When you have a cat in the city, or even if you live in a rural area, your house cat needs to have their instincts intact at all times. Unfortunately, when a house cat is stuck completely indoors, they lose the ability to keep their feline instincts, which can cause them a lot of harm if they were to ever sneak outside
They won’t know how to hunt, fend for themselves against other animals, or do everything else that cats love to do in their outdoor environment.
Therefore, you may consider getting an outdoor enclosure – or an outdoor playpen for your cat. In this ultimate guide, we’re going to talk all about these fun places for your kitty cat so you may find the best one for them.
Table of Contents
Why Choose an Outdoor Enclosed Space? #
As mentioned earlier, most indoor cats don’t get to just roam about. Even outdoor cats can benefit from an outdoor cat enclosure though – as most people have outdoor cats in their home. The downside is that foxes and other animals are common predators to cats, so they might attack them.
Not only that, but you have to deal with birds like owls, and even other feral cats in the area. Having an outdoor enclosure for your pet can cause the spread of disease and other problems aside from this. Therefore, there are a lot of benefits to having a cat playpen outside. Some of these include:
- Having an outdoor cat enclosure allows space outside so you don’t have to worry about the indoor smell of a litter box ever again.
- Your cat is much safer from predatory animals as mentioned.
- Your cat can enjoy perching with plenty of areas for it to rest on.
- Your cat can have the satisfaction of bathing outdoors.
- It keeps your cat out of your neighbors (and your own) trash and other areas.
- It eliminates the need for a leash and tie cable in places that have leash laws.
When You Should Consider a Cat Playpen #
Believe it or not, there are ways that you can tell if you need to invest in one of these enclosures (or build one). For example, if you notice that your cat is daydreaming by the window for all hours of the day – such as sunbathing and watching all of the activity of animals, birds, and other things outdoors – you may want to consider buying a place for your cat to play outside.
Sometimes your cat may destroy things in the house and shred up things like your furniture, and other areas of the home. Some people buy scratching posts and toys for their cats, only to find that they aren’t working. In these events, this is your cat telling you that it wants to spend its time being a cat – and enjoying mother nature to the fullest – so you should probably give it a way to go outside yet still be safe.
What About Fleas?#
One of the biggest concerns about these enclosures and your pet being outside is the fact that fleas have been known to cause a problem. Fortunately, you can simply put some medication on your cat to help combat fleas and ticks, and you can completely thwart fleas from getting on your cat altogether by doing things that are natural flea remedies, such as putting diatomaceous earth on the ground around your enclosure, and then spraying it down with some heavy-duty Ortho® spray 24 hours before you put your cat in it can greatly reduce the chances of fleas getting into your enclosure and on your pet.
What Kind of Enclosures Are There? #
Believe it or not, there are more than one type of enclosures for your cat if you’re thinking about putting it outside. Some enclosures are built to be attached to your house, and allow your cat to get in and out of your house at will.
These are called Window boxes, and this allows you to set up a window or doggy door for your cat so they can come and go at will – something that every cat loves to do.
Other types of enclosures offer a more portable solution that resemble camping tents, and even playpens or baby gate systems that you can put outdoors for your cat anywhere. These also offer a lot of flexibility as you can take them with you on trips, and they’re really easy to manage and even clean.
If you’re looking for a good enclosure that gives your cat a full playground and you aren’t worried about moving it around, stand-alone cat enclosures can give you a lot of benefits – and it’s the most commonly thought of cat enclosure aside from window boxes. While you aren’t going to have a portable solution, it will give your cat a lot of time and space to frolic at will.
Most of these bigger and fixed solutions also have multiple levels.
Additional Features Provide Even More Benefits #
Some of the other things that you may want to consider when it comes to buying a cat house for your cat to be outdoors in are as follows:
Size MattersChoose a size that fits your living situation and your cat’s needs.
Additional Safety #
What kind of safety features does it have? Do the doors on it lock to keep people and predators out?
Features for Accessibility #
How many levels and areas does it have for your pet to play or perch so your cat can get or maintain its instincts?
Cat Enclosure Portability #
Is the item portable? Do you need to take it on trips? Will you be moving eventually and need to take it with you?
How Durable Is It? #
The materials matter. Make sure that the screens are made of high-quality material, as well as the frames.
Conclusion #
So, there you have it, our ultimate guide on cat enclosures. If you’re wanting the best for your cat, you want to cater to their instincts as much as possible. Just like giving dogs a little bit of freedom, it allows your cat to be a cat and give you the loyalty and love you deserve as a great owner.
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