Keeping Your Cat Safe - Cat Fences and Runs
Cat Containment Fences, Other Ways to Keep Cats in the Garden
Aug 14, 2009
Many people do not want to deny their cats the freedom of the outdoors, but worry about the dangers of letting them run free. Cat containment fences may provide the answer. These may be physical cat proof fences, which cannot be climbed by a cat, or there is a radio fence which enables a cat to be contained. Or the caring owner can keep the cat in but provide it with an outdoor run. Here are some details of the systems available.
Physical Cat Containment Fences
Fences to keep cats in need to be carefully made, as cats are extremely good climbers. Basically the fence needs to be high and turned in at the top like a lobster pot, or made of a type of wire which cats find hard to climb. It is possible for an owner who is good at DIY to make such a fence himself; details can be found in How to Cat Proof a Garden. There are also a number of commercial fences of this type for sale. These can be found on-line, or in the small ads in cat magazines; they can sometimes also be seen at cat shows. Usually they consist of something which can be added to the top of an existing fence to make it cat proof. Some of these companies also offer an installation service.
Cat Radio Fences
A number of companies offer these; the best known is PetSafe ‘Freedom Fence’ They are not electric cat fences or electronic cat fences, as is sometimes thought. Basically the system consists of a wire which is buried round the perimeter of the garden, attached to a transmitter. The cats wear special collars, which bleep if the cat goes near the fence, and if it goes any closer it gets a harmless shock similar to static electricity. Cats need to be trained to respond to the bleep and stay within the confines of the fence; this can take anything from a couple of days to a week or two. Most cats can be trained to do this, and Freedom Fence claims an over 99% success rate. However, some cats will ‘jump’ the fence despite the shock and appear to be untrainable. The system can be installed by the buyer, or there is an installation service, and the company offers a money-back guarantee on the transmitters and collars (though not the wire or installation charge).
Cat Runs and Houses
For owners who want to allow their cats to have fresh air, but not necessarily the run of the whole garden, there are many cat houses and runs available. Again, these can be found at cat shows and in magazines, or easily built by the owner. They enable the cat to see and smell the great outdoors, even if he cannot hunt or prowl in it.
Overall, there are a number of ways of keeping cats safely confined but still giving them the pleasure of being outside. There should be a method to suit everyone.
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