Containing a healthy cat in your backyard: ideas??

[MarkRobinson]

Ok, I have a small yard with a doggy door to the house where my dogs & cats can enjoy the outdoors. Our newest cat is a healthy 10 month old, declawed in the front, but as we just discovered, plenty strong & agile enough to clear a 6' fence & go rabbit hunting in our neighbor's yard. We have a strong cottontail population in my neighborhood.

Problem is three fold:
1. Cat is bringing live/dead rabbits into the house for us to find at 3am as the (live) rabbits scream bloody murder.
2. Cat was possibly seen across the front of our street in a wooded area, known for Coyotes.
3. Cat is not keen to cars.

So to preserve the cat we need to find a way to keep him inside the backyard. We're gone too long to simply lock the dogs inside the house: 6:30am- 7:15pm typically.

A collar-activated doggy door is an option, but the cat is smart: will learn to follow out one of the dogs pretty quick I feel.

A 24" net running the length of the fence, slanting towards the inside of our yard 45degrees might work, might be stealth enough to dodge our HOA from complaining.

Locking the cat in a room is cruel, + cat would just go out at night if he were locked in there during the day. Cars during the day, Coyotes at night.

Thoughts??

Mark

[pwd72s]

Build a kitty Gazebo..fully enclosed, top and sides? I don't think the fence has been built that can keep a cat in.

Sad to say, if you continue to let the cat out and there are coyotes about, you may not have the problem long.

[dhoward]

LOL!
Have the same problem.
Can't figure out how that cat drags a 6 lb bunny over the fence and up the stairs to place on my shoes.
Rabbits screaming at 3:30 am, check.
Birds flopping around, crashing into everything, check.
Cats following dogs though RF controlled doggie door, check.

No mole or mice problems 2 houses on either side of me. Neighbors LOVE cats now.

[jeffgrant]

Give the cat a bath... it'll be easier than trying to keep a cat in your yard.

[MarkRobinson]

I thought about a pair of large bells to hang from a harness on the cat, which would solve the rabbit problem, but would also alert the coyotes & won't thward cars either.

[ODDJOB UNO]

1) cat in a bubble?

2) cat with porky pine quills?

3) cat w/lazar(laser) beam death ray?

4) cat w/double 1911 rig?

5) paint cat like a skunk?

6) armed guards every 4 ft along borderline w/shoot to kill orders?

7) cat tunnel system w/spider holes

8) cat coyote proof vest and helmet

9) cat command center with UAV's

10) kat puts house on market, moves out to secluded island, eats ratz and fish for the rest of his days.



ONLY the STRONG SURVIVE HERE!

owls
hawks
rattlesnakes
raccoons
badgers
coyotes(the trickster)
cars
trucks
dirt bikes
quads
off road buggies

[mossguy]

At 10 months it is not too late for your cat to become an indoor cat.

[stomachmonkey]

Used to always let my cats roam outside.

Till I came home one day to find my little sister sitting on the front lawn in tears holding one of them that had just been hit by a car and was dead.

They now stay inside.

Keeping the cat from leaving the yard is only half the battle in TX. In my hood the coyotes will jump your fence and snatch your pets. Happened to a neighbor while she was in her yard with her pocket dog.

Cute cat, good luck.

[pwd72s]

Truth there...Cindy is determined that out latest two will be indoor cats. So far, it seems to be working, and they don't seem to mind staying inside.

[mossguy]

Check this out:

Suncatcher-Walk-In-Outdoor-Cat-Enclosures-Cat-Cages-Cat-Condos-Home

[nynor]

impossible.

[MarkRobinson]

thought about a indoor/outdoor condo through a window.
Hmmmm

[MarkRobinson]

My other cat(s) are/were too old to get out of the fence. Not young kitty though.

[pwd72s]

Originally Posted by mossguy

Check this out:

Suncatcher-Walk-In-Outdoor-Cat-Enclosures-Cat-Cages-Cat-Condos-Home

Cool!

[Porsche-O-Phile]

Statistically indoor cats live much longer and aren't prone to nearly as many problems (kinda common sense). Just make sure his hunting instinct needs get satisfied with regular play and he'll be fine.

[MarkRobinson]

Yeah I know, agree. Our cats started off as indoor....the doggy door really saved us with the dog's bladders & such: by then all our cats were older, lost the strength to scale the fence. :/

[Zeke]

I had a great cat until last Dec. I always figured a stray would show up and one did. But, it's feral even though it (he?) may have been neutered. It's young and so far has led a tough life. Eye messed up in a fight and just the other day, only 3 fangs out of 4.

But, while I can get within a couple feet, I can't touch it. I think my point is, even as a cat lover, you can't save them all. If it's declawed, it should not be outside, period. If you listen to car people, cats should not be outside, period. Whether you agree or not, that is not the point.

Anyway, no one mentioned the invisible fence. I see the cat does wear a collar (another outside no no).

[Noah930]

I'd be concerned about the outside with no claws bit, too. It's one thing to tussle with squirrels, mice, and birds. But with other cats, raccoons, 'possums, skunks, and the occasional coyote, that cat will succumb to nature's pecking order eventually. That SunCATcher looks goofy (and likely $$), but maybe that solves the dog and cat issues all in one. Or hire a dog walker and keep the cat indoors. Building a 10-15 foot wall doesn't sound reasonable. (My cats are fattish and easily make it over 6-8 foot walls.)

[MarkRobinson]

Do invisible fences work with cats??? Anyone use/try it?

[jyl]

If you can get away with it, netting at the inside top of the fence would probably be what I'd try. Hopefully he doesn't get tangled in it and hang himself.

If not - the cat probably needs to be at the base of the fence to jump to the top - i.e. instead of merely jumping 5 feet vertically, if he has to jump 5 feet vertically plus X feet horizontally, at some X he can't do it. If you can deprive him of a firm surface at the base of the fence to launch from, you may be able to prevent him from jumping. Ideas:
- Netting not far from the ground (being low, it shouldn't be noticed by any HOA)
- Moat (just a few inches deep, line with plastic, call it a "water feature")
- Slippery metal (flashing) at 45 deg angle
- Shock collar to keep him away from the base (I don't have any idea how well they work)