amazes me. The squirrels, chippies, birds, and mice steer clear of the garden. The ones that don't end up as "cat toys" ☹"
- Harry, Simon, and Sadie (our ground dweller)
Another reader shared a photo of their yard with the Purrfect Fence.
The Oscillot System:
The Oscillot® System has been developed to safely help prevent your cat from scaling over your existing fence. It has no wires and no electric current, and is therefore completely safe and will not harm your cat.
It is unobtrusive and turns most fences into cat-proof fences easily and cost-effectively. It also perfectly blends in with the design of your yard! Learn more about the Oscillot cat fence rollers
How High Can Cats Jump?
Cats average about 9-10 inches in height and 18 inches in head and body length. Adding the average length of a cat’s tail, that’s 30 inches in total, from the tips of their heads to the tips of their tails.
On average, cats can jump from 7.5 feet to an unbelievable 9 feet. That is from 7 to 9 times their body length in total, which is absolutely fantastic. Please note that this is how high the average cat gets. Larger cats can jump even higher than that, reaching a whopping 10-11 feet. Cats are built to be fantastic jumpers.
Do you have a cat containment fence for your kitty? Help other kitty owners and please share about it in the comments below!
Cat Containment Fence - Another Reader Submission
Jane and Stephen wrote in, "When we decided to have Ragdoll cats we made a conscious decision that if we were to let them into the Garden we would protect them from the busy traffic where we live.
We researched the best cat protection ideas and as my Trade is precision engineering I set about making my own fence netting supports (made from Aluminum).
The idea behind the netting and supports is that when the cat climbs up it cannot manage to hang upside down to get over the mesh! The protection has given us peace of mind that our Cats Max and Melvin are safe.
Here are some pictures showing the mesh on both sides of the Garden."
Debbie
My kitties' catio is a 10' X 10' secure dog kennel where they can access 24/7. They LOVE it. And should we need to, we can dismantle it in about 30 minutes. Best thing for indoor cats everywhere!
Jenny
Oh, how cool is that - would you be willing to share the details - how you built it, how you dismantle it and photos? I would love to feature it!
BJ
And, we'd love to see and study it for our two outdoors cats that we're considering bringing inside due to the elements and predators. T- Jenny and Debbie.
Julie Ward
I have been looking at these containment systems and I believe they are great for your own cats. I have not implemented the system as I am concerned that other peoples cats would be able to get in and then not be able to get out again. This means that I would have to be able to catch them myself to remove them from my yard and we all know that not all cats will allow you to pick them up if they do not know you. I know this falls into everyone being responsible for their pets but I also know that there are also a lot of free roaming cats out at night.
Sabrina
Julie I am in complete agreement with you. I have neighbor cats that come in the yard from time to time ( they hear my chickens) and I’m concerned about them not being able to get out! Unless one could afford to do it on both sides of the fence, I don’t think it would be beneficial.
Janet Hoelscher
Hi Julie!
I am moving back to a property I own where neighbors cats are left roaming free during the day and LOVE to "visit" my cats! I too was concerned about other cats not being able to leave once they've jumped the fence so I thought of a way to eliminate this concern...
I am going to construct the L brackets with mesh for the interior to keep my cats from being to get out of the fenced in yard. Then, I am going to double down and install a series of Oscillot & Coyote rollers I've bought previously on the exterior of the fence, hopefully keeping the other cats from getting in.
The reason I am doing it this way instead of just putting the rollers on top of the fence as they were designed, is because the top of the fence is how animals like squirrels get around! It's like their highway!
Will try and post to this site once I get it figured out and built!
Jenny
Janet, you won't be able to post photos to the site - but I can most certainly post them to your comment, if you send them to me! Spammers would have a hey day if I allowed photos to be uploaded =(. Hope your plan works out for you!
Jami
My 3 are former feral-the youngest a tuxedo, has mostly been raised in the house after her spaying, till she was big enough to join her year and a half old, 15lb Siamese tabby brother and her now, playful Siamese mother. Those two have been fat and happy in the yard for 9 & 3 months respectively. But the little one-she’s up and over the fence every day now. I tried chicken wire, bird spikes, I even bought the fixings for an electric fence ( I’m taking it back) she’s long and lanky-only weighs 7 lbs. I’m going to get the wood and plastic fencing and try this out. I have chain link as well-I’ll rig up something-you watch! Thanks so much for the inspiration!
Laura B
My daughter sent me your pictures after our youngest cat discovered she could climb our fence. We started putting it up that afternoon. Took about 3 days of hunting down 275 ft of fencing, but we contained our yard!! She knew she was defeated! She hasn’t even attempted to climb up to the plastic fence. Thank you for such a great idea and pretty inexpensive considering the length of our fence.
Jenny
Oh, that's wonderful - any chance you want to share your photos to share on this post and maybe a little write up about your experience? Please email me if you're interested in helping others that are in your position =)
Bill Davis
We have a digger and a climber. I lined the bottom of the fence with pavers that Rocky can't move. For Adrian, I used 12 inch shelf brackets on the posts (50) and garden deer fencing. There is 18 inches of the 25lb test deer fence from the top of the fence to the ed of the brackets.
Jenny
Interesting - if you have a photo to share, I would love to share it - please email me at [email protected] and I can add it with your comment.
Beth
A few years ago, we decided to build a kitty enclosure because a couple of our cats roamed. We enclosed the back yard with a six-foot-high chain link fence and added chicken wire attachments over the top (like Farley Hobson's picture, only taller). Our neighbors next door followed suit. We each spent several hundred dollars on this unsightly and basically useless "prison ambiance." Prior to construction, it was easy to use a riding mower on our large, open lots. Now, it's a matter of opening and closing gates, trimming and weeding around endless yards of fencing. I'm sorry to say, some cats can do backbends and escape anyway; we watch two neighbor cats' amazing gyrations every day as they leave and enter their yard and ours. Fortunately, our kitties have grown lazier with age and lost interest in wandering.
Teresa Reid
Oh my goodness! I needed this laugh SOOOO much! Thank you, Harry, for sharing these wonderful photos with us. You have done a beautiful job with your kitty-proof fence to keep your babies safe. It is great that they can go outside without you having to worry about whether Simon is scaling the fence and has escaped. Love that photo of him on his tippy-toes peering over the edge of the fence at his "mortal enemies." Your photo of Sadie under the tree in the leaves is a beautiful photo also. Thanks for sharing your great kitty-proof fencing with us. Am sure that many folks will go out and make one for their kitties too. ♥♥♥
Jenny
i know, i thought harry was hilarious! i asked him to write a ragdoll of the week so i could laugh.
Teresa Reid
Good! Can't wait to read it! Thanks Jenny and Harry!♥♥♥
Patti Johnson
Wow! Great post, Jenny! So happy Harry came up with a great solution to keep his beautiful Simon boy safe! Brilliant! Also, that Purrfect Fence looks pretty awesome, too!!! 🙂 <3
Big hugs & lots of love!
Patti & Miss Pink Sugarbelle (who is definitely a ground dweller like Harry's Sadie...but our girl only dwells on the indoor floors of our apartment.) 🙂 <3
Jenny
this kitty's owner is funny like you - i like the way he writes!