Cat Run
Our intention is to provide our cats with the freedom to choose to go outside or stay inside.
We have built a run attached to the back of the house that is undercover, they can enter this via a cat flap.
They can then go into a larger run in the garden by walking under a decking walkway.
Cat run Extension 2007
We are extending the run to more almost three time it's original size and building a stud pen, which should keep us busy for the next 6 months!
14 April 07
The last two weeks has seen us mixing concrete for the foundations and laying it, which I have to admit is not the smoothest I've ever seen!
We've also made a handful of mesh panels
15 April 07
We've spent the day in the sun making more mesh panels for the sides. For the original run we used Beckhart mesh, which was great quality, unfortunately this year we couldn't get hold of any and keep coming across unwelded links and having to discard as much as we use.
20 April 07
The last few days haven't seen much work done except a small bit of concreting to support the back fence panels. Daniel has created a design on the computer to show how the final run will look from inside. We plan to leave a substantial size lawn and an area of bark chippings with a climbing frame built from logs, there will also be shelves on the sides for the cats to lie on which aren't shown in the diagram
5 May 07
First thing this morning we put temporary panels up to confine the cats to the top half of the run. We then took the remainder of the old run down, which was a triangular shape. We then fixed the front mesh panels to the concrete.
6 May 07
Most of the side panels and roof supports are now in place. It feels like it's all starting to come together but there is still a fair way to go.
7 May 07
The last side panel and door are complete and we are half way through the roof. The cats have been in and had a run around but the girls discovered they could climb up the mesh and escape!
19 May 07
We finished the roofing yesterday evening and allowed the cats free access to the run for the first time, watching them run around and explore every corner made it all our efforts worth while.
Today with lots of help from both sons, Andrew and Daniel, we finished the climbing area.
Instead of using bark chipping for half the run we decided to do a small triangle as many breeders have said cats will use it as a toilet.
We've concreted log roll into the ground to contain the chippings and built a log climbing frame which we can change from time to time.
We still have shelves to put up with places for them to sit and that will be part one finished. Part two is the stud pen but there is no rush for that.
For now our cats have a fantastic place to play, hide, climb and express themselves and most importantly, if they want to come inside and curl up on our knees, the cat flap is always open
Stud Pen Number 1 - Sandoys
We are making the first stud pen at the top of the existing cat run and alongside the garage. We plan to put Sandoy here as it has restricted sunlight, with Sandoy being a white he will be prone to sunburn. It also means we can run electricity from the garage for heating. He will also have access to the large cat garden at times
6 October 2007
Sons, Andrew and Daniel helped clear the area and removed the mesh panels from the back and secured a wooden wall
7 October 2007
Before laying the new floor we dug up the uneven one. Col mixed the concrete and I laid it. Photo shows Col finishing the edge and making a ridge for drainage. We'd secured the cats whilst doing this but Skid managed to escape and did a full lap round the wet concrete - we decided to leave it to set with her footprints still there!
21 October 2007
The frame is now complete and fully insulated, we've covered the outside in 10mm tongue and grove, treated with water seal
March 2008
The finished run, we completed it the week before Sandoy came to live with us. All our good intentions of having it complete before winter set in, seemed to go out of the window. Sandoy only actually stayed in it for the first 6 nights, he is so well behaved we leave the door open and he uses the big run and can enter the house freely.
Stud Pen Number 2 - Sjagars
23 March 2008
Ok, so now we are panicking, we have less than a week before Sjagar joins us. We've started to build his pen on the far end of the existing run, there is a door that joins is so that Sjagar will also have access to the big run. We decided that we would lay paving slabs on the ground instead of concrete as it is less permanent (for when the time comes for us to move home) and far quicker of course! We've made a solid wooden back as it provides protection from the elements and when the farmer crop sprays the field. This morning we woke up to 3ins of snow , it thawed by lunch time but it has certainly been cold work today,
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