Pet Enclosures

Enclosures protect the pawrific member of the family by keeping them safe on your property – safe from vehicles, other animals and from getting lost. In the case of cats it can also protect native wildlife.

Enclosure considerations, for a dog:

• Is my enclosure big enough?
• Is the fence high enough? (Can your dog stand on its hind legs and put its paws or face over the fence?)
• Is the fence strong enough? (Could your dog knock the fence over if it ran at it?)
• Is the fence free from gaps? (Are there timber palings missing? Holes in the wire?)
• Is my dog a digger – will it dig under the fence?
• Is my dog a jumper – is my fence high enough or designed to prevent jumping?
• Does the enclosure have shade? Water? Comfortable sleeping area?

  Don’t forget some toys to keep your dog occupied when home alone.

  The enclosure doesn’t need to be the full size of the yard. For example, you may decide to enclose the back yard keeping the front yard available for easy access for people and vehicles.  This also allows the postie to deliver safely to your mail box.

  Containment systems may be used as a backup but are not suitable as the only method for keeping your dog on your property and are not deemed a suitable enclosure.  They often rely on electricity or batteries which may fail and render the containment useless.

  The needs of cat enclosures are bit different. A purrfect enclosure for cats would include the following considerations:

• Does it have a roof? – to prevent the cat from jumping/climbing out and to protect from the sun and rain
• Does it have structures such as platforms to allow the cat to climb? Have you provided toys to keep it occupied?
• Does it have a protected area for the cat to sleep or hide?

Don’t forget to include a scratching post. 

If you are game, you could also train your cat to walk on a harness!

Remember to regularly check the enclosure to ensure it doesn’t have any gaps or breaks that your pet can use to escape.