Cat Containment: The Design Decisions

Cat containment isn't discussed nearly enough in New Zealand.  When it comes to talk of managing cats as predators, in this land of birds, the options are usually listed as - no cat, cat kept indoors (full-time or at night), or free ranging cat.  But there are great options for keeping your cat happy, active, with access to the outdoors, and safe from traffic and fights.

Containment can take many forms, and doesn't need to be difficult or particularly expensive.  Importantly, this is an issue that doesn't need to revolve around predation, it can improve cat welfare and be a real win-win-win for our environment, the cats, and the community (including cat owners with lower vet bills, and no missing cats).

Getting Started: The Design Issues

Getting started is the hardest step by far.  If you've never seen a cat fencing option, or been with contained cats, it can all seem just far too hard. Where do you even start?  Surely cats are just too hard to contain?

There are some very simple first steps in the design process.  A stocktake of your current environment, and a realistic assessment of the time and money you are prepared to put into it.

What breed, age is your cat, or cats?

This isn't really about breed so much as athleticism.  The average Persian is likely to be less of a containment challenge than a Bengal. If you have small kittens, they are going to fit through smaller gaps than adult cats.  If you aren't planning on having more kittens you might decide to build for adult proportions*, and use supervision as your safeguard while they are small.  But if you regularly have kittens around, then you will need to more stringent with your design plans.

*Do be careful with mesh size!!! If you have kittens you must NOT leave them unsupervised with a mesh size under 19mm (you might get away with 25mm).  They must not be able to get their heads through the mesh - or they could strangle themselves.  NEVER use unmodified chainlink for any of your fences - this is too unsafe for kittens or adult cats.

Are they completely free roaming now?

Many people believe that cats can't be happy unless they are completely free roaming.  But cats, are small predators, and that means that they are also prey animals.   A free roaming cat can also be a very stressed cat - exploring scary places, getting into scraps with the neighbours, and dealing with traffic etc.  If they're out roaming a lot, is it because they aren't neutered? Because they don't have much to do at home? Or even because actually you don't interact with them as much as they'd like?

If you currently allow your cat to free roam, night and day, then placing restrictions on them may take some getting used to. An adult cat, will be much harder than a kitten or young cat (under 2 years). You can either tackle this head on, or make it part of your design - choosing to fence your entire yard as recognition that this will be the easiest transition for your cat.

How much are you prepared to change your ownership style?

Might seem an odd question, or even set off alarms bells for those who are wary about cat containment, but consider this.  If your cat is completely free roaming, it is toileting off your property sometimes, and you aren't responsible for your cat 24 x 7.  You just let it wander off, and que sera sera.  If you contain your cat, you are going to have to take full responsibility for your cat(s), including thinking more about toileting (just like a dog or other companion animal). 

Do you rent or own?

This is quite a biggie. It will tend to determine what you can do to the property, including fencing.  If you rent:

• if you have a long term agreement, and your landlord has permitted your cats you may be able to ask your landlord about some changes - enclosing a verandah or even installing some fence top netting (as long as you are responsible for costs, and taking it down when you go).
• a free standing enclosure might be the solution for you. You can pack it up and take it with you. 

Build or Buy?

Take a good look at your perimeter areas - both the areas attached to your house\flat (your patio or verandah) and those not attached (fences).  

• Do you have a new build with clear areas that will be easy to contain, or do you have lots of established trees and bushes along your fenceline that would immediately rule out, or make more difficult, some of the commercially offered catproof fencing options?  
• Do you have a patio or verandah that is easy to enclose? Look for the low hanging fruit to get started.  
• How will you deal with your driveway and front door (public access)? 
• Will you allow your cats full access to your entire site - which means dealing with your driveway and public access (gates and ensuring your cats don't escape every time they are opened), or 
• will you keep the cats away from driveway\front doors, which may mean building extra fencing and gates.

Click here to see a fencing design checklist

Do you have good DIY skills? 

Or would you prefer not to find out.  It may seem too daunting at the beginning, but you'd be surprised what you can achieve.

Budget - How much are you prepared to spend initially?

The lower your budget, the more likely you are to have to look at a DIY solution.  Look carefully at your property, and at the many different solutions others have have created to find something that fits your situation.

Before you decide on your budget consider the following:

• How much have you invested in your cats already? If you bought a pedigree cat you have probably already spent $5-1200, and maybe spent another $200 on microchipping, neutering, vaccinations... maybe you've already spent quite a lot on vet bills if you have had your cats for a while.
• A single cat fight injury can cost $300+ in vet bills
• A single accident or car injury (if your cat survives) can be in the thousands.

Over the life of your cat, consider how much you could save in vet bills alone by spending a few hundred on cat fencing supplies. 

Getting Started

You don't have to start with the perfect solution. You may want to start a little experimentally.  Look for something you think you can achieve, and see how it fits with you and your cats.

You could, for instance, decide to create a catio (enclosed verandah) because it is the most simple and obvious solution.  Maybe you were even thinking about installing verandah blinds for entertaining anyway.  Now you just need to install them in a way that the cat can't wiggle through a gap, and consider how you might include a door (if you need one for humans) that the cat can't also use, or if you want the option of not having the blinds there all the time.  You might have initially thought of clear plastic, but change to mesh as that gives you the best of both worlds - airflow, cat control, and a sheltered entertainment area.

As a first step, you may decide to allow your cat to free roam during the day (when it sleeps a lot anyway), but restrict it to the new catio from the evening to early morning by having your cat door lead in to this enclosed outdoor area.

You may want to fence off the driveway area because you have small children and want to keep them safe.  When you do this, include cat-proofing design in your new fence and keep both your cats and children safe from accidents on the driveway. 

In many cases, once you start, and complete your first design, it will open your eyes to how to design for cat containment, and you might become more adventurous, and open to the idea of having your cat constantly on your property.


Read How I created my catio 

and eventually finished it