Pumpkin does paperwork

Pumpkin does paperwork

Saturday, March 26, 2011

DIY: Give kitty a view of the world outside from an enclosed yard

Finished kitty "peephole"
We equip our yards with secure areas to protect our cats from other cats, predators and dangers from the street. This frequently includes installing fence-top barriers which prevent our cats from getting on top of the fence. Cats love to be up high so they can survey their domain. Since we do not allow our cats to get up high enough within the fenced area to see very far, they cannot see the "outside world"at ground level very well, except through the cracks between the fence boards which must be frustrating for them.

Brodie sees something interesting
In an effort to help our cats be able to see more of the outside world - with both eyes at the same time - watch other cats, critters and birds at our bird feeders, I created several little windows in the fence at about kitty eye-height. The holes are large enough so the cats can see outside with both eyes, but small enough so they can't actually fit through the hole.

The view
To make the peepholes, I drew a template on of a piece of cardboard, cut it out and marked the fence board. I drilled a pilot hole. Then I used a jigsaw to cut out the shape. I created two of these in different places so several cats could use them at the same time. We owned the property and fence, and the holes I created look out into our own "unprotected" yard where our cats never go, so there were no issues with neighbors, etc. Alternatively, we could have removed the fence board and put one in place with a peephole, then replaced the original later on to "repair" the hole.

Our cats loved their new views on the world and used the peepholes all the time. We had a couple chickens for a while and even they used them. Of course, if your cat can come and go from the yard freely, these kitty peepholes do not make much sense, but they sure are cute.

Friday, March 18, 2011

VIDEO: Cat vs. Beetle: WIN


Our cat Binky makes lunch of a Mt. Hermon June Beetle. Originally posted on YouTube in July 2010. Running time: about a minute.

Thursday, March 17, 2011

VIDEO: Cat vs. Beetle: FAIL


Our cat Binky is a hunter. Fortunately, he doesn't bring in "big game", only the occasional yard bug. Sometimes the bugs have other plans. Originally posted on YouTube in July 2010. Running time: about a minute.

Wednesday, March 16, 2011

DIY: Kitty Kafe

Protected access for our cats to fresh grass and a nice view of birds and squirrels 

Kitty Kafe installed
Our three cats used to share the back yard with chickens. The chickens had "cleaned up" the back yard by consuming all the nice green grass the cats love to chew on.

The front yard was not normally accessible to the cats or the chickens so there is plenty of green grass. We decided to build a protected caged-in area which could be accessed from the back yard, through a kitty door in the fence. The "Kitty Kafe" is made from a 32" cylinder of 6" mesh 16-gauge wire wrapped with 1" chicken wire mesh, sunk into the ground and weighted down with medium-sized rocks. The access ramp is a piece of plywood surround by a shield of chicken wire mesh.

Entry way from back yard
The Kitty Kafe gives the cats access to a grassy part of the yard while protecting them from neighborhood cats and night critters. It also doubles as an observation platform where our cats love to watch all the activity around our bird feeders. Our chickens have never tried using a kitty door, so, until they do, Kitty
Kafe will be a chicken-free zone.