Cat proofing your backyard
Wednesday, November 28th, 2007So you love your moggie friend, would like him to be safe but still let him access the outdoors? Then a cat park is the answer. A cat park is just a safe, contained place outside that your moggie can access night or day by a cat flap. We have a modular CatNip cat park, which we have had for around a year and a half. It exits out of our guest bathroom - it’s a nice surprise for any guests using the shower or tub when the moggies pop through the flap - then goes across to the rock wall into a tower with a few steps and a hammock in it. Running down lengthways towards the front of the house is a tunnel which leads to their outdoor loo - it’s a fairly big area with weedmat on the bottom and we cover the surface liberally with pine bark. The cats think this is great because they don’t have to share their loo with humans and the pine bark deodorises their waste nicely until it is time to be changed. It’s a great setup and makes use of what would normally be a useless area of our property. It would be nice to extend the cat park but this will probably be some time off yet - preferably on a bigger property with more space to put it in.
They even have a roof over their loo to divert rain because we all know how much kitties don’t like getting wet while they’re going to the loo! Well really - would you like getting rained on?
Having the cat park has made life a lot easier for the moggies and for us. It keeps them safe from other animals, stops them preying upon native wildlife and eliminates the need for an indoor litter box entirely. It is also a place for them to escape from visiting nephews and nieces, the carpet cleaning guy or anyone else who they decide isn’t worthy of their company. And of course, it’s great for when I’m mopping the floor and don’t want little paw prints all over my nice clean but still wet floor!
Then there is the cost side of it. Specifically designed cat parks are expensive to install, even if it’s DIY. There are other alternatives though - you can cat proof your fence to stop your cat getting over it or screen in an area of your backyard such as a patio or back verandah. The options are limited only by your imagination and DIY ability. Cat World has some really great ideas on how you can create a safe haven for your cat which still allows you to use your backyard fully.
But for the ultimate cat haven, oh my goodness, if you were a cat, you would definitely want to live here with Jeanette and Murray! Jeanette and Murray are breeders of British Shorthairs and designed this oasis for their cats - kudos to Murray for coming up with such a fantastic design! Their setup features a hidden kitty litter box in a cave, waterfalls and ponds with fish for the kitties to watch, lush vegetation, climbing platforms and walkways throughout. It is simply amazing and I imagine many enjoyable hours are spent in this area with their cats. ![]()

