Marija said, “I fully support the upcoming new regulations as I am all for keeping cats safe and confined!”
Ever since I have owned a cat, I began looking for new ways of keeping her confined to my courtyard in Epping, where she is safe while not impacting on her wellbeing.
My cat Piper was adopted from a rescue and had ended up in a shelter in the first place because of her escaping.
Cat proofing the back yard came after Piper managed to jump the back fence and escape, so after a very stressful day of searching and fretting, I decided to get started on fence-proofing my courtyard.
My back yard is not very large, and I felt the best way to cat proof the fences was by putting cat netting around. It was an easy DIY job, I had help from family and it did not take much time at all. It was fairly inexpensive for my situation too, and I sourced the materials from Catnets and Bunnings.
When I was researching cat proofing options, the best resource I found was the Agriculture Victoria – enclosures and fencing website, which has an entire section on cat confinement, including information, plans and DIY info on making various types of cat enclosures as well as information on where you can purchase materials. I also found some very useful information on the Catnets website as well as the Bunnings Cat Hacks Australia group on Facebook. These are great resources as you can find options for everyone: owners, renters, DIYers – everybody and I would highly recommend it.
“People often think that cat proofing your yard or making a cat enclosure is a difficult and expensive exercise, but not necessarily – you are only limited to your financial options and your imagination!”
Piper is very happy to have the back-yard garden to explore and enjoy some fresh air. I enjoy gardening and have lots of bird and insect attracting plants, so there is still lots going on in there. As Piper is a nomad, she still gets to go for a wonder outside – safely on a lead and harness.
We regularly go out on walks with the dog too, so she enjoys this very much. Piper was a life saver during the lockdowns, regularly having me out on a walk and some fresh air.
Walking a cat is a great conversation starter! Piper and Woofy (my dog) are well known in my area and people are always delighted to see them out on a walk together. If there are any people out there wondering if they should explore harness walking their cats – if your cat wants to go outside, absolutely, go for it.
“For me, keeping the cat safely on my property is a no-brainer – compared to the vet costs to treat an accident or injury, a cat enclosure is well worth it, and the peace of mind of knowing my cat is safe while still having outdoor access is priceless.”