"Pat" wrote in message
...
By the end of this month I will be moved over to the new house.

Probably won't get the fence completed for a while yet so meanwhile the
cats will just have to stay inside. I am preparing them for it slowly.
It's not hard to keep them in when it's cold, and we're finally getting
some cold weather. It may last for another few weeks.

I think it's a good thing to keep kitties inside for a while after a move,
anyway, until they are thoroughly familiar with the house and they've
adjusted to living there.

I decided against putting up a board fence like I originally planned. Not
that I wouldn't like to have a wooden fence, but it would just been too
costly. What I'll do instead is use welded wire, with electric at the top,
and plant bushes for privacy and a windbreak.

Anyone had any experience with "Austrees"?

http://www.rmausa.com/rma/trees/austree.html

The neighbors on two sides already have their yards fenced with welded
wire, so on those sides I can just plant steel t-posts with insulators on
top and run aluminum wire close to the top of the existing fence.

I already have a small charger and a post-pounder, 100' of w.w. and about
18 t-posts, and so the expense will be minimal, I'll just need one more
roll of w.w. and maybe a dozen more t-posts for the other sides.

I'm thinking that as long as the cats are kept inside they will spend time
looking out the windows and seeing/hearing vehicles whiz past, and
hopefully that will help them understand why they'll be finding themselves
confined to the backyard once I let them go out.





Please come up with a different alternative. If there is any possibility
that a cat could come into contact with an electric fence (which is your
reason for installing one), it could be dangerous and painful. Yes, I am
familiar with electric fences. However, they are intended for larger
animals. I was once riding a horse which touched an electric fence with his
nose. The moisture on his nose probably intensified the sensation, and he
literally went crazy (with me on his back!). An enclosure such as what
Sherry described could work very well.

In addition to my concerns about safety and the possibility of a painful
experience for your cats, you might find that you could not legally install
an electric fence. They are frequently used in rural areas, but they are
prohibited in many residential areas. Unless you carefully check city
ordinances (and even builders' codes, depending on where you live), you
could find yourself with the additional expense and inconvenience of
removing something that you had installed.

Here are a number of linkes (with pictures) of some outdoor fences or
enclosures for cats. Some are expensive, but many are simple and
do-it-yourself:
Design for do-it-yourself barrier to mount on top of fence (to keep cats
in):
http://www.lisaviolet.com/cathouse/backyard.html

Outdoor fence enclosure (several views):
http://www.just4cats.com/ http://www.just4cats.com/post1.html
http://www.just4cats.com/page7.html

A guide to inexpensive do-it-yourself fencing:
http://www.feralcat.com/fence.html

Cat fence-in containment system:
http://www.catfencein.com/ http://www.fabcats.org (includes an information
sheet that can be downloaded)

"Friendly Fence": web site says it is virtually invisible
www.friendlyfence.com

Pictures from readers of "Cat Fancy" showing enclosures they have built:
http://www.animalnetwork.com/cats/enclosure.asp

Other ideas for outdoor fencing for cats:
http://www.just4cats.com/page7.html
http://www.cat-world.com.au/cat-worldenclosures.htm
http://www.lisaviolet.com/cathouse/backyard.html

KittyKlips - addition to existing wood fence to prevent cats from climbing
[note: but would not prevent cats on the "other" side of fence from getting
in]:
http://kittyklips.com/details.htm

Cat enclosure made of planks and netting:
http://www.cat-world.com.au/cat-worldenclosures.htm

Modular cat enclosures:
http://www.catnip.com.au/ Flippy's page:

http://www.flippyscatpage.com/enclosures.html

MaryL

Photos of Duffy and Holly: 'o'
Duffy: http://tinyurl.com/cslwf
Holly: http://tinyurl.com/9t68o
Duffy and Holly together: http://tinyurl.com/8b47e
Recent pics: http://tinyurl.com/clal7