Need help finding a solution for kitties

Cloud · 02-05-2009, 07:30 PM

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?

Cloud · 02-05-2009, 07:36 PM

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

monster · 02-05-2009, 08:47 PM

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

Shawnee123 · 02-05-2009, 08:49 PM

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

classicman · 02-05-2009, 09:00 PM

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.

monster · 02-05-2009, 09:24 PM

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

Cloud · 02-05-2009, 09:27 PM

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.

monster · 02-05-2009, 09:53 PM

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

TheMercenary · 02-05-2009, 10:00 PM

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.

footfootfoot · 02-05-2009, 10:33 PM

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

Shawnee123 · 02-05-2009, 10:50 PM

Sorry, Charlie.

Hoof Hearted · 02-05-2009, 11:32 PM

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.
hh
http://www.cats-on-line.com/catcagesbronzeplus.htm

Aliantha · 02-05-2009, 11:33 PM

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.

Skunks · 02-05-2009, 11:38 PM

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.)

ZenGum · 02-05-2009, 11:49 PM

Take cat. Break legs. Problem solved.

02-05-2009, 07:30 PM	#1
Cloud ... Join Date: Feb 2007 Posts: 8,360	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? Attached Images __________________ "Guard your honor. Let your reputation fall where it will. And outlive the bastards!"

02-05-2009, 07:36 PM	#2
Cloud ... Join Date: Feb 2007 Posts: 8,360	just for fun, this is the view from my balcony/porch. Attached Images __________________ "Guard your honor. Let your reputation fall where it will. And outlive the bastards!"

02-05-2009, 08:47 PM	#3
monster I hear them call the tide Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Perpetual Chaos Posts: 30,852	how "handy" are you? and how's your budget? __________________ The most difficult thing is the decision to act, the rest is merely tenacity Amelia Earhart

02-05-2009, 08:49 PM	#4
Shawnee123 Why, you're a regular Alfred E Einstein, ain't ya? Join Date: Jun 2006 Posts: 21,206	I don't know. I like your view, though. __________________ A word to the wise ain't necessary - it's the stupid ones who need the advice. --Bill Cosby

02-05-2009, 09:00 PM	#5
classicman barely disguised asshole, keeper of all that is holy. Join Date: Nov 2007 Posts: 23,401	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. __________________ "like strapping a pillow on a bull in a china shop" Bullitt

02-05-2009, 09:24 PM	#6
monster I hear them call the tide Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Perpetual Chaos Posts: 30,852	I was thinking similar but with wire mesh or thin perspex... __________________ The most difficult thing is the decision to act, the rest is merely tenacity Amelia Earhart

02-05-2009, 09:27 PM	#7
Cloud ... Join Date: Feb 2007 Posts: 8,360	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. __________________ "Guard your honor. Let your reputation fall where it will. And outlive the bastards!"

02-05-2009, 09:53 PM	#8
monster I hear them call the tide Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Perpetual Chaos Posts: 30,852	Can you afford to hire someone to come and make a sliding door of mesh or perspexwith the correctly shaped aperture in it? __________________ The most difficult thing is the decision to act, the rest is merely tenacity Amelia Earhart

02-05-2009, 10:00 PM	#9
TheMercenary “Hypocrisy: prejudice with a halo” Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Savannah, Georgia Posts: 21,393	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. __________________ Anyone but the this most fuked up President in History in 2012!

02-05-2009, 10:33 PM	#10
footfootfoot To shreds, you say? Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: in the house and on the street-how many, many feet we meet! Posts: 18,449	Build an enclosure made of tuna fish. It doesn't have to be particularly gap proof. __________________ The internet is a hateful stew of vomit you can never take completely seriously. - Her Fobs

02-05-2009, 10:50 PM	#11
Shawnee123 Why, you're a regular Alfred E Einstein, ain't ya? Join Date: Jun 2006 Posts: 21,206	Sorry, Charlie. __________________ A word to the wise ain't necessary - it's the stupid ones who need the advice. --Bill Cosby

02-05-2009, 11:32 PM	#12
Hoof Hearted ...you smell something? Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Monroe, GA Posts: 420	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. hh http://www.cats-on-line.com/catcagesbronzeplus.htm __________________ I have the ability of single-minded determination and focu...Hey, look! A horse!

02-05-2009, 11:33 PM	#13
Aliantha trying hard to be a better person Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Brisbane, Australia Posts: 16,493	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. __________________ Kind words are the music of the world. F. W. Faber

02-05-2009, 11:38 PM	#14
Skunks I thought I changed this. Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: western nowhere, ny Posts: 412	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.)

02-05-2009, 11:49 PM	#15
ZenGum Doctor Wtf Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Badelaide, Baustralia Posts: 12,861	Take cat. Break legs. Problem solved. __________________ Shut up and hug. MoreThanPretty, Nov 5, 2008. Just because I'm nominally polite, does not make me a pussy. Sundae Girl.

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