Cat Blog 10

Confining a cat or not

Like me you’ve probably been thinking about whether or not you should somehow be confining your cats. I have no definitive answer about confining a cat or not either, but I thought I could present you with some of the pros and cons. And perhaps you could send me your thoughts as well to add interest to the debate. Together we will figure it out and even begin formulating some guidelines.

Catios

I can think of a few cons regarding the use of catios:

• Many cat lovers feel strongly that their cats should have complete freedom to live as nature intended them to live.
• They also worry that their cats will become bored in confinement, and may even acquire one of the disorders that understimulated cats can develop.
• Some of us can’t afford the cost of having a catio built or a cat-proof fence erected.
• Apartment dwellers may feel that they simply don’t have the required space.

According to Alan Breslauer, aka The Catio Guy and owner of Custom Catios in Los Angeles, there are even more pros (https://pasadenahumane.org/5-benefits-to-investing-in-a-catio/):

Images: Metairie Small Animal Hospital, New Orleans

• The health and safety of the cats, which are probably self-evident. Cats that are confined are not exposed to cars, dogs, cat fights, irate humans or poison. Breslauer cites Jackson Galaxy in referring to catios as ‘the great compromise’, allowing cats ‘to have access to fresh air and sunshine, to see birds and bugs, and to experience a little bit of what comes with outdoor living’.
• Breslauer also mentions the fact that human cat companions tend to sleep better when their furballs have access to the outdoors at dawn.
• In addition litter boxes can be moved outdoors, which cats seem to prefer in any event.
• And then a biggie: protecting wildlife. Estimates of the number of birds and small mammals killed by cats tend to be wildly exaggerated. However, it stands to reason that cats that can only watch wildlife from a safe distance cannot add to the number of prey.

Fencing

I think most of us would prefer to keep our cats on our premises – especially if we have ample space. Cat guardians the world over make use of a number of different methods to achieve this:

Roller-type fencing such as the Australian Oscillot (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i-8x22Ce55I&feature=endscreen&NR=1). If you live in Gauteng, Morné from Pet Safety Solutions (079 045 6185 or http://petsafetysolutions.co.za) will be able to install this – and any other safety system – for you. (See more on them in Cat story 15 below.)

Alternatively you could install something like the Pet Stop solar-powered kit along your fence (https://www.nemtek.co.za/equineandpet/Pet-Systems/pet-stop-solar-powered-kit.aspx).

Non-electrified fencing bent inwards, wires closely spaced, keep cats inside property. (You could use a greater inward angle to make it more difficult for cats to negotiate.)

So in conclusion, what are your thoughts about confining your cats – or not? I would love to hear from you!

Cat quote of the week

         Cats are connoisseurs of comfort.

James Herriot

Cat Story 15: Pet Safety Solutions, Gauteng

Five years ago, in 2018, Morné Combrink decided that he wanted to commit himself to helping pet owners keep their pets safe. And so Pet Safety Solutions was born, and their slogan says it all: ‘Their safety is our concern’.

He was more qualified than most for the job. In addition to having all the necessary skills to do the job, he had been supporting partner Charlene in her tireless work with community (feral) cats in Pretoria for many years. He was also the long-time Chairperson of the Pretoria based NPO Be Wise Sterilise.

But nothing tells us more about Morné than the long record of imaginative and meticulous work he has done at the homes of countless pet owners, mostly in Gauteng and the Western Cape but also further afield.

Aluminium catio, window catio on stilts and gumpole catio by Cat Safety Solutions

See their website at http://petsafetysolutions.co.za/ for more examples of the many services they offer, including catios, window catios, enclosures, fencing and roller-fencing, and even cat traps for feral caregivers! And needless to say, it is all bespoke: especially designed and built for your pets in your particular situation.

There really seems to be nothing that Morné and his team can’t do or won’t do to ensure your satisfaction and your pet’s safety.

The interior of a catio created by Pet Safety Solutions

Contact them at office@petsafetysolutions.com or at +27 79 045 6185.