- Joined
- Dec 14, 2017
- Messages
- 13
- Purraise
- 3
We're building an enclosure for the colony of cats we care for. It will be 24'x48' so 1,152 sq ft total.
Originally, we were going to build a floating deck and then build a shed with an attached run but that plan will no longer work. Back to square one.
We have the layout for the enclosure and how we want to set up housing, feeding, litter boxes.. all that. What we are struggling with is ideas for the ground cover. No deck because it's going to blow the budget and be a hassle in the long run.
So, here are the ideas we came up with:
- Sand. The play sand kind. It's cheap and easy to come by at the store where we can get a little discount on each bag and it has a good drainage ability. The entire enclosure will have a roof with a 1' overhang on all 4 sides and 2 of the 4 walls will be completely covered with plywood and metal siding. Are there any cons with using sand?
- Mulch. Worried it'll harbor fleas, other pests and be messy?
- Gravel. Wondering about cost for such a large area and what kind would be best?
- Pavers. Worried about cost?
- Grass seeds. It will take us at least a couple of months to build the enclosure, so would growing grass work? The roof will be corrugated panels so it's gonna be shady all the time. Would grass even grow? Is there a strong kind of grass that can hold up to heavy traffic, the cats using the bathroom in it, a lot of shade (we can water it as often as needed) and be able to fully germinate within a couple of months before we put the cats in there?
Any other ideas that might work for us? Something affordable, that drains well, won't be messy or harbor pests and will be safe for them.
Thank y'all!
Originally, we were going to build a floating deck and then build a shed with an attached run but that plan will no longer work. Back to square one.
We have the layout for the enclosure and how we want to set up housing, feeding, litter boxes.. all that. What we are struggling with is ideas for the ground cover. No deck because it's going to blow the budget and be a hassle in the long run.
So, here are the ideas we came up with:
- Sand. The play sand kind. It's cheap and easy to come by at the store where we can get a little discount on each bag and it has a good drainage ability. The entire enclosure will have a roof with a 1' overhang on all 4 sides and 2 of the 4 walls will be completely covered with plywood and metal siding. Are there any cons with using sand?
- Mulch. Worried it'll harbor fleas, other pests and be messy?
- Gravel. Wondering about cost for such a large area and what kind would be best?
- Pavers. Worried about cost?
- Grass seeds. It will take us at least a couple of months to build the enclosure, so would growing grass work? The roof will be corrugated panels so it's gonna be shady all the time. Would grass even grow? Is there a strong kind of grass that can hold up to heavy traffic, the cats using the bathroom in it, a lot of shade (we can water it as often as needed) and be able to fully germinate within a couple of months before we put the cats in there?
Any other ideas that might work for us? Something affordable, that drains well, won't be messy or harbor pests and will be safe for them.
Thank y'all!