# Building An Enclosure



## Pooch&Dosscara (May 22, 2011)

We purchased an old metal greenhouse frame for $20 from one of our neighbors, it is nice and sturdy, so it should make a great cat enclosure! It is about 6-7 feet long, about 5-6 feet wide and about 10 feet high at the peak of the frame. 

I am going to mesh it over and attach it to a doorway that goes to the window, then fill it with things for the cats to climb/play on and such. :catmilk


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## love.my.cats (Jan 29, 2009)

Sounds amazing!! My hubby and I have discussed having something similar for our cats when we eventually buy our own home.  Would love to see pics once you've set it all up!


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## CatsPride (May 29, 2011)

Make sure they cant get out of it, or that things such as birds and the like cant get in.


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## BT1 (May 11, 2010)

love.my.cats said:


> Sounds amazing!! My hubby and I have discussed having something similar for our cats when we eventually buy our own home.  Would love to see pics once you've set it all up!


Ditto this. Me and my SO are also planning a cat enclosure wants we get our own home, so I would love to see pictures!


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## MowMow (Nov 6, 2010)

This is such a fantastic idea!


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## KittieLover (May 2, 2011)

Sounds like an purrfect idea!


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## Hitomi (Nov 15, 2010)

I'd use chicken wire rather than mesh cause a very frightened or very prey driven cat could get out.It'd also help keep dog/other predatory animals out better than mesh would.


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## Pooch&Dosscara (May 22, 2011)

Thanks for the encouragement and advice everybody!

I would love to build a nice solid wood permanent one when we own a house, but for now I thought this would be prefect as it is going to be dirt cheap and easy to move to a new place when we do. I just feel so bad that they can't go outside especially since Pooch was an outdoor cat before we got her.

We will be using chicken wire for the roof and probably for the walls as well, don't know why I used the word "mesh" instead in my OP.

I might ask my neighbor if I can use his indoor/outdoor cat (Moon, who loves me) as a "test cat" to find any weak spots. That way if she gets out, no big deal cause she is allowed out anyway!


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## KittehLuv'n (Feb 19, 2011)

What a great buy!
I just came here after looking at dozens and dozens of outdorr enclosures online to see if I could make one myself. They are so expensive!
Your greenhouse find will be awesome!
Def. need pictures of it.


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## Pooch&Dosscara (May 22, 2011)

I was so happy when she said we could have it, I have had the idea for a while.
It would be real cheap to make a PVC frame in the same fashion but I such at making things so I went the lazy way.Haha

I will post pics ASAP, I don't have a camera at the moment.


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## tghsmith (Dec 9, 2010)

I have the large wire mesh in my kennel(first kennel was chicken wire) I sure that smokey leaves a few pieces of kibble and hopes the birds try for it, the squirrels know all to well about him, they torment him just out of range, when I let him out the door gets propped open with a 2x4 section, have seen smokey knock this out out so the door closes.. my thinking is the open door is the sign for the squirrels to hide (smokey is way too smart)


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## Jan Rebecca (Oct 14, 2010)

You kitty cats will love you!


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## Pooch&Dosscara (May 22, 2011)

Thanks Jan!

Smokey does sound smart!!


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## tghsmith (Dec 9, 2010)

before and after we trapped him we did lots of checking to make sure he was truely ferrel.. he looked way to good to be on his own(well fed, ie self fed) consider the chick wire to last around three years at best.. if someone sprays it even less (not only smells potent but its corrosive) make sure any pointy ends get curled to the outside or covered..


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## vanacat (May 4, 2011)

That is an excellent idea to use Moon as a "test cat".:smiles


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## Pooch&Dosscara (May 22, 2011)

Thanks for the tips, tghsmith! I will have to make sure there are no males coming around to spray. Poochs' "husband" (Dossys' "Dad") comes around a lot as he lives across the street so I may have to do something about it if he causes a problem.

Haha yes Moon will be the perfect test dummy.

I went and bought some 2" welded stucco wire today, it should do the job! 
Looks like this:








I will be doing as much of the enclosure as I can tomorrow! 

Anyone have cool ideas as to stuff to put inside the enclosure for exercise and entertainment?


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## Mitts & Tess (Sep 4, 2004)

can we have pictures as you build it. Sounds like a great set up!


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## Pooch&Dosscara (May 22, 2011)

I want to but my camera just broke a while ago and I haven't gotten a new one yet.
I can take some low-quality ones on my phone and text them to a friend to upload them for me though!  It will just take longer.


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## tghsmith (Dec 9, 2010)

smokey's house has lots of platforms on differant levels, one or have pads attached for sleeping.. many of the supports are made from natural logs(wich now have most of the bark removed, smokey keeps his claws in really nice shape) the mesh sould work well..


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## Pooch&Dosscara (May 22, 2011)

Thanks a lot!  I will look again at Smokeys' house to get some ideas.


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## tghsmith (Dec 9, 2010)

its hard to see in the pics but the gable ends of one roof section are mesh, at each end he has a platform with a 4in wide plank running between the two, so once he is up high he can walk the length of the encloser to pick wich end he wants to use.. some angled climbing planks or logs will also work.. my wife keeps telling me he needs a bay window in the sided section so he can enjoy the views on cold and nasty days,, this cat has it way to good..(he alraedy has a 4shelf cat tree back in there..


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## MowMow (Nov 6, 2010)

paulw said:


> Here is a video of the enclosure i am working on for my cat.


Rosie is :heart :luv :angel :love2


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## Pooch&Dosscara (May 22, 2011)

Thanks foe the inspiration guys! Rosie sure is a looker!


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## tghsmith (Dec 9, 2010)

for a simple balcony type enclosure, pvc pipe and fittings can make great frame to attach the chicken wire to with cable ties, "glue the pipe and fittings with silicone seal calk, this will make a strong joint that can be knocked apart later if need be, I have prefabbed some box like units this way for field research(mainly to keep kritters out) in that case we drilled a hole through the fittings and pipes which could be pinned with a cable tie, every thing could be carried out to the middle of nowhere and put together in minutes with few tools..


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## Pooch&Dosscara (May 22, 2011)

I am probably going to use the PVC method to make a door. Originally I was going to use it to build a greenhouse-style frame but now I have one so I don't need to put in the extra work, which is good when you're lazy like me! Haha


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## Pooch&Dosscara (May 22, 2011)

Rain, rain, *GO AWAY!!*


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