10 March 2015

How to cat-proof a garden?

| Canfan
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Reader Zizanio has contacted us via email with a query about cat-proofing a garden.

I have a question for the wonderfully helpful RiotACT community: has anyone cat-proofed a garden? If so, any suggestions as to someone who could design and construct cat-proofing?

Any advice?

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If the cat enclosures aren’t your thing assuming your place is fenced you could consider the fence roller things. Basically they go on top of the fence and prevent the cats from stabilising up the top of the fence to get out of it. They should work as well for those wanting to keep the cats out of your backyard as well…

Website for some is here: http://oscillot.com.au/

We have used these people and been very happy: http://catmax.com.au/

Alexandra Craig10:29 am 13 Mar 15

Jordania said :

Thanks for the responses – the sensible ones, that is. I should have been clearer: I want to keep cats in. What with the cat haters, speeding drivers and just plain weird folk around, it seems that life outside for cats in Canberra is about as dangerous as it is for birds and other small creatures. So, helpful suggestions on the topic of confining cats to a yard are welcome. If you are an anti-cat person, please keep your comments to yourself. I’m basically an anti-people person but I try to be polite in my interaction with fellow humans. The world would be a better place if all those who claim to be of the same species as I were to do the same.

Oh this is great, I love responsible cat owners. There are a few different companies here that do cat enclosures.

This company make all different ones, custom designed to suit your house and yard: http://www.customcatenclosures.com.au/

This company mainly do netted inclosures: http://www.catnets.com.au/

There is also a company who often have stalls at markets – last time I saw them was at Hall Markets a few months ago. I can’t remember their name though unfortunately.

Good luck with it and props to you for wanting to keep your cats safe (and wildlife safe too!) 🙂

Jordania said :

…I want to keep cats in. What with the cat haters, speeding drivers and just plain weird folk around,…

Not to mention the fact that nobody else wants your cats in their yard, and rightly so.

Good on you for attempting to do the right thing.

Thanks for the responses – the sensible ones, that is. I should have been clearer: I want to keep cats in. What with the cat haters, speeding drivers and just plain weird folk around, it seems that life outside for cats in Canberra is about as dangerous as it is for birds and other small creatures. So, helpful suggestions on the topic of confining cats to a yard are welcome. If you are an anti-cat person, please keep your comments to yourself. I’m basically an anti-people person but I try to be polite in my interaction with fellow humans. The world would be a better place if all those who claim to be of the same species as I were to do the same.

Queanbeyanite said :

Unless you get your own cat or dog you’ve got no hope.

Sell up and move to a no cat suburb.

There should always be hope…

Queanbeyanite11:29 pm 10 Mar 15

Unless you get your own cat or dog you’ve got no hope.

Sell up and move to a no cat suburb.

GardeningGirl11:07 pm 10 Mar 15

Maya123 said :

I had a friend who put nails along the top of her fence to try to keep cats out. She was fixated with them pooing in her garden. But a lot of things worried her, as poor lady, she suffered from OCD. (She also counted footsteps and cleaned a lot too.) I don’t know if the nails worked though. I don’t own a cat, but other cats visiting my garden has never worried me. However, if I wanted to keep them out I don’t think I would put sharp things along the top of the fence in case a neighbour cut themselves on it. I might consider attaching wire mesh along the top of the fence, as this would be harder for cats to climb over, but fences are shared with neighbours, so check with them first if it’s okay, at your expense, you add this to the fence.

Unfortunately this topic will bring out the cat haters.

I love cats. I also love birds. I have a birdbath. Sometimes the neighbourhood cats who also love birds sit in it. I know someone with chronic health problems from toxoplasmosis. Avoiding cat poo seems like a sensible precaution not OCD. I still garden. But I gave up maintaining a veggie patch. I haven’t found a solution that I am confident is not harmful or dangerous to cats. I think the answer is for cat owners to keep their cats at home. If it is good enough for dogs, if it is good enough for cats in some suburbs, why not for all cats? But in the meantime if anyone has suggestions for gentle discouragement (if that is what Zizanio is seeking) then I’m interested to hear about it too.

Raging Tempest4:48 pm 10 Mar 15

If you’re after something to keep cats in, I used the custom cat enclosures dude that Alexandra mentioned and recommend him. The pics for ‘large cat enclosures’ is my place

Alexandra Craig12:48 pm 10 Mar 15

This company is CBR based: http://www.customcatenclosures.com.au/

I had a friend who put nails along the top of her fence to try to keep cats out. She was fixated with them pooing in her garden. But a lot of things worried her, as poor lady, she suffered from OCD. (She also counted footsteps and cleaned a lot too.) I don’t know if the nails worked though. I don’t own a cat, but other cats visiting my garden has never worried me. However, if I wanted to keep them out I don’t think I would put sharp things along the top of the fence in case a neighbour cut themselves on it. I might consider attaching wire mesh along the top of the fence, as this would be harder for cats to climb over, but fences are shared with neighbours, so check with them first if it’s okay, at your expense, you add this to the fence.

Unfortunately this topic will bring out the cat haters.

Alexandra Craig12:47 pm 10 Mar 15

Holden Caulfield said :

Get a dog. 😛

I’m guessing that’s not the advice Pattie is after, though.

Does she want to keep cats out of her garden, or keep them in? Her question is a bit ambiguous.

Yeah, I was going to say the same thing.

To keep cats out there’s plenty of natural sprays you can make in your own kitchen with things cats don’t like eg. one I found online: 1 tsp of black pepper, dry mustard & cinnamon in a spray bottle with a few drops of citrus essential oil and a crushed garlic clove.

My cats HATE the smell of garlic, so I can vouch for that one.

But, if you want to keep your cat in – there’s heaps of cool enclosures you can get as well as netting that’s basically invisible too.

Yep, definitely a cat-eating dog will do the job.

But if you don’t want a pyrrhic victory by getting a garden-digging dog to keep cats out of your garden, there’s always this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uIbkLjjlMV8

Holden Caulfield11:24 am 10 Mar 15

Get a dog. 😛

I’m guessing that’s not the advice Pattie is after, though.

Does she want to keep cats out of her garden, or keep them in? Her question is a bit ambiguous.

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