We don't want our cats to be indoor cats - I think it's cruel and the argument that if they are used to it it doesn't matter doesn't cut it with me.
Unfortunately, I read somewhere that 60% of free-range cats get run over here and everyone we know locally who has cats has had one killed by traffic.
So, we've been looking at cat-proofing our garden so they can run outside without getting out on the road.
If anyone has done this (successfully) then please - how did you go about it.
The previous owner had dogs and there is already a dog-proof fence wire around the property.
We though of covering that with cat-proof netting but are not sure what to do at the top (but are aware of the different solutions).
The other problem we have is one side of the garden has a very nice yew hedge and the wire fencing is within this, about six inches deep. Cutting back the yew to the fence (so we can attach the netting) is something we can't really do as it would just leave the bare yew hedge inside and no new foliage would grow.
What we don't want is the garden to look like some prison camp or home zoo.
Thinking outside the box, perhaps there is a another solution.
I guess that could easily be replicated with a bit of PVC pipe and maybe a bit of wire. Wonder, though, if it really works; my cat sneers at me right now...
I wonder if cats don't figure this out quiet quickly. The strenth of their hind legs is amazing in the strangest positions. All they really need to achieve is get on the rolling part with their bellies.
On the other hand, having lived most of my life with a garden, I have always let my cats roam around without any sort of fencing and I have never had major problems.
I'm not sure if putting a cat outside in a fenced garden would actually be worse, in the sense that it would always tease the cat to see what' hidden beyond it. And once it goes out it would be very difficult to get back to.
So in other words my opinion is:
you live in a place with no outdoor access --> cat is fine, just make sure to use a safety net if a balcony exists
you live in a place with outdoor access --> let it go out, unless it's a very urban setting with main streets nearby and o lot of traffic, in that case a fence might be required. But the cat is always a step ahead of you.
2 people around here have a huge enclosure for their garden, one about 50m x 50m, with an orchard- the fence is wire fencing, about 2 metres high with the top rounded and angled towards the garden.
