DIY Cat Proof Fence?

[nerdrock]

Now that our new place has a fence for the backyard (yay!!) I decided to look into getting a cat proof fence but the cost, even if I were to install it myself, was extremely high and there's no way that we can afford it. If even we could, I could not get my SO to agree to spending that kind of money on a fence, especially when we're renting (we can make modifications to the fence, we can basically do whatever we want to the place). The quotes I was getting online were anywhere from $500-1000. If anyone knows of a company in Canada, or that would ship (reasonably priced) to Canada that's cheaper than that, I'd be interested.

So, I started looking at DIY Cat Proof fencing. There were a couple that seemed like they'd be reasonably priced to do (around $100 or less for materials).

For the first, you basically install flag pole holders at intervals along the fence, then place a pole in and use a loose netting material in between. The poles make the netting stick out at about a 45 degree angle, with the loose netting being used for the theory that cat's are relucant to stand on something that won't support them. A couple of people had done this and reviewed it, all said that their cats stayed in the yard after attempting to escape once or twice and failing. You can either put it right at the top of your fence, or down a few feet so the netting isn't visible from the other side of the fence. It will not keep anything out of your yard, any other cats/animals that come in will not be able to get out.

The second was a system of poles placed horizontally so that they would turn when the cat tried to grip/land on them. They suggested having one at the very top of the fence and one down a bit more so that the cat wouldn't just jump to the top one and fall onto the other side of the fence. There weren't any reviews on this one other than the original poster's. I don't think this one would be a good option for us though because our fence is only about 4-4.5 feet high.

I'm just looking for opinions on these ideas or feedback from anyone that's cat proofed their fence themselves. I'm not sure if it's something that we are going to do or not, both of us are against letting the cats outside, but the risk of them getting out is getting higher and I'd like them to at least be contained if they were to get out.

 

[catspaw66]

Does the first option have the 45 degree holders pointing inside or outside?  If it looks like I think it would, that is the same method zoos use for large-cat enclosures. And county jails use for outside exercise areas.  With a short fence, that would seem to be the best idea, particularly if you put them at the top.

 

[nerdrock]

Sorry forgot to mention that! They are pointing in, similar to a zoo or jail. Apparently, you can also get the holders at different degree angles as well, although I really haven't had much time to look into it.

Last night we had some friends and their dogs over (everyone brings their dog when they come over, as long as they're cat friendly), the cats and Bruce (our big dog) stayed upstairs in the bedroom. One of the people over happened to be afraid of large dogs, so I shut the door to the bedroom and we just had the back door propped open - surprisingly, the dogs barely used it and were more interested in hanging out and playing in the dining room. After about an hour we ended up closing the door because it was getting cold, but if the dogs aren't going to be in and out all that much like we thought they were then the cats getting out isn't so much of a worry. I'll just make sure to lock them in a room if we're going to have it open.