The Purrfect Fence: Choosing Catproof Fencing To Keep Cats In (And Out Of) Your Garden
Catproofing your garden fence can be a great way to keep your beloved pet within arms reach, but installing a catproof fence can also have other benefits, keeping stray cats and other unwelcome climbing pests from accessing your property. As such, when purchasing a catproof fence or a catproofing conversion kit, you should keep in mind how well it functions as a deterrent as well as a means of containment. The following catproof fence ideas can all help you keep your fence secure against cat infiltration from both sides:
Overhanging fences
As the name suggests, these fences are fitted with angled overhangs at the top, preventing cats from climbing to the top of the fence to escape or enter your garden. While fences with inbuilt anti-cat overhangs are widely available, you can also find conversion kits that allow you to fit overhangs to existing fences, making overhangs an excellent choice for catproofing your fence on a budget. These simple structures require very little maintenance, and will last as long as your fence does with proper care and attention.
However, an overhang is only effective at stopping cats climbing on the side of the fence they are fitted on, so to prevent cats getting both in and out of your garden you will need to fit overhangs to both sides; this can be an expensive and time-consuming endeavor, especially for larger gardens. To get around this problem, you might wish to fit angled overhangs on the top of your fence, made from wire mesh (solid overhangs can be climbed relatively easily). These overhangs present a barrier to any cat, but can give your fence an unwelcoming, cage-like appearance.
Rotating fences
These fences resemble ordinary garden fences at first glance but are fitted with a moving panel or cylinder at the top. This is fitted on an axle, allowing it to rotate when a cat tries to grab on to top of the fence. Because these rotating sections rotate both ways, they are instantly viable as stray deterrents with no modifications required. They can also be fitted to existing fences in the same way as overhangs; although, purpose-built catproof fences with rotating tops are widely available.
Unfortunately, these fences must be the only way for a cat to gain height for them to be effective, and a cat that climbs a nearby tree or shed can leap the rotating section of your fence with relative ease; as such, you should make sure that trees and other tall structures in your garden cannot be used as jumping points, which may require extensive modification of your garden layout. Rotating fences also tend to be more expensive than overhanging fences, and they need occasional maintenance to stop rotating sections from sticking and becoming useless.
Electric fences
Essentially a refinement of the electric fences used to contain cattle and other livestock, electric fences made for cat deterrence do not carry a charge nearly as powerful. They deliver painful but entirely harmless shocks to cats that attempt to climb them, serving as an effective physical deterrent as well as a psychological barrier to more persistent strays and escapees. Alternatively, you can have special electric fences fitted that do not carry a charge of their own; instead, they deliver a radio signal to a special collar worn by your cat, which shocks the cat when the wires are crossed.
However, fitting an electric fence of any sort can be a legal hassle, especially in residential areas with children, and you should check that you are not violating any local building codes or resident association agreements before installing yours. Choosing an electric fence will also involve a significant financial outlay, both in terms of buying equipment and keeping the fence constantly powered. Installing a battery pack or solar array to power your fence can help defray these long-term costs.
For more information on fencing supplies, contact a business such as Combined Metal Industries.