HELP..Info/Ideas.. How to keep cats in Chain Link Fence ???

[kittycat14]

Before I get started,
My name is Chris and I'm 37 years old and permanently disabled with a bad back, pelvis, and chronic pain syndrome thru-out my body, so installing this myself is not managable, but my mom, dad, and brother will help if it's possible that they can do the work. I will have the chain link fence installed by a fence company.
I also need to try and keep the cost down as much as I can, but reliability and functionability is my #1 priority.

I am in desperate need of some information, ideas, or some web links to keeping cats inside a 6' high chain link fence.

I have not yet gotten a chain link fence installed, but I'm really thinking that this is definately the type of fence I need, but I'm open for suggestions.
I want this to be permanent and I would like the options of being able to put a MasterLock on the gates to protect my lawn mower, etc and to be able to keep anyone from opening the gate and letting my cats out.

The fence will be going 40' straight back off of both rear corners of my house and will be 60' across from one side to the other, making the entire fence 3 sides:
40' out x 60' across x 40' back into the other corner of my house.
The rear of my house will cover the 4th side 60' across

I will have 1 double gate on one side that will measure 10' wide and 1 walk thru gate that measures 5' in width on the other side of my yard.

All together, I will have 125' of fence + 10 wide double gate + 5' wide gate.

I was wondering if someone here on CatHelp has had any experience with this task and could tall me about some good ideas on
1) what's the best way to go about doing this
2) how much it cost
3) how hard it is to install
4) how well it works
5) and how reliable it is

The only 2 things that I have found on the NET & my Cat Fancy mags is something called a purr-fect fence which is a fence all to it's self and in no way would it help me and then I found some deal at www.catfencein.com From what I understand, this is some sort of netting that is held on by brackets which will install onto the top of ANY type of fence (chain link, wood, masonery, etc). This net over-hangs inside the fence and is suppose to prevent cats from climbing over the fence, but I was skeptical of my cats just leaping from the ground up onto the top of this netting and going on over, but to do this, the cat would have to be approxmately 3-4' from the fence in order to jump onto the top of the netting, because the netting looks like it overhangs about 2-3' inside the fence.

I hope I have not explained this tooooo much and got some people mixed up about what I've got and what I want and need.

I have 14 cats and 1 dog in the house and it's just got to be too much work for me to keep litter boxes clean (wife does that), and trying to keep the cats off the kitchen table and cabinets is not doable by no means.
I am plannning on putting about 6-8 cats outside, although they will be able to go in and out, but most of the time I want them safe outside in my backyard. 6 of my cats go out almost everyday and we hook ropes to their collars and they just stand around and play and roll in the grass, but they only go out while we're sitting on the porch watching them. They love the outdoors and 4 of them will walk on leashes.

I love all 14 of my cats just they were kids, well they are my kids and I just want to make it a little easier on me and make them happier.

Thanks in advance for any help. I really do need any suggestions from everyone on this board that has cats fenced in if possible.
I really appreciate having this message board, it has been a big help in the past.

[Tambrey]

hi Chris...
you may not get too many answers with it being Easter Sunday, hopefully this next week you will get a few more replies...
First off, is there no way you can keep them INDOOR ONLY

even those fence toppers are not sureproof....

maybe you can put the fence around your yard, as you want to, but then attached to your house have a cathouse with a full roof and screened porch...
here is a link with some ideas that might not cost too much and maybe add a sunroom or seasonal room for you to go enjoy being out with your cats, but still keeping them safe...
http://www.cat-world.com.au/CatEnclosures1.htm

hope this helps get some creative juices flowing for you and your family to come up with a cool idea for your kitties...

I also had 14 until last week....3 went to a forever home...I take in sick and injured ferals, get them better and try to find forever homes...it is hard to let them go most of the time...
and I understand the cats on the table and counters, etc...and litterboxes....I have trained myself to scoop a box every time I go by it, in the bathroom or kitchen by the garbage bin...
I also have a couple of Litter Lockers and they are great...I also use under the bed storage containers instead of regular litterboxes...and the Cat litter in the tall square pail from Sam's Club is actually the best I have found for multiple cats so far...
are you able to get vet care for all of your cats

[mamaof4soon]

I also agree INDOOR ONLY is best. If you can not do indoor only, have you thought of down sizing your large number of cats? It is hard for two people to do it and with the disabilities well worse for just one person. There is illness that wreck havoc on a home that isnt cleaned well with all of the cats going into the litter box and then climbing on top of where you eat and prepare food. You might love them but you might think about doing what is best for THEM.

Also I will not condone any animal outside unless you are willing to do what Tambrey says and also have someone build an actual shelter out there for them in case of bad weather or you forget one out there or another animal gets over that fence.

Just a note here, i have two well trained german shepherd dogs that are not fat and can climb an 8 foot fence with no problems. Can you imagine what a angile cat can do? Just a thought....I mean they are light weight and can do just about anything. If you cant get a top on that fence I personally wouldnt do it.

I do commend you for trying this and having their safety be your #1 priority. I do think that you would save a lot more money though if you tried to find good homes for them so your wife isnt taking her whole day to clean up after all of them. I dont know anything about the fences but I do hope that the company you use is reliable and you tell them exactly what you will be using it for so they really do a good job and dont skimp on tightening stuff.

Make sure the contract is accurate in the dimensions you want and what the warrenty says and have atleast two other members of the family see the contract before you sign it. if you are on medications for pain please make sure you have a family member there as well as your wife. Some places see the disablilities and tend to use that as leverage. Dont let them con you and say things like OH well if you dont want them getting out you should use this type of steal that is $200 more than we planned. SHop around and get quotes.

[kittycat14]

Tambrey,
I'm so sorry that I've just got around to posting back and thanking you so much for the websites. I just haven't been able to sit at this computer and wait soooooo long for this slow dial up service we have.

All of my words may have not came out right in my original post and may have made everyone think that I was just going to throw my cats out and leave them, but in no way in this world would I ever do that. I just wanted to have a fence in backyard so that we could just let whatever cats wanted in and out throughout the day/night.
I would never leave my cats out in the cold or the too hot of weather not raining as a matter of fact and they would have shelter under our very large deck. Right now, we have "chicken wire" nailed around the entire bottom of our deck and that's where we put 2-5 cats everyday as long as it's warm outside and then we bring them in at night. They really love going out and smelling the fresh air and eating some Wheat& Oat Cat Grass that I planted for them in 2 flat planters.

I have now changed my mind about a fenced in yard. I am now wanting to build a nice size cat pen approxmately 10' x 20' x 8' high and fixing some sort of cat walk going from our "cat's room" out their window into this large cage and have a kitty door so they can come and go as they please.


mamaof4soon,
If there was not any way of us taking care of all 14 of my cats, I could see finding them good homes, but we have had 11 of these cats for 2+ years and the last 3 we have had about 6 months and there is just no way I could ever get rid of any of them. All but the last 3, which are females have been fixed and I'm taking them next week to be spayed. A lady that is over the Alabama Animal Adoption sells me certificates to have our cats spayed or neutered for only $15 each which is a BIG help. While at the vet, I have them combo tested for Leukemia/HIV & wormed.

Their litter boxes get cleaned out everyday by my wife and when I'm up to it, I will sometimes. Our house is kept very clean and doesn't smell unless the litter needs changing.

The whole problem that started me to wanting a fenced in yard is one of our youngest cats has been in heat for the last week and she has wet on a pillow in a chair 3 times and a blanket about 3 times. Along with this, a 2 year old male that we have that has been neutered has started spraying the front of my recliner while I'm sitting in it. He's done this about 5 times in the past week and a half. 4 of our male cats have been acting kinda crazy ever since this female went in heat. Like I said above, all of our cats have been fixed except for these last 3 females, but in the past when I had a female in heat, the males started acting up back then, but only now this one male, Ricky has started spraying my chair. I have caught him everytime, so now, every morning, he goes out under the deck, wjere he loves it anyway.

I have seen in a Cat Fancy magazine and a cat catologue where there is some type of liquid made that can be added to the cat's drinking water and it's suppose to stop them from spraying, but I wanted to see if having these last 3 cats spayed helps before I go buying something that I may not need.

I believe in having cats indoors to, but I think a cat cage outside their playroom window will be fine and at least $1000 cheaper and maybe me along with my mom and dad can build it. My dad is in the process of build a very nice cat tree/condo to go in our cat's playroom.

Inside this outdoor cat pen, I am planning on having 3 differant levels in which the cats can climb from on to the other and I'm going to put a carpeted or sisel rope wound pole in the middle going from the bottom to the top. This cage will be fully enclosed with a walk-thru gate to access it from the outside. It will have a covered sloped roof and I'm going to get a couple of plastic 55 gallon drums and ccut just 1/2 of the lid out so they can bed down if they want and maybe have some food & water in one of them.

Thank you both so much for your replies, you don't know how much it means to me to have someone give me ideas on things. I always have an open mind and I enjoy helping others with ideas also.

Thanks again !

[Cleo]

While I also advocate indoors only, I understand your plight. Here's a link that could give you some ideas. It's basically for dog runs but I'm sure it could be configured for a cat run too. The site sells some kind of top, but I would suspect a cat could claw it's way out of it. Not sure what the material is. I would definitely run chain link as a roof. Remember, if there's a way out, a cat will find it. Also and most importantly, you don't want other animals finding their way into the kennel either.

http://www.classypetshop.com/large-dog-kennels.htm

[Tambrey]

All of my words may have not came out right in my original post and may have made everyone think that I was just going to throw my cats out and leave them, but in no way in this world would I ever do that. I just wanted to have a fence in backyard so that we could just let whatever cats wanted in and out throughout the day/night.
I would never leave my cats out in the cold or the too hot of weather not raining as a matter of fact and they would have shelter under our very large deck. Right now, we have "chicken wire" nailed around the entire bottom of our deck and that's where we put 2-5 cats everyday as long as it's warm outside and then we bring them in at night. They really love going out and smelling the fresh air and eating some Wheat& Oat Cat Grass that I planted for them in 2 flat planters.

Oh I was not thinking that you would just let them out unsupervised as it sounds as if you really care about your kitties...but one can get away faster than you can imagine!!...

I keep going back to the link I gave you...I like some of the ideas there...especially, for the feral kitties outside the "litterbox" of cypress mulch and texas red wigglers...I am even thinking of this for our big dog runs and try to train the dogs to go there!!...then just dump it in the back pasture every so often...hahaha...

glad to be of help and maybe we can see some pics of the crew and their new hangout over in Debbie's Cloud sometime!

[Tina B and crew]

Chris...I think it was pretty clear that you weren't going to just let your cats out and not give the away to seek shelter, so I wouldn't worry that anyone misread your first post. If they did, it was simply that, I misread. Sounds like you have your pets best interest in mind. I can certainly understand your not wanting to get rid of any of them...I too was going to suggest a shelter/screen porch type deal instead of a fence. We had an attached screen porch at our last house and the cats simply loved it! Good luck with your endeavors...let us know what you do and maybe post pictures!