Cat Enclosure Instructions

There are many dangers to your pet house cat outside your front door. Cars, dogs and birds of prey can injure or even kill a beloved pet. A cat enclosure is a wonderful way to let your cat enjoy the outdoors and still keep him or her safe from harm. There are as many ways to build enclosures as the people who make them. One of the easiest methods is to convert a chain-link dog run (enclosure) into a cat patio.

Things You'll Need

  • Chain-link dog run
  • Cat door
  • Bolt cutters
  • Wood
  • Hammer
  • Nails
  • Wire fencing
  • 9 or 11-gauge wire
  • Cat furniture
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Instructions

    • 1

      Set up the dog run according to its included instructions on a concrete or brick patio adjacent to a window. It's important your cat enclosure have a solid floor. Pets can dig out of an enclosure with a dirt floor unless you have fencing buried underground. Soil can also hold diseases and parasites your cat may be susceptible to. A concrete or brick floor is easy to keep clean and sanitized. Face the door away from the wall so you can enter the enclosure to clean it and add accessories later.

    • 2

      Install a cat door in the window. These can be found at some pet stores or bought online. Follow the instructions provided with the cat door you buy.

    • 3

      Cut a hole in the chain-link fence with bolt cutters. Make the hole the same size as or slightly larger than the cat door. Bend the cut links back to preserve the integrity of the mesh fence and to prevent your pet from getting cut or scratched when they enter and exit the cat door.

    • 4

      Use your wood and nails to build a ramp from the window to the floor of the enclosure. Size is not important, and some people build a platform instead. Some enclosures don't use any ramp or platform, especially if the window is low to the ground or the opening in question is a sliding glass door.

    • 5

      Enclose the roof of the run using wire fencing. The type used in gardens is adequate and easy to work with. Measure it to the size of the open ceiling and lash it to the sides with wire.

    • 6

      Decorate the enclosure to your and your cat's tastes. Popular options are a patio chair to lounge on, scratching posts and cat climbing gyms, and pots of catnip or cat grass. Some enclosures even include fountains. Be creative and keep kitty in mind.

    • 7

      Inspect the entire enclosure carefully to make sure there is no way for your cat to escape or another animal to get in. Be sure there are no sharp wire edges.