Mary Allen
So that cats are protected from danger on the one hand, but can still go outside on the other, it is a good idea to fence your garden in a cat-proof manner. Since cats are good climbers and can also slip through small holes, this is not so easy. Read here how to fence your garden cat-proof and how you can make the garden cat-friendly.
Cats are happy when they are allowed outside and can explore the area there. But on the other hand, there are also many dangers lurking outside. Road traffic in particular poses a major threat to cats. The solution is often a fenced-in, cat-proof garden: on the one hand, it guarantees safety for the cat, but on the other hand, it gives it access to fresh air.
Steps In Planning A Cat Fence
Before a cat fence can be built, a few things need to be planned. This includes the following steps:
- Consult the building authority
Depending on the place of residence and the project, the building authorities must also give their approval for structural changes. In some places, fences up to a height of 1.80 meters do not require a permit, in others, it is 2.00 meters. The local building authorities can provide detailed information. But armed with good arguments and a drawing of the finished garden (with lots of greenery), more and more cat lovers are convincing their neighbors and authorities of the sense of the high fence.
You can also inform your neighbors about your plans. Because cat fences are relatively high, it could be that the neighbors are bothered by them. Perhaps these conflicts can be resolved through a conversation.
- Calculate costs and organize helpers
It is difficult to generalize how much the fencing and garden design costs, since the local conditions, the personal contribution, and the materials can be very different. As a rule of thumb, you don’t need to spend more than twice as much as you would on a standard fence, although this can be exceeded if special construction is required. In your financial planning, don’t forget that plants and landscaping will also have to be paid for unless you already have everything on hand and pick up a spade yourself.
If you don’t have much time for construction or if you’re not handy, look for one or more helpers, if necessary by advertising. Involve the helpers in the planning right from the start, because only a handyman with experience can decide what is technically feasible, what material and how much of it you need, whether the tools are sufficient, how much time, and finally, of course, how much cost you have to invest.
- Acquire planning and material
Think in advance where your cats could possibly escape despite the high fence. For example, cats can jump off the roof of a garage or garden shed with ease. Make such opportunities escape-proof. Plant climbing frames on terraces or trees are also often overlooked, the trunks of which are far enough away from the fence but whose branches are wide enough to allow the cat to jump over to the neighbor from there. Trees close to the fence should be moved or secured.
Planning and procurement of materials usually go hand in hand. Do not choose wooden fence posts because cats can easily climb them. Iron posts are better. You can get appropriate pipes in garden or building supply stores. A blacksmith or auto body shop can do the cutting and welding. If you already have a chain-link fence with iron posts, you may be able to extend this fence upwards accordingly. A construction company or a craftsman will set the piles in concrete. After all, he can also tighten the wire mesh and do all other work that you cannot or do not want to do yourself.
Build A Solid Fence From Iron Posts
For a fence made of iron posts, first use 2.30-meter high iron posts, which are angled inwards at a height of 1.80 meters (angle of approx. 30 degrees). Then cover the iron posts with wire mesh. You can attach a loose net (e.g. a bird protection net for fruit trees and vegetable beds) or an unstrained fence made of thin wire (rabbit wire) to the angled uppermost piece of fence.
Don’t forget the garden doors, if you need them at all. These too must either be designed in the same way as the fence, or you can use an extra door inside the high fence.
Build A Light Cat Fence
Easier to install are two-meter-high cat protection nets around the property: they are stretched between posts about two meters apart. However, they have to be wrapped up with tasty treats. Ground screws or lawn spikes, which are screwed into the ground to hold telescopic rods, require less force. The net is stretched between these poles.
To prevent adventurous cats from digging under the fence, the net is sunk deeper into the ground. To do this, cut open the lawn and press the net about 15 cm deep into the ground. Then it grows together with the lawn roots. An alternative, permanent and stable solution for rooting cats is stone slabs that are placed vertically in the ground and connected to the wire mesh with screws and wire.
Beautify The Fence With Plants
Most plants are suitable for greening the fence or net, but not those whose trunks become so thick over the years that they become climbing aids for the cats and you have to cut them. It is not advisable to plant knotweed on the fence because it eats into the fence and can damage the fence when it is cut off. Some tendrils remain permanent (e.g. Virginia creeper), and others have to be replanted every year (e.g. nasturtium). Also, make sure that the plants are not toxic to cats.
Avoid Dangers For Cats In The Garden
It is important for hobby gardeners to consistently lock away wood preservatives, paints, oil cans, antifreeze, etc. A small puddle on the floor is enough: the cats step into it or lie on it and swallow the poison the next time they clean their fur. That’s why slug pellets are taboo for a cat garden. And if toxic sprays are unavoidable, for example, if there is a heavy infestation with lice, it is better to leave the cats in the house for a few days.
Other Animals In The Garden
If your garden fence is absolutely airtight, you can dare to allow rabbits or guinea pigs to run around as long as your cats get along with them. Be sure to only do this under supervision!
A bird feeder can add variety to a cat garden, but only if it’s out of reach for the cats. If it’s standing on a smooth, high-iron bar that a cat’s claws can’t get hold of, nothing should happen. Unlike “open” gardens, hedgehogs cannot enter and exit your garden. If you already have a family of hedgehogs in the garden, you also have to take care of them a bit and offer them a winter shelter.
Make The Garden Beautiful For Cats
There are hardly any limits to your imagination when designing the garden, Debb cats love variety.
A Pond In The Cat Garden
Ponds are popular with many cats. The cats can sit in front of it for hours and look into the water or take a nap on the shore. They drink from it and watch the insects. However, some cats will try to catch the fish out of the pond. In this case, it is better to avoid fish or to put a mesh-like grid in the pond. If you have small children, this is also a method to make the pond safe.
Cats are unlikely to drown in ponds. However, so that they do not get tangled in the water plants or cannot climb onto the bank, you should make the bank area flat and free of creepers.
Pretty Beds In The Cat Garden
In a real cat garden, beds must of course also be laid out. Nicely bordered with stones or logs invite you to balance and sniff.
The disadvantage: Cats also like to use beds for scratching and doing business. Those who want to keep their beds free of cats only have a few chances. Sometimes cats respect aluminum strips dangling in the wind around the bed. You can also cover empty spots with coarse gravel or stones. But then it can happen that the cats make their way across the planting or lie down on the sun-warmed pebbles.
Another option is to plant the beds very densely and allow them to overgrow in a controlled manner. Such beds in small groups, bordered by stone, wood, or simply grass, can actually be kept cat-free. Some cats can also be distracted from the beds by a covered outdoor litter box, especially if it is filled with attractive potting soil.
Other design options for the garden that the cat feels comfortable with:
- climbing opportunities
- Stack of wood to hide
- long grass
- a butterfly meadow
- a cat house
- a covered viewing platform for rainy days
- warm, sheltered sun spot
- shady places to dream
- Stone slabs that store the heat of the sun
- sandbox