Mary Allen
What could be nicer in summer than stepping out the door into your own private little paradise?
For city dwellers who have to do without their own garden, this is their balcony, or – the highest of feelings – a roof terrace with plenty of space for tubs, boxes, and pots of all sizes, with space for everything from lettuce and tomatoes to English roses and willow trees, finds.
A Network Is Almost Always Approved
Another cat lover, also blessed with an “escape king”, relied on deterrence: an electric fence was placed on his 250 cm high net fence around the roof terrace to reliably prevent any escape attempt. For most kitties, however, a simple “wall” of cat netting will suffice. They don’t want to flee their paradise at all. In principle, a terrace is networked in the same way as a balcony, except that everything that is available on a balcony at attachment points (floor of the next higher balcony, retaining walls, etc.) must be replaced with screwed-on, anchored attachment posts. The net is usually threaded all the way around a thin steel cable, which is led from paw to post, fastened to the wall of the house with a few small screw hooks, and stretched tight. The landlord or the property management or owners’ assembly must be asked for permission beforehand because of the drilling. Since the net is as good as invisible and the support posts can be selected to be thin and also inconspicuous, there is no impairment of a house facade and thus usually the necessary approval. If necessary, you can dodge it by not attaching the support posts to the masonry/balcony railing, but cementing them in planters, creating a mobile fence, so to speak. Even with this method, every roof terrace can be networked in a way that is safe for cats, no matter how angled it is built. If you are skilled with your hands, you can make such a network yourself. Everything you need in terms of accessories can be obtained from local pet shops or by mail order (see a list on the right). It’s definitely less stressful to hire a professional. Even that takes a few hours on a larger terrace.
UV Radiation Affects The Nylon Mesh
When you then start setting up your roof garden, you should consider a few points: Vining plants such as clematis, Virginia creeper, or honeysuckle like to wind their way through the nylon mesh and create beautiful living walls (and provide shade that cats love). However, the nylon net becomes somewhat brittle after five to seven years due to UV radiation and then has to be replaced at some point. It goes without saying that whatever you plant, you make sure that the plants are non-toxic to cats and do not attract too many bees. And also that a few pots are reserved for cats alone. A children’s sandpit filled with earth and turf on top is the best!! But flower boxes with a seeded meadow will also work (one for each cat, please). Another hit: turn a mason’s vat full of water into a fountain with an aquarium pump.