Need help finding a solution for kitties
 

So, I'm trying to figure out how to make an enclosed outdoor space for my cats on my porch--and to mate it with my door/screen or something so they can go in and out into it. I got a Kittywalk basic tube from ebay cheap, and they like it but -- I can't figure out how to set it up so they won't escape. I thought about buying a pet door screen inset from these folks: http://www.petdoors.com/panel_pet_door_info.htm but still can't figure out how to make it secure.

I've tried different makeshift barriers hoping to fool the cats into not noticing the air up there, but no go. In the pics you can clearly see Miles figuring out how to escape. It's like I need one of those airport to plane tube things. I have a sliding glass door, and right now, a screen door with the screen fallen out. Do you guys have suggestions?

just for fun, this is the view from my balcony/porch.

how "handy" are you? and how's your budget?

I don't know. I like your view, though.

Get a piece of plywood, and cut a hole that the cat toy thingy fits into. Mount it into the track of the screen - this should be about 3-4 feet high. Above that fashion a screen to cover the rest so you don't lose your view. Just a rough idea off the top of my head.

I was thinking similar but with wire mesh or thin perspex...

on a handy scale of 1 to 10 . . . I'm a zero. Budget is a consideration--those little panel doors, and the rest of the kittywalk stuff is expensive, so I'd like a good option to pursue.

Can you afford to hire someone to come and make a sliding door of mesh or perspexwith the correctly shaped aperture in it?

Go to home depot or other big box hardware store and buy some minor gauge wire fence. You will need a simple pair of plyers and a really strong wire cutter and a strong staple gun. Cut the wire fence in to bits that you can hook together. Damm if I lived close I would come over and do it for free. You can craft a cage on your porch in any shape with these materials. You could easily combine it with the cat walk you have in place, pretty cool btw.

Build an enclosure made of tuna fish. It doesn't have to be particularly gap proof.

Sorry, Charlie.

When we lived in California my Husband made a "kitty cage". It was framed to about 8'x8'x4'tall. We stapled chicken wire to it and loosely attached it to the side of the house. I could open a bedroom window to allow them outside for freshair, sunshine and outdoor visual and olfactory stimulation. If I wanted them inside, I placed a lawn sprinkler near the 'kitty cage' and turned it on. Came in the house and shut the window and then turned off the sprinkler.

It did take me a while before I knew how far to turn the spigot to reach all corners of the cat cage but not reach the bed inside the window. 0_o My major problem, was flies, because the screen had to be removed to give the cats access.

We are in a different house now, and we are thinking of enclosing a covered patio outside the kitchen french doors. Maybe installing a cat-flap in the wall to give them at-will access. Currently, I am using a wire dog crate. It is about 3'x4'x4'tall. We've put a few 2x12 boards across at different heights for them to perch on, food/water at one level and a litterbox on the bottom. This requires us to take the cat(s) out there and bring them back inside. I would prefer they be able to do it themselves, so that is why we are looking at enclosing the back patio.

Is your house situated in such a manner as to be able to attach a large wire dog-run to the house and give the cats access through a permanant cat-flap?
Below is a link that has good examples of the type of 'kennels' I mean. You can make them yourselves with a wood or pipe frame and attaching mesh wire to it.
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http://www.cats-on-line.com/catcagesbronzeplus.htm

Could you think of just wire meshing the whole balcony? I think that's what I'd be thinking about because then you wont impede your ability to use your balcony too.

Put the screen back in the door / put the screen door back on / find a cheap one somewhere. Grab a pair of scissors you don't care about and cut an appropriate hole in your screen door (large enough for tube to fit through, into the house a few inches).

If the screen gets flimsy around the cut, cut a halo of cardboard 2-3" wide to reinforce it, and sandwich screen between two layers of cardboard with hot glue.

If the cats get aggressive, find some way to hook the tube-thing to the cardboard. (loops of mild steel wire, like oversized twist-ties, would probably work well.)

Take cat. Break legs. Problem solved. :devil: