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Old February 9th 06, 07:11 AM posted to rec.pets.cats.anecdotes
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Default Preparing cats for the big move

Pat wrote:
wrote

Have you ever considered just building an enclosure and forgetting
about trying to fence the entire yard? Even an 8x10 enclosure, enclosed
at the top, would be very safe and much less expensive. You wouldn't
have to use a fence charger either. You could furnish it with all kinds
of ramps, ledges, perches, scraching posts, climbing trees and leave a
grass floor. I would really be concerned about the safety of the cats.
I'd be afraid they'd get zapped by the charger, then panic and get hung
up on wire fence. Or it wouldn't be effective in keeping them from
escaping.


No I hadn't considered that idea because we are talking about seven cats,
who have had free run of a *very* large territory all their lives. There
won't be any danger to them from the fence I described. They may initially
try to climb it, sure, and get zapped, jump back down and probably never try
it again.

I'm trying to picture whatever you're picturing that you think they could
"get hung up" on, and I can't. Do you know what welded wire is?

I need to fence the whole yard anyway for security reasons and to protect
the garden from other folks' pets roaming at large (not to mention the
people themselves, who might find my produce mighty tempting when they know
I'm gone for the day).

Besides, I will introduce the cats one by one to the yard and fence, and be
watching closely until I am sure each one has got the message about staying
in the yard. I'm just thankful it's a big enough yard that they at least
won't feel seriously confined in it.

What I might do, though, is build an enclosure they can use instead of going
out in the yard when I am not at home. That way I will be able to stay gone
for several days if I wish, without having to leave them totally cooped up
in the house yet free from worry that they might find a way to escape the
yard in my absence.



Ok so why not build or by an enclosure for the cats, and fence the yard
in for security/privacy and leave the cats free reign in the enclosure,
and forget about the electric fence, etc? Lots of people keep their cats
in enclosures with no issues.


Also with certain parts of the country being lawsuit happy - could you
be leaving yourself open to one with the electric fence? I presume you
will have a warning posted? Here if you leave a hose on your own
property, and someone trips over it and hurts themselves the homeowner
can be liable for damages to the one who tripped over the hose EVEN
though it was on what is essentially private property.