How high do enclosure walls need to be for 6 - 10 week old foster kittens.

[BNE]

Hi everyone,

I am just looking for advice as I am going to build an enclosure for my foster kittens (along with a cosy playpen for them to sleep) and I was just wondering how high the walls need to be (without a roof) ? How high can they jump?

I was also wondering what an ideal material would be so they wouldn't climb it (also cost effective) I was thinking about corflute with a wooden frame and making about 3 or 4 panels.

On another note, how many square meters of play space do you think they would need? I would need to section off a corner of a room as I do not have a suitable small room.

Thank you guys so much!

 

[Willowy]

At 10 weeks old, no enclosure without a top will hold them. They're at peak jumping age! They also might be able to claw/chew through the corflute, unless you get real heavy-duty stuff (not the lightweight kind used for signs).

I'd recommend a 4' x 4' dog or small animal playpen, around 24"-30" tall. Some brands have covers available or you can rig something with corflute or netting (the corflute for the top can be thin because they won't be able to claw or bite at it for extended periods). This is an example of one with a cover:
All Living Things® Play & Exercise Small Pet Pen | small pet Play Pens | PetSmart
All Living Things® Small Pet Exercise Pen Cover | small pet Play Pens | PetSmart

Dog playpens might be cheaper, depends what brand:
MIDWEST Wire Dog Exercise Pen with Step-Thru Door, Gold Zinc, 30-in - Chewy.com

And have more available covers if you don't want to make your own:
MIDWEST Exercise Pen Wire Mesh Top - Chewy.com
MIDWEST Exercise Pen Sunscreen Top (Pen Sold Separately) - Chewy.com

 

[BNE]

Thank you Willowy!

Can anyone recommend a 6 - 10 week foster kitten enclosure setup based of products from these two sites?

My preferred big box store:
https://www.kmart.com.au

And my preferred hardware store:
Bunnings Warehouse | Australia's DIY, Garden & Hardware Store

Or possibly any other retailers in Australia.

Thanks

 

[Willowy]

Ok, this looks good, no door but you can work around that: https://www.kmart.com.au/product/small-animal-enclosure/3102381

Use some kind of mesh/netting to cover it, attached with zip ties:
Search - Our range

Crescent 200 x 4.6mm Black Cable Tie - 100 Pack

Or use corflute instead of mesh.

 

[BNE]

^^ Is that big enough though? I do like the concept of putting that mesh stuff on the roof - if I could easily remove it (I suppose hinges could work)

Could anyone else give a second opinion?

 

[Willowy]

It's about 4' x 4' (1.2 meters) if you set it up as a square, which is probably about the amount of floor space they'd have in a spare bathroom (where many people keep foster kittens). How large is the space you have available?

You could link 2 of them if you have more space than that.

 

[BNE]

I have a 3.5m x 1.5m space.

 

[Willowy]

Yeah, 2 pens together would work then. If you want something more permanent, plexiglass or paneling would be more sturdy than corflute.

 

[BNE]

Thank you so much for all your help Willowy! You have certainly given me something to go off!

 

[FeebysOwner]

I do like the concept of putting that mesh stuff on the roof - if I could easily remove it (I suppose hinges could work) Could anyone else give a second opinion?

Hi. I would be more inclined to use something like plexiglass for the roof (as opposed to mesh). Knowing kittens, they will find a way to crawl up the sides and 'latch' onto the mesh ceiling. Punching holes in the plexiglass and using cable ties that are releasable, and therefore reusable, might be one way to affix the ceiling to the enclosure. These cable ties exist, but I don't know if your preferred hardware store carries them.

 

[BNE]

Hi guys,

Thank you for all your help. I think I have settled on what I would like to do.

One of my friends has this playpen that their puppy has outgrown:
https://www.kmart.com.au/product/3-in-1-playpen/738833

And I think I might purchase one of these:
https://www.kmart.com.au/product/foldable-pet-play-pen---extra-large/2572302

Join them together as shown in this diagram:

I am planning to use these as a roof:
Saxon 90cm x 10m Chicken Wire Netting

Thanks again!

 

[BNE]

I don't think acrylic is in my budget, but if anyone has any suddgestions that would be much appreciated.

 

[BNE]

Hi!

As I have finalised the design for the enclosure, I am now seeking advice as to what I need and where to put it? If I have say, 4 kittens, each needs it's own litter tray, plus one more - so keep that in mind! If someone wouldn't mind marking up the second image (and reposting it) that would be much appreciated!

Drawing with measurements:

Drawing for Markup (and reposting):

 

[lutece]

How far apart are the bars in that puppy playpen? Kittens can get through fairly narrow spaces, I have had kittens squeeze under closed doors in my house (my doors have a little extra space under them since our house used to have carpet).

 

[BNE]

How far apart are the bars in that puppy playpen? Kittens can get through fairly narrow spaces, I have had kittens squeeze under closed doors in my house (my doors have a little extra space under them since our house used to have carpet).

Thank you! I have adjusted the plan slightly and it no longer includes a playpen.

Now I just need to find something for the top...