[Hamlet's Keeper]

I live in an apartment where I am allowed to have cats on the one condition that they can never roam outside. I have a balcony and am on the ground floor so obviously if they use the balcony they can also just jump off it and wander around. Not good.

Portable cat enclosures are very expensive and usually not less than several hundred dollars. The solution? Look in camping supplies for portable popup mosquito tents. They usually have nylon floors (fully enclosed), no assembly and are less than $100 for a large one (2-3 person). You can pop them up on your balcony in seconds and they fold down to nothing when you're not using them. Problem solved.

This post has been edited by Hamlet's Keeper: 13 July 2008 - 11:04 AM

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[Furry Legs]

hey what a great idea! i might look into this as a temporary fix to keep the boy happy while we are planning / building a fixed enclosure for him

[Trifon]

Have you got any pics to show (please)? I am more of a visual person so hard to get the idea from just a description.

[CatsRU]

Yes pics please.

[Jann M]

Hi Claire!! So good to see you again - I hope that Ham and Jam are still happily decorating your life ..

Like the idea too!

[TopCat3]

Like one of these, you mean?

http://www.alibaba.c...ingle_Dome.html

Found it by Googling.

Never seen one before, brilliant. Didn't know they existed. Might get one for my balcony for me! Many's the night I've wanted to sit out late and had to come in because of the little nippers. Thanks for alerting me to it.

[sealhope]

Check first to see how flimsy the netting it - most cats could scratch through typical mosquito netting in 30 seconds or under. Quite frankly, you'd do it cheaper by getting bird or pond netting (I can buy it at $3 for a piece 2 metres by 4 metres ... so $9 would do most people easily ... and it is very, very strong) and just either enclosing your veranda/balcony with that, or draping it over a frame and securing the base either with bricks or boards of some kind. You do need to check the strength of the netting on those. Don't buy products ... buy the basics yourself and construct.

[Hamlet's Keeper]

Something like this is what I have....

http://www.instantpo...uito%20dome%202

My cats don't tend to rip holes in things so it's worked for me. Since I'm renting I'm not allowed to make a construction on my balcony. My landlord and RE agent would have a fit. I needed something I could put up and take down everytime I wanted to use it. But sure just be careful your cats aren't going to escape from it. Maybe test it out in your loungeroom first and of course I only ever use mine when I'm there to supervise.

[Jann M]

Something like this is what I have....

http://www.instantpo...uito%20dome%202

My cats don't tend to rip holes in things so it's worked for me. Since I'm renting I'm not allowed to make a construction on my balcony. My landlord and RE agent would have a fit. I needed something I could put up and take down everytime I wanted to use it. But sure just be careful your cats aren't going to escape from it. Maybe test it out in your loungeroom first and of course I only ever use mine when I'm there to supervise.

Love it - great for kittens in summer too on really big verandah like ours...

[Trifon]

It looks good if you want to sit outside with your kitties without them running off but you would definitely need to supervise. I also suspect most kitties would rip this apart if left unattended.

Presumably you can't use this for them to get in and out of when they wanted because they would escape getting in and out of it quite easily.

[Sobriquet]

This looks like a great idea but I think a motivated cat would be able to get out. I used camp cupboards to keep my kittens in when I wanted them contained (similar construction materials) with holes in each shelf so they could climb but when they got bigger if they didn't want to be in there they clawed until the fabric gave way and got out. They were in the house so no big deal but if they were on a verandah it might be a disaster waiting to happen.

The cupboards are now open pieces of cat furniture they sleep in.

[Randiocoy]

thanks for the idea!! i think i might have to invest in one!

[bigbadbud]

I'm with you Sealhope - whatever it is please make sure that it is strong enough - especially on a verandah!

[natbut]

I'm actually trying to work out something atm for my balcony. Due to strata issues I can't put netting, but I was thinking about cafe blinds? Do you think that would work? I thought they might be less noticeable.

Heres a pic of my balcony, I'm assuming a cat would find it very easy to climb the screen (on the left) and get out?



I'm on the 2nd floor so I'm worried if I don't have anything they might try to jump (and I'm right above a communal driveway).

[gradach]

Maybe cafe blinds would be a good idea - being plastic they can't climb them?

Cath