[Pooch&Dosscara]

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

 

[love.my.cats]

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!

 

[CatsPride]

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

 

[BT1]

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!

 

[MowMow]

This is such a fantastic idea!

 

[KittieLover]

Sounds like an purrfect idea!

 

[Hitomi]

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.

 

[Pooch&Dosscara]

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!

 

[KittehLuv'n]

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.

 

[Pooch&Dosscara]

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.

 

[tghsmith]

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)

 

[Jan Rebecca]

You kitty cats will love you!

 

[Pooch&Dosscara]

Thanks Jan!

Smokey does sound smart!!

 

[tghsmith]

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..

 

[vanacat]

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

 

[Pooch&Dosscara]

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?

 

[Mitts & Tess]

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

 

[Pooch&Dosscara]

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.

 

[tghsmith]

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..

 

[Pooch&Dosscara]

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