Best way to restrict a cat from leaving your yard....

[MarkRobinson]

Life is moving on after my divorce: met a great gal, planning a future, but my 3 year old cat Zoey loves to scale 6' fences. My gal's dogs have access to the back yard via dog door for potty-purposes.

I'm trying to either keep the cat from leaving out the dog door or Keep the cat inside the back yard, which has about 150 linear feet of 6' fencing.

Most electronic dog/cat doors operate where the door is closed unless a collar activates it to open, to keep out wild animals: this wont work for this application as the dogs charge in/out the door: one of them being older with dental issues: could create big issues if he knocks out teeth: unfair to retrain them. Of course I couldn't consider this unless I found a door that remains fully open unless a collar activates it Closed upon sensing.

Yard restriction could really only be done using a cat-fence horizontal extension towards the top to keep the cat from reaching the top fence pickets to hang on/climb up over.

Other than these two hurdles, are there any other things I could consider to keep the cat within the back yard or fully inside the house (not being able to use the dog-only door).

And no, I cant consider not using the dog door for the dogs or locking the cats in another room permanently: unfair.

Thoughts guys?

[berettafan]

wrap it in bacon. the dogs will get it the moment it leaves the house.

no more leaving the yard.

no more much of anything really......but it is a cat so not so bad right?

[John Rogers]

I seriously doubt you will ever be able to keep the cat in one place! They have just too many "wild" parts in their brain to completely tame once they are allowed outside.

[MarkRobinson]

wrapped in lights sure, but not bacon. Put some time into your cats like you do your dogs, you have great cats.

[Amail]

100' Kit for adapting Existing Fences

[TheMentat]

Originally Posted by MarkRobinson

Most electronic dog/cat doors operate where the door is closed unless a collar activates it to open, to keep out wild animals: this wont work for this application as the dogs charge in/out the door: one of them being older with dental issues: could create big issues if he knocks out teeth: unfair to retrain them. Of course I couldn't consider this unless I found a door that remains fully open unless a collar activates it Closed upon sensing.

I'll echo what others have said... cats will tend to find a way out...

I honestly think the dogs would "retrain" pretty quickly to the new door mechanism...

[MarkRobinson]

Yes I saw those fence kits: This is my inclination though for my length I'll make myself...HomeDepot has most all of what I'd need.

Thanks Amail.

I still can't find the correct locking dog door, even after chatting with people from PetDoors.com about it. :/

[Mark Henry]

Electric fence

Do a 6 wire topper on existing fence, stagger a live line, then ground line. There must be no place the cat can squeeze through or jump over.

A 2 joule farm zapper will do, I bet the cat only touches it once.

[MarkRobinson]

yes I thought about that too: not sure 2j wouldn't be way too much either.

Certainly an option.

[Arizona_928]

electric fence?

[rusnak]

An outside cat is pretty much disposable in my neck of the woods. Keep the cat inside if you like it.

[Mark Henry]

You can get a smaller one.

My daughter has chickens surrounded by electric fence netting with a 2J zapper I saw the cat touch it once, only once, the cat is still alive.

[MarkRobinson]

Its a decent neighborhood but not a nice dog next door...worried about that too. Best if I could keep her inside the house.

[Por_sha911]

If the cat is accustomed to going out it will be tough to stop her from making the great escape.

[varmint]

put in a bird feeder. grow cat nip. make your yard more interesting so that he doesn't want to stray. but ultimately the others are right. once outside they do what they want. ours vanishes for days at a times. we've stopped worrying.

[MarkRobinson]

unfriendly dogs and coyotes make for a dangers post-fence environment :/

[Mike80911]

This is probably the only way you can keep a cat contained in an outdoor area. No matter what else you do they will eventually find a way out.
http://kittywalk.com/deck_patio.asp

[MarkRobinson]

i cant do that with the dogs, but plan to do that with an added cat door for her...she'd love this.

PetSafe does make one door that appears to work in the way I wish: I'll probably buy one this week and try it out.

[Baz]

Maybe if your gal took her dogs to her house.....your cat wouldn't feel the need to scale the fence.

Just a thought.

[onewhippedpuppy]

Originally Posted by rusnak

An outside cat is pretty much disposable in my neck of the woods. Keep the cat inside if you like it.

Yup. As a bonus your cat won't be crapping in other people's yards, walking on their cars, etc. Yes, I have neighbors who think their pets have no boundaries......