Hi

I thought i would post a few photos for anybody considering building an outdoor enclosure! We spent roughly $750 on this (including everything that is inside of it) and i think it is worth every dollar. The cats absolutely love it, and it is awesome that they can still enjoy the great outdoors in a safe manner.

Basically in the beginning we bought one of those DIY kits that include everything and all you have to do is put it together. We found the netting to be a little lightweight and was too easily blown up in the wind so we decided to swap it to wire mesh panels (we also don't have grass so there was no way to peg it down). All the panels were attached with cable ties and it is extremely secure and pretty much heavy enough to bolt itself to the ground. They do not have free access to this though as we rent and are not allowed to install a cat flap, though maybe in the future this may become a possibility. They do however let us know when they want to go out, by sitting at the back door meowing!

Feel free to ask away with any more questions, i am more than happy to answer

The Enclosure; Measures 3.6 meters long by 1.8 meters high and 1.8 meters wide


Inside, with play tunnel and box house to rest in on hot/sunny days


Artificial turf for part of the floor and a shelf with upright scratch post. Shelf is carpeted and post wrapped in sisal rope.


Shelf with upright scratch post


Food and water area, with automatic water dispenser

oh that's very cool, you're in Australia no?
Where did you purchase this from? It looks fantastic, great work.

Yes i am in Australia

We originally purchased the frame from Gumtree. Someone had bought one of the Catmax enclosures and then decided not to use it and had it stored away for like 3 years, so we bought it off them! I think they retail for around $700, but that is with the mesh netting included. We did use the netting but we found it was too lightweight as with strong winds it would fly up and that cats would escape (not that they ever went further than our backdoor ). We then went to bunnings and bought a roll of large bird aviary wire and put that on the frame in panels, which has made the enclosure heavy enough to pretty much bolt it to the ground. Pretty much everything else used to build it was from bunnings to. I am sure you could even build your own frame with the materials at bunnings.

The rest was pretty much just DIY stuff! It took us roughly 2 days to build, but seriously it was worth every minute and dollar we spent on it as the cats love it. They are so happy they are finally able to be outside and we are even happier they can enjoy the outdoors in a safe manner

Oh, and the box inside is also from bunnings. I think that was around $130

We designed our cat enclosure in a separate area of our deck, which is elevated off the ground. It's quite large -- 12'x12' and averages 8' high. An acrylic panel with a cat door sits inside the channel of the open dining room window which allows our kitty 24/7 access. We also have a cat house in there which will have a heated bed for winter. I do not put food out there, just water, and there is a covered litter box. There are two cat trees, steps, and toys out there. We used 14 ga. wire fencing for the walls and translucent panels for the roof. Raiden is spending more and more time out there in the cooler weather. I clean it every weekend (the leaves are taking over as they are falling from the trees and blowing in through the openings). It's a source of pride of my husband who took two weeks building it. We humans access it through a locked, security screened door and I spend time out there with Raiden -- which he loves. It cost about $2,000 including the cat trees. It keeps our kitty safe and keeps other kitties out.

You did a fantastic job on yours. I wish more people would considering investing in something like this to keep their kitties safe when they are outdoors. It seems like all cats love the outdoors -- but it's a dangerous place at times.

that looks brill!!! :D :D

Cat enclosures are fun to design and create! Raiden loves his and spends a lot of time out there. Gives him some fresh air (when we aren't walking on a leash) and he's safe and secure. Google images has thousands of pictures. Enclosures can be simple and small or very exotic. Raiden's enclosure would hold 6 or more cats comfortably. Hoping it's a huge selling feature when it comes time to move. Then I hope to have a screened porch like Jill that he can enjoy as his enclosure.

Well, sometimes it's a good thing to resurrect something like this as enclosures are great for bengals. It's a great alternative for letting your kitties roam free.