Fencing help- asap

[sarah ann]

Does anyone know if electric fencing works for cats?

I have a small farm in a rural area. Due to road construction, they have been rerouting traffic away from the interstate and down my road. One of my cats was hit and killed yesterday during rush hour. I never saw her leave the yard. She was a stray when i got her and absolutely hated being indoors. She has been with us for 9 years and i still can't believe she is gone.

I don't have a ton of money to spend on fencing and i need something i can put up by myself. I'm wondering if anyone has tried electric mesh fencing for their cats.

Im thinking of something like this
http://www.kencove.com/fence/Electric+Net+Fencing_products.php

If it works for rabbits surely it will work for cats, right?

I've moved all the cats inside the house but my family is not happy about it as they have allergies to cats.

Our dogs keep away predators so i just need to worry about containing the cats. Our current fencing is field fencing-it keeps the dogs in but the cats can slip right through.

 

[SeventhHeaven]

I'm so so sorry about your loss,  

  just awful, devastating...

To protect the other ones

Wondering if making an outdoor run for the cats would be an easier solution?

Signs on the road warning about deer X crossing to alert people rather than using as a drag strip.

 

[kittens mom]

I agree with seventh heaven. converting an outside shed /chicken coop ? Garage into a temporary shelter would probably work better than trying using the kind of fence you're talking about. If there is an opening anywhere on the property they will still find a way to the road.

I might add that it would be more cost effective to buy a good outdoor covered dog kennel. At least when you can let them out again you will have something useful for the money. And portable dog runs can be sold if you want to recoup some of your investment.

 

[NewYork1303]

I don't think electric fencing would be good. We had an electric fence put up for our Alaskan Malamute since she kept escaping the fence. The fence worked for keeping her in, but she hated going outside after that. She was afraid that something would zap her no matter where she was outside. She wouldn't leave the porch and we eventually had to get rid of the fence. 

 

[Mamanyt1953]

Any kind of fencing will keep a cat in providing it has an inward facing 45 degree angled overhang.  They will not attempt to jump the overhang.

 

[kittens mom]

 
Any kind of fencing will keep a cat in providing it has an inward facing 45 degree angled overhang.  They will not attempt to jump the overhang.

I own a gibbon.

 

[Norachan]

I've made my cat enclosure with deer netting. That would be cheaper than chicken wire and much easier to nail to the existing fencing. A 45 degree angled top is supposed to stop cats from jumping out, but one of mine can still get out anyway. What you could do is put up deer netting, make an angled in section at the top and then have one wire carrying a current at the top to deter the really adventurous ones.

This is my fence, which one cat can still get over by hanging upside down, grabbing the edge of the net and pulling himself over. If there was an electric wire at the very edge of the over hang it would stop them doing that.

Fence1.jpg

• Norachan
• Mar 4, 2016

I think @jcat  has an electric fence on her feral cat enclosure.

 

[jcat]

The shelter has a very high chain-link fence that angles inward and is topped with electric wires. It's supposed to be escape proof, but 2 or 3 cats have managed to escape in the past five years. One scaled it while the power was definitely on. There are 30 ferals in the enclosure, so that's not too bad a number. The electric shock simply isn't a deterrent to a very determined cat, but works for most.

View media item 333013