Cats love to go outside and dig in the soil or just walk on the grass. I’m sure you know how good bare feet on grass feels. And nothing can replace the sensation of breathing fresh air or feeling a breeze on the face. Cats have a much more developed sense of smell than we do, so the fresh air brings all sorts of aromas to your cat.
But how can you keep your cat safe. You don’t want it to escape into the busy road, or get into fights with neighbourhood cats, or dogs, or risk catching a dose of fleas or worse. If you have enough room, you can create your own cat run or kitty condo outside. This way your cat will have the best of both worlds.
An outdoor cat house can be built in an area of the garden or up against the house. It can be like a large aviary or a small shed or pen. There are some commercially constructed cat houses that are sold in kit form. These are easy to assemble and saves you having to build something yourself. If you have a small backyard, you can turn it all into an outdoor cat house maine coon cat for sale by putting up some strong poles to around 9 foot or 3m high, and attaching some netting between them. By keeping the netting loose, your cat won’t be able to climb up it and there won’t be any need for a roof.
A good outdoor cat house should have different surfaces for your cat to walk on. These can include soil, grass, some rocks to climb and perhaps some pebbles to dig around in. You can plant some cat safe plants in there to give your cat some greenery to eat. If you have the room, I suggest having some logs and branches so your cat can jump, climb and curl up somewhere high to see what’s going on around it. The branches will also be ideal for your cat to dig his claws in and have a good stretch.
Have some areas that are open to the sun and some that are shaded. Having some toys and other playthings in there will keep your cat happy for hours. Depending on your budget, you can create tunnels and hidey holes and ledges for your cat to sleep on.
You can soften the appearance of your outdoor cat house by growing some climbing plants over it. Be careful in what you choose and make sure they are not poisonous to your cat.
You will need to install a cat flap so your cat can access its outdoor enclosure. The best ones are those that are gravity operated – they automatically close behind the cat as it enters or exits. I suggest having a clear plastic flap so your cat and see what is outside before it ventures out. Make sure the cat flap has a catch so you can lock it at night.
If you don’t want to have the outdoor cat enclosure right against your back door, you might like to invest in a removable ‘tunnel’ that attaches to the cat flap and the enclosure. This way you can remove it when you need to use the door for normal purposes.