Even cats traditionally considered an ‘indoor’ breed can benefit from some quality time outdoors.
However, it’s only right to let your cat out to explore the scents and sights of the world if they will be safe.
To help with that, there are several different cat fence barrier options that you might want to consider for your yard or garden.
None of these will ever replace the need to supervise your kitty, but they can help ensure your outdoor space is as safe as possible for cats while enjoying the fresh air of the outside world.
Prevent Their Escape
One of the main reasons you might want a cat fence barrier is to ensure your cat can’t escape your property.
It’s usually not enough to rely on your regular fence – cats are excellent climbers, and there might be several items in your garden that they can climb to get a boost up and over the fence, too.
Even if your cat is normally timid, it might spot something that intrigues or excites it, tempting it up and over your fence—it might be a bird, a neighbor cat, or anything really.
Once they escape, they might panic and end up in trouble, or it could just be down to their naivety in the face of danger.
There’s a chance they could fight with other cats or even become a victim of other animals, especially if you live somewhere with predators like coyotes prowling around.
Plus, there are all the dangers of cars and busy roads – the big wide world is not suitable for all cats, so sometimes you’ll want to look at ways of enhancing your fence to make sure your cat is limited in their exploration and they can’t get out beyond your yard.
Different Fence Options
There are several options for a cat fence barrier when you want to keep your kitty from escaping.
When deciding which is best, you need to weigh up your priorities—safety for your cat should always be number one. Would you prefer an affordable but potentially unsightly option or one that’s highly effective but with a low profile?
If you’re on a tight budget, one of the best options is to use extension poles with mesh that hangs at an angle at the top of your fence, creating an inward-leaning barrier.
Because your cat can only climb the fence, they can’t then Spider-man climb their way up the backward incline, and so they can’t get over the top.
It tends to work well but can make your outdoor space look a little like a jail yard. Also, be mindful that it only works for keeping cats in—if you have neighbor cats, there’s a chance they’ll get stuck in your yard since it’s easier to jump over the incline when coming into your garden.
Rollers such as the Oscillot system are often preferred if you want a low-profile option. These spinning rollers, which you attach to the top of your fence, make it almost impossible for your cat to escape.
They can’t get any traction since it spins freely as soon as they lay a paw on the roller.
The Oscillot system will be more expensive than using extension poles with mesh, but if you place it on top of your fence, it will work as a barrier to keep cats in or out, and it will not spoil the look of your outdoor space.
Keep Them Out of Flowerbeds or Bushes
Another reason to consider a cat fence barrier is to keep cats away from certain parts of your yard, such as flowerbeds or bushes.
It might be for the cat’s protection or because it is part of the garden that you don’t want your cat to mess with.
There are some good cat fences that you can use for these, just to act as a simple barrier to stop them getting in. You can keep it cheap with simple chicken wire. Still, an attractive cat fence will be much more visually appealing, doing the job without spoiling the area’s look.
You’ll still need something with a bit of height—cats are good jumpers—and you should avoid any solid wood panels or tightly knitted mesh that your cat could climb.
A wider mesh provided that your cat can’t squeeze through the gaps should work fine, as the thinner wire shouldn’t be enough to support a cat’s leap. Something like this DIY fence should work well.
Natural Options
If you don’t want to use a cat fence barrier, there are some natural options you could consider.
Obviously, you’ll want to avoid anything toxic to cats – you want to deter them, not harm them!
But any herbs or plants with a strong aroma, such as lavender or citronella, will often make your cat leave parts of your garden alone. Their strong sense of smell means they don’t want to get too close to anything pungent.
If you want a ‘natural’ cat fence barrier, planting those around your flowerbeds or bushes could be a good option.
Stop Them Climbing Trees
Any cat owner with a tree in their garden may have concerns about their cat climbing it.
You might be worried about them using the tree as a ladder to reach something else – such as a way out of your yard.
Or perhaps it’s just the concern about your cat getting stuck. Sometimes, they can get relatively high and then realize they aren’t too sure about how to get down.
If you’re looking for a cat fence barrier to prevent tree climbing, a metal flashing kit that wraps around the tree is one of the best options.
This creates a slick metal surface that’s unclimbable. It stops your cat from getting their claws into the bark so that they’ve no way of climbing up it.
As long as there’s nothing else near the tree that can be used as a ladder to reach the branches, they won’t be able to climb up. There won’t be a need to get your own ladder out or to even call the fire department to help with a rescue in extreme circumstances!
This animal tree guard is an excellent option to consider.
In Summary
There are several reasons to consider a cat fence barrier, and depending on your yard, you might need all of them!
It’s essential to balance the cost against the visual impact because you don’t want to spoil the look of your outdoor space completely – it’s something you should be able to enjoy alongside your cat.
Safety will always be the top priority, so don’t settle for something cheap and basic that won’t actually protect your cat. Make sure you buy something suitable for the job you need.
The most common need for a cat fence barrier is to prevent your cat from escaping the yard, and the Oscillot system is one of the better options for that purpose.
