Safety in the Fresh Air and the Outdoors for Your Cat - How To Build a Cattery

Animal welfare organizations and humane societies have been very successful in helping people to accept that their cats are safer living exclusively indoors, especially in urban areas. However, cat lovers still want to give their cats a chance to enjoy fresh air and all the sights and sounds that come with it. One way to do this safely is to create a cattery.

The term cattery originally referred to a facility that kept and bred colonies of cats. Today, the term is being used to describe a sort of pet playpen. A home cattery is an enclosed, outdoor area in which a pet cat can bask in the sun or exercise. The site can be a lawn, a porch or an apartment balcony, and a variety of building plans can be found on the Internet. The important ingredients of a cattery are size, security and access.

How big to build depends on the activity level of your cat and the amount of space available. If you have an acrobatic cat living in your apartment, you might try to build a structure taller than it is wide, with several ledges for her to jump around on. If your cat is more sedentary and you have a large yard, you might create a cattery that has one or two shelves, but has cat grass and catnip planted inside to provide sensory stimulation.

A cattery can be made from wooden posts and wire mesh. Be certain that all sharp edges are covered or made inaccessible to your cat. If you have a door to enter/exit the cattery, make sure it can be latched securely. Check the cattery frequently for holes or loose spots in the mesh. Make sure that the cattery has a roof. It doesn't have to be expensive - a sheet of strong cloth attached to the sides will do - something to keep your cat in, and anything else out.

If you build your cattery on your porch or balcony, include a cat door so your pet can come in and go out as she pleases. Put some cat toys out for her, and research what non-toxic plants you might put inside to make it like a jungle. Some people hang bird feeders outside the cattery to attract birds for their cat to watch. A scratching post and sturdy climbing pole are just the thing to encourage your cat to exercise.

Keep the cattery clean. Providing a litter box will cut down on the amount of clean up you need to do. Be sure to place a large, clean bowl of water in the cattery so your cat has access to fresh liquid as she needs it. If you have a problem with bugs then you should consider bug-proof food dishes. If you leave your cat in the cattery for long periods of time, don't forget to stock her with a bowl of dry cat food and make sure she has a way to get out of the sun or rain/snow, or make sure this is an area that is sheltered from extremes of weather.

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In The News:

table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd width=80 align=center valign=topfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifa href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://chattahbox.com/us/2008/10/07/kids-face-diseases-from-having-hamsters-exotic-pets/cid=1254673061ei=ctzrSMLUK4Lg6APG8dSACQusg=AFQjCNF2c00lqkfF7kYcPR_DYnQ4AAVoPQimg src=http://news.google.com/news?imgefp=OPJyVvwN_lUJimgurl=www.chattahbox.com/images/US_exotic_pets.jpg width=80 height=65 alt= border=1brfont size=-2ChattahBox/font/a/font/tdtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20081007.wlpets07/BNStory/specialScienceandHealth/homecid=1254673061ei=ctzrSMLUK4Lg6APG8dSACQusg=AFQjCNHgYRnA3sKAWyPJCa0gvxgkil0e_QExotic bpets/b pose health risks/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fGlobe and Mail,nbsp;Canadanbsp;-/font nobr8 hours ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1So your son is begging for a bpet/b turtle. Before you cave in, consider the salmonella it packs along with it. Reptiles, monkeys, rodents and other exotic b.../b/fontbrfont size=-1a href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5hgV4vXWpIz5R91uU50HvVN6HjXmgcid=1254673061ei=ctzrSMLUK4Lg6APG8dSACQusg=AFQjCNFLas92wH7i9ox7FDGWCbMbgp1oigExotic animals, domestic bpets/b pose risk for children: study/a font size=-1 color=#6f6f6fnobrAFP/nobr/font/fontbrfont size=-1a href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.usnews.com/blogs/on-parenting/2008/10/06/8-pets-that-pose-major-health-threats-to-kids.htmlcid=1254673061ei=ctzrSMLUK4Lg6APG8dSACQusg=AFQjCNH27mAfnR4RuNYBh80HzVK8y10BHg8 bPets/b That Pose Major Health Threats to Kids/a font size=-1 color=#6f6f6fnobrU.S. News World Report/nobr/font/fontbrfont size=-1a href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.koaa.com/aaaa_top_stories/x1733530320/Non-traditional-pets-raising-red-flagscid=1254673061ei=ctzrSMLUK4Lg6APG8dSACQusg=AFQjCNELEQLa7hqMFAdnCKqkvYQGr4KhoANon-traditional bpets/b raising red flags/a font size=-1 color=#6f6f6fnobrKOAA/nobr/font/fontbrfont size=-1 class=pa href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://chattahbox.com/us/2008/10/07/kids-face-diseases-from-having-hamsters-exotic-pets/cid=1254673061ei=ctzrSMLUK4Lg6APG8dSACQusg=AFQjCNF2c00lqkfF7kYcPR_DYnQ4AAVoPQnobrChattahBox/nobr/anbsp;- a href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/cbbcnews/hi/newsid_7650000/newsid_7657000/7657033.stmcid=1254673061ei=ctzrSMLUK4Lg6APG8dSACQusg=AFQjCNE0kY9k5r96AULmO8HUCoYsgiJF3gnobrCBBC Newsround/nobr/a/fontbr/font class=p size=-1a class=p href=http://news.google.com/news?sourceid=navclientie=ISO-8859-1rls=GGLG,GGLG:2005-22,GGLG:enncl=1254673061hl=ennobrall 420 news articles/nobr/a/font/div/font/td/tr/table
table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd width=80 align=center valign=topfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifa href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://foodconsumer.org/7777/8888/C_onsumer_A_ffair_26/100610412008_Keeping_a_pet_raises_your_health_risk.shtmlcid=1255021867ei=ctzrSMLUK4Lg6APG8dSACQusg=AFQjCNEataQjqW6K18UQp8Tiyy87yWb5Dwimg src=http://news.google.com/news?imgefp=4u5t-_q2M30Jimgurl=foodconsumer.org/7777/uploads/1/pets_cdc.jpg width=73 height=80 alt= border=1brfont size=-2Food Consumer/font/a/font/tdtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.webmd.com/parenting/news/20081006/exotic-pets-risky-for-kidscid=1255021867ei=ctzrSMLUK4Lg6APG8dSACQusg=AFQjCNFjtzaBa0SkbHa2XEWaGe8Ea7HiBgExotic bPets/b Risky for Kids/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fWebMDnbsp;-/font nobr23 hours ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1By Miranda Hitti Oct. 6, 2008 -- Parents considering getting a quot;nontraditionalquot; bpet/b, such as an iguana, chick, or monkey, should weigh the risks those bpets/b b.../b/fontbrfont size=-1a href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/kids-pets-cdc-advice-staying/story.aspx%3Fguid%3D%257B7D261CA0-858C-481C-A278-64BD2EA2505E%257D%26dist%3Dhpprcid=1255021867ei=ctzrSMLUK4Lg6APG8dSACQusg=AFQjCNH8cJwTyZtso45ima3lBqXj-Xz3oQKids and bPets/b: CDC Advice for Staying Healthy and Happy/a font size=-1 color=#6f6f6fnobrMarketWatch/nobr/font/fontbrfont size=-1a href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/10/07/AR2008100701371.htmlcid=1255021867ei=ctzrSMLUK4Lg6APG8dSACQusg=AFQjCNHJyGwnS71FglCNpV5B4G4ZGaP17QFor Some Animals, There#39;s No Place at Home/a font size=-1 color=#6f6f6fnobrWashington Post/nobr/font/fontbrfont size=-1a href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.findingdulcinea.com/news/health/September-October-08/Exotic-Pets-Could-Infect-Children--Doctors-Caution.htmlcid=1255021867ei=ctzrSMLUK4Lg6APG8dSACQusg=AFQjCNFc489bSzIyIkFY6w-JUj0yDTLvCAExotic bPets/b Could Infect Children, Doctors Caution/a font size=-1 color=#6f6f6fnobrfindingDulcinea/nobr/font/fontbrfont size=-1 class=pa href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.healthnews.com/family-health/child-health/not-all-pets-children-are-compatible-1913.htmlcid=1255021867ei=ctzrSMLUK4Lg6APG8dSACQusg=AFQjCNEeRtJlDPAlEBaS02D1O2NH6QbjKQnobrHealthNews/nobr/anbsp;- a href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.upi.com/Health_News/2008/10/06/CDC_Non-traditional_pets_pose_health_risk/UPI-78501223327222/cid=1255021867ei=ctzrSMLUK4Lg6APG8dSACQusg=AFQjCNFSp8tTVSve7rSFIvDTKw1hflngcAnobrUnited Press International/nobr/a/fontbr/font class=p size=-1a class=p href=http://news.google.com/news?sourceid=navclientie=ISO-8859-1rls=GGLG,GGLG:2005-22,GGLG:enncl=1255021867hl=ennobrall 23 news articles/nobr/a/font/div/font/td/tr/table
table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.usnews.com/blogs/on-parenting/2008/10/07/pets-for-young-kids-does-exotic-mean-toxic.htmlcid=0ei=ctzrSMLUK4Lg6APG8dSACQusg=AFQjCNFrje93rfTxWsQRlSBoU_vUa-MoQgbPets/b for Young Kids: Does Exotic Mean Toxic?/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fU.S. News World Report,nbsp;DCnbsp;-/font nobr3 hours ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1Readers responded big-time to my blog yesterday on a new study that warns parents of young children against exotic bpets/b. Several readers pointed out that I b.../b/font/div/font/td/tr/table
table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.click2houston.com/news/17642089/detail.htmlcid=1255193872ei=ctzrSMLUK4Lg6APG8dSACQusg=AFQjCNFMcbP9M0zB8C5svdLJtcfYV3EjVQbPets/b Displaced By Ike Go To Minnesota/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fClick 2 Houston.com,nbsp;TXnbsp;-/font nobr6 hours ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1HOUSTON -- More than 100 bpets/b that were displaced during Hurricane Ike will find new homes in Minnesota, KPRC Local 2 reported Tuesday. b.../b/font/div/font/td/tr/table
table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.wsaz.com/news/headlines/30577179.htmlcid=1255250300ei=ctzrSMLUK4Lg6APG8dSACQusg=AFQjCNGbTBWGuAZcUJ3k3z4I7sJoJ2a6XAPolice Rescue bPets/b from Vacant Apartment/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fWSAZ-TV,nbsp;WVnbsp;-/font nobr2 hours ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1HUNTINGTON, W.Va. (WSAZ) —Huntington police rescued 5 dogs and a cat from a vacant apartment in Huntington. The animals were in a 2nd floor apartment in the b.../b/font/div/font/td/tr/table
table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://news.bostonherald.com/news/regional/general/view/2008_10_06_Woof_and_worship:_Weymouth_church_welcomes_pious_pets/srvc%3Dhome%26position%3Drecentcid=1255198354ei=ctzrSMLUK4Lg6APG8dSACQusg=AFQjCNE-yEMmUpf59eOpqBkmRJpQQk_D_AWoof and worship: Weymouth church welcomes pious bpets/b/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fBoston Herald,nbsp;United Statesnbsp;-/font nobrOct 6, 2008/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1By AP WEYMOUTH - The Pilgrim Congregational Church in Weymouth is going to the dogs, and that’s just fine with the Rev. Rachel Bickford. b.../b/font/div/font/td/tr/table
table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.newsandtribune.com/homepage/local_story_281094024.html%3Fkeyword%3Dleadpicturestorycid=1255137956ei=ctzrSMLUK4Lg6APG8dSACQusg=AFQjCNHpvW-k7TKXmd2kOtb2tVAtJZ4QrgHarvest Homecoming dog show brings together owners and bpets/b for b.../b/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fEvening News and Tribune,nbsp;INnbsp;-/font nobr8 hours ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1“There’s no way he can do that,” one boy, who was waiting to take his bpet/b on stage, said with his two friends agreeing. Griffin, 11, then told her dog to b.../b/font/div/font/td/tr/table
table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.money.co.uk/article/1001615-overweight-pets-costing-owners-dear.htmcid=1255193776ei=ctzrSMLUK4Lg6APG8dSACQusg=AFQjCNFHEX9xbkbUAXu7BMqNvGDmeYiyXQOverweight bPets/b #39;Costing Owners Dear#39;/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fMoney UK,nbsp;UKnbsp;-/font nobr7 hours ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1The increasing numbers of overweight bpets/b in the UK could cause an insurance headache for owners, vets claimed today. Research commissioned by bpet/b insurance b.../b/fontbrfont size=-1a href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.easier.com/view/Finance/Insurance/Pet/article-208275.htmlcid=1255193776ei=ctzrSMLUK4Lg6APG8dSACQusg=AFQjCNEJ5KdKhIIVuESmgTW54JSDPdw2rAFour in 10 of our bpets/b are overweight according to vets/a font size=-1 color=#6f6f6fnobrEasier (press release)/nobr/font/fontbrfont class=p size=-1a class=p href=http://news.google.com/news?sourceid=navclientie=ISO-8859-1rls=GGLG,GGLG:2005-22,GGLG:enncl=1255193776hl=ennobrall 2 news articles/nobr/a/font/div/font/td/tr/table
table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://featuresblogs.chicagotribune.com/features_julieshealthclub/2008/10/pets-that-can-h.htmlcid=0ei=ctzrSMLUK4Lg6APG8dSACQusg=AFQjCNGsdr3Giy6QO1mkylTZRYb_vNvWmQbPets/b that can harm your kids/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fJulie's Health Club - Chicago Tribune Blog,nbsp;ILnbsp;-/font nobr3 hours ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1Most nontraditional bpets/b--such as rodents, reptiles, monkeys, and illegal exotic animals--pose a health risk to young children and people with immune b.../b/font/div/font/td/tr/table
table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/veterinarians-say-good-hygiene-common,569542.shtmlcid=0ei=ctzrSMLUK4Lg6APG8dSACQusg=AFQjCNEafjSnpCwKuH2Cyxi7y2r9wHJpTAVeterinarians Say Good Hygiene, Common Sense Key to Healthy bPets/b b.../b/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fEarthtimes (press release),nbsp;UKnbsp;-/font nobr9 hours ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1AVMA responds to news reports claiming exotic bpets/b are a health risk to young children SCHAUMBURG, Ill., Oct. 7 SCHAUMBURG, Ill. , Oct. 7 -- In light of b.../b/font/div/font/td/tr/table
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