Fencing (Purrfect Fence) Worth the Money?

cybercat1

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I assume most people have seen the advertisements for http://www.purrfectfence.com/ and I've read the testimonials on their website from other cat owners but I would appreciate some unbiased opinions concerning the pros/cons of this type of fence system.

I'm looking at installing about 125 feet of this fence to enclose my yard for our 3 cats to keep them from wandering off and to keep them safe from other animals attacking them. The cats drive us crazy all summer long if we don't let them outside! I guess they don't appreciate being cooped up indoors all the time!

After some initial computations and the fact I will need a couple of large entrance gates, it looks like I would spend well over $2000 for a fence like this due to elevation changes which require extra posts thus increasing the cost for materials.

My question is......is it really worth it? After reading the http://www.purrfectfence.com/ faq section, the manufacturer states the mesh material lasts over ten years. Its made out of UV stabilized polypropylene. Seems like a lot of time (installation time) and expense for something that doesn't last very long!
 

happilyretired

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I know that all cats are different, but are you sure you're not projecting when you say that your cats don't want to be "cooped up indoors"?

The reason I ask is that I've had two cats, both were strays used to being outdoors, and neither one of them ever showed any inclination at all to want to be outside again.

When I got my first cat, I worried because I'd been told that it would be "difficult" to get an outdoor cat to remain inside, but she was perfectly content. When I open the windows each spring, my cats enjoy the fresh air, but they don't show any impulse to want out. Later, one of my vets told me that strays are often so grateful for a comfortable home away from predators that they are usually totally content indoors.
 

carolina

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For that kind of space you might be able to accomplish the same thing hiring a contractor for less $$$. I think that's a great idea, and if I had a yard, I would definitely build an enclosure too!
 
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cybercat1

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hey guys.....thanks for your responses. Yeah, I agree with you about the cats being grateful for a comfortable home away from predators and our cats definitely go scurrying indoors in a hurry whenever they sense danger; however, my wife has spoiled them by letting them go out constantly whenever she's out working in the garden. The fact is....they find tons of interesting things to watch and hunt in our yard. They remember those fun times and want more and more....

I think if we kept them indoors 100% of the time they most likely would NOT bother us to go out all the time. Much to my dismay....my wife will continue to let them out.....grrrrrrr
 

white cat lover

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If you google cat enclosures - you will find TONS of different ideas of how to DIY if you are handy. I'm looking into it - as I have some elderly farm kitties I'd like to keep enclosed come farming season.
 

missymotus

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Cats, rats and foxes can chew through mesh, it's not something I would use for a fence or enclosure. Aviary wire is not too expensive and lasts much longer.
 
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cybercat1

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http://www.catfence.com/ is great if you have an existing fence but since I don't, I would need to sink some cash into a regular fence and purchase the catfence as an add-on.

Purrfectfence system has a chew guard (heavy duty wire) on the bottom few feet of fence so Cats, rats and foxes CANNOT chew through the mesh.
 

catsknowme

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I did a version of the Do-It Yourself Cat Fence shown here:
http://www.feralcat.com/fence.html. I attached it to my 2ft existing chain link fence. It keeps most cats in, EXCEPT one particularly determined Maine Coon who hits the mesh at a flying leap and frantically claws his way over the top. The height is over 8ft

I understand what you're going through - JC keeps mrreowling through the night, pacing, wanting to get outside
I do tether him on a picket tie-out for dogs (using his harness) in side the fenced yard (to keep him safe from dogs).
I like the idea of the www.cat-fence.
Keep us posted on what you decide on and how it works out - I know most of us would love to have our cats able to safely patrol the yard. ( I do have a large, chain-link dog kennel with a chute from the bathroom window, which suits Joey just fine - but JC was born to explore
)
 

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i have a wooden fence in our backyard. i bought small flagpole holders for less than $2 ea., bought 4ft wooden dowels at home depot and cut them in half and attached the flagpole holders with screws on the top horizontal beam of the fence and inserted the wooden dowels and attached green shade cloth across all of it. it's held up for over 2 years so far and was very inexpensive.
 

sheena13

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glad to see a testimonial about the cat fence, because I'm definitely getting one. my cats go out on supervised visits, but I'd love to be able to keep the doors open while I'm home & let them come in & out without being paranoid.

our adult stray rescue shows no interest in going out, which is good, because he can't. he's all white & a skin cancer risk.
 
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cybercat1

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Well....I placed my order with purrfect fence and hope to begin installation in the next couple of weeks if I'm lucky with the weather....looks like it's going to be rainy, wet and cold for awhile so who knows how long it might take for things to get nice again. I will post some pics and keep you up to date on how everything turns out. If my planning works out, the fence should go up pretty quick.

I love some of the other ideas mentioned here but I want to try this setup because I'm really looking for something that is as unobtrusive as possible since we've put a lot of nice features into landscaping of the yard. This will work as its own system and can be moved or removed if we want to change things around in the future. Even though the expense is high....it's still cheaper than many of the other options I've explored.
 

carolina

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Originally Posted by cybercat1

Well....I placed my order with purrfect fence and hope to begin installation in the next couple of weeks if I'm lucky with the weather....looks like it's going to be rainy, wet and cold for awhile so who knows how long it might take for things to get nice again. I will post some pics and keep you up to date on how everything turns out. If my planning works out, the fence should go up pretty quick.

I love some of the other ideas mentioned here but I want to try this setup because I'm really looking for something that is as unobtrusive as possible since we've put a lot of nice features into landscaping of the yard. This will work as its own system and can be moved or removed if we want to change things around in the future. Even though the expense is high....it's still cheaper than many of the other options I've explored.
Congratulations - very exciting! Make sure to let us know how installation went, and send us pictures, of the ktiites enjoying it, and the fence itself!
 
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cybercat1

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hey thanks for the interest.....hope you can get something like this for your beautiful cats when you get YOUR yard!
 

kathyh

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Definitely NOT worth the money. I ordered the purrfect cat fence costing me nearly 700. and it doesn't work. Don't waste YOUR money!!!!!! The company policy on returns is unacceptable. If you decide to return it - it will cost you quite a bit of money - close to 1/2 of what you spent by the time you pay for shipping both ways and their processing return fees. I do not think this company really cares about cats, just the almighty dollar. I would definitely NOT order this fence for any reason....
 

apalski

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Hi Kathyh

Would you mind letting me know in what way did the fence not work? I was looking at getting one but if they would be able to escape it would not be the one for me!

Thanks for your help
 

tammyp

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Interesting.

I think you have to assess a fence by the type of cat you have.  I have a Korat - they have a will of iron and immense athleticism.  We've had 2 years of battle (husband vs the cat) on who can win the fencing!  I was told by a Korat breeder that if a Korat wants to get out, it will.  She had a mesh professionally installed fence - in the first 48hrs, one of her Korats chewed a hole in it.  She called the company, and they argued that a rat did it; problem was, she observed the cat doing it!  She demanded a refund and now uses wire.

We have gone for chicken wire in our latest fort knox.  We have seen Kato traverse along the top of a wall, which was meshed, by hanging by his font feet, swinging his body side to side, and inching along by those front paws.  He has broken a bit of wood off the fence and got thru the hole.  He as swung himself sideways and up to get around and over a mesh-roof corner.  He has chewed through 4 layers of mesh.  He has also climbed a very twiggy tree to freedom - despite the bin lids ringing the branches to prevent access.  Our current version is a roof of chicken wire extending through the tree around every single branch and twig (tricky), and extending out from the fence-walls about 3-4 feet.  So far (3months), success!!

Like yourself, Kato if so, so, so, so happy to be out in the garden!  We don't hear the end of it until he is allowed out.  But there is incredible enrichment in it.
 

blueyedgirl5946

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I have something similar which works very well. It is called the cat fence in system. We used it many years before we built our house here. Then we put up a chain link fence and moved the system here. At the time we moved we did have to buy new mesh to re-install the system. It has now been in place ten years and has survived two hurricanes and some high windstorms. The link is here.

http://www.catfencein.com/
 

ilvpngnc

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We installed Purrfect fence several years ago around our complete back yard .. We have 3 cats and a family of coyotes living in our neighborhood.  The Purrfect fence has worked great so far.  The only downside might be the cosmetics of the fencing but it was the best solution for the cost that I could find.
 

ameobia

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Depending on if you have fence currently or not, I checked out catfencein.com and got a better deal.  The owners even found me a person that had installed it in my city and I went to the home and viewed it myself.  They also have a one year money back guarantee.

I also looked at Purrfect fence, and I am fine with buying the catfencein.  Let me know what happened?

Thank you,  Ameobia
 
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