Here's one I made earlier - Cat Pen for the garden

[Bee]

This is so awesome.. Need to see it in person!

[maryas]

That's fantastic - well done you.  It's given me some ideas for my garden for next year. 

Mary

[Gill (sneakiefeline)]

Thanks very much for the info A and a stunning job 

[Alcatraz]

Hi Gill

This one's fully enclosed with soft netting.  I built the frame out of 2" x 2" timber and a 'door' (it's another frame on hinges) out of the same.  I then stretched soft netting over both and added sliding bolts to both sides so it can be locked from inside or out.  The triangular shape between the top of the door and the 'roof' had a net inserted.  This has been attached to the roof with a strong rope woven between the holes and to the frame with a staple gun.  The roof is stapled to the fence and attached to the wall with hooks and strong rope.

There's no escaping and both are solid climbers and have tried all points!   

I previously had a topless net on my roof terrace and had the sides held vertically by poles on each corner.  This was soft netting and even though both cats tried to climb the nets, they were so baggy the cats jumped off before they reached the top.

Hope this helps?

[Nona]

Yes, I can imaginge you really have to be sure it is closed well enough. You don't want them to get away because you think they are safe. But great idea though!

[Gill (sneakiefeline)]

Looks great 

Can I ask some safety questions cos cant tell from picture?

Does the net go completely over the whole area on top, including the door? How is it fixed and how close together?

What have you got on the door, is it soft netting or hard netting?

Why am I asking.....................well I have a door like that and made it when Lupin was new here and 10 months old and used the hard netting......plastic used in gardens and was so proud of myself 

After two days max he was shining up the net and over the top of the door!

I had to cover the top half of door with hardboard which was slippery so he couldnt climb...............this was put across my hall by the way 

He is now 3 next month and an expert climber dam dam dam and had to rescue him from the other side of my trellice today where thank fully he was trapped cos the lead of his walking jacket wouldnt let him go any further. Yesterday it was the top of the fence twice!

[lau200]

What a fab idea

[Bee]

...since I kill every plant I own I recommend a tunnel. Ours LOVE the tunnel. It never stops being fun. 

[Alcatraz]

The cat nets are a cheap and effective way.  We ha a first floor roof terrace and had a wall of nets raised up on posts at each corner.  The nets are too saggy to climb so even if they get hafway up, they jump off.  If you have a balcony above, you can attach it to that ad completely seal in the area.  The nets are pretty discrete too.

[beowulf]

great idea, im sure the kittys love the room to move and breathe

we live in a 1st floor apartment,...i keep thinking how i could cat proof the balcony so she has somewhere to get some air and sun

[Alcatraz]

Thanks for the advice.  If you need any help with carpet cleaning I like to think I'm an expert after the past week's ordeal! 

[Sue P (Paddysmum)]

Ah yes, there're are a few budding Titmarshes in Purrs and of course what's safe for cats is always a subject for great interest.  Having said that, I grow a lot of plants that aren't really safe for cats, but maybe I've been fortunate inasmuch as the boys only really use them as cover for stalking the frogs and the field mice, rather than trying to eat them, and I think where your cats are primarily indoor cats there may be more of a temptation to munch on plants which are in their enclosure.  Pots of grass of course will always go down a treat with cats generally.

I dont know much about chimney sweeps though - except they're supposed to be good luck (and that soot gets everywhere - but I figure you and Heather already know that......  )

[Alcatraz]

Cat AND gardening forum!

Thanks Sue, that's a massive help.  My greenfingers are all left and slightly off green...plants are most certainly not my friends!

[Sue P (Paddysmum)]

Buddleias, nasturtiums and bizzy lizzies might do well in that space if it isn't total shade, that is.  We grow Bells of Ireland (Alchemilla) in the shady part of our garden, and it grows well without the cats seeming to bother with it.   

[Alcatraz]

Ha ha, yes...there's a fire bowl (is that the right name?) in the garden I could put in there so they can get their fix of soot... 

Just need to get some shade loving plants that the cats aren't allergic too and maybe some cat grass to add some interest for them and we're away.  Keeps them out of trouble while I'm chimney sweeping at least!

[Sue P (Paddysmum)]

That's brilliant Alcatraz.  All that is missing is a cosy fireside for the boys to curl up beside  (sorry - was reading your other thread and having a chuckle - we also had a cat that decided to explore our open firepace  )

You've done an amazing job on that.  I'd love to be able to cat proof our garden, but it doesnt lend itself well to it.  What you've done there is an excellent solution for the cats and it really looks good!    First rate solution. 

[Alcatraz]

So we moved house and our modest 6ft by 12ft balcony has been replaced with a whopping great garden that is pretty established (overgrown) and would have been quite hard to cat-proof...

...but I ha an idea 

Cat Pen v.1

The kitchen has a 2 meter wide strip past the two bedrooms and into the first section of garden.  I ran a net from the fence to the wall (above the bedroom windows) and closed off the end with a frames section that has a door (so we can still take food from the kitchen to the garden).

The cats can come and go through the spare bdroom window or kitchen door and we can open our bedroom windows without fear of a runaway kitty.  The boys love it and (not seen in this picture) have a couple of beds, some shaded areas and an eating area.

The whole thing cost us about £75 in timber, hinges and netting, but was well worth every penny.