http://catmax.com.au/ - Cats love the outdoors. It’s a known fact. However, allowing your feline friend to roam freely in your yard is not the best idea. Studies show that the average lifespan of an outdoor cat is five years while indoor cats live 10 years more. Cats love the outdoors, but allowing them to roam freely in your yard isn’t always a good idea – for your cat, the other wildlife in the neighborhood, or for neighbors who might be annoyed by your pet.

1. How to Build Easy Cat Enclosures:
Adelaide
Cats love the outdoors. It’s a known fact. However, allowing your feline friend to roam
freely in your yard is not the best idea.
Studies show that the average lifespan of an outdoor cat is five years while indoor cats
live 10 years more. Cats love the outdoors, but allowing them to roam freely in your
yard isn’t always a good idea – for your cat, the other wildlife in the neighborhood, or
for neighbors who might be annoyed by your pet. If you want to provide your cat with a
taste of the wild outdoors without risking the hazards of an “open world,” you can build
cat pens or a cat run that attaches to your home and keeps your kitty safe.
Many pet owners would rather have their cats inside the home to keep them safe from
disease, predators and traffic. There are outdoor cat enclosure kits available
commercially, but they can oftentimes be pricey and not to your specifications. That is
why it is usually advisable to construct your own, or have one specially constructed, to
provide your cat a safe haven while satisfying its curiosity for the outdoors. Here are the
easy-to-follow step-by-step instructions to build an add-on structure to your home:
Steps
1. Make use of stakes and string to mark out the planned enclosure area. If you’re
planning to attach the enclosure to your patio or house, run the string parallel to
the area first, and then run the string at appropriate angles, attaching it next to
the structure with stakes.
2. Accurately measure the lengths of your enclosure to ensure the proper
placement of your stakes. Your posts should be roughly 3 to 4 feet apart and
equally placed around the outside of the string. Always make sure that they are
as high as the roof of your house or porch.
3. To further strengthen cat enclosures, Adelaide pet owners suggest digging post
holes at least 2 feet deep and filling the holes with quick setting concrete.

2. 4. Position posts into the holes, and hold them straight upright until they firmly set.
Leave them to dry for at least 4 hours or until the concrete is completely
hardened.
5. Scale and cut wooden rails that fit between the posts, and connect them with
screws at even intervals one third from the bottom and one third from the top of
the posts.
6. Attaching with staples first, run screen around the perimeter of the enclosure,
and then secure with nails.
7. Be sure to construct your enclosure in an area not in full sun during the heat of
the day. Mesh, drape wire, screen, deer netting or mosquito netting can be used
with most homemade cat enclosures. Adelaide-based CatMax also recommends
making a cat door to the enclosure so that your cats enjoy the fresh air and
sunshine anytime they please. Carpeted kitty condos, cat ladders and scratching
posts are also a must for outdoor cat enclosures. Cats that are provided outdoor
access should be well-vaccinated against diseases.