How to Build an Outdoor Playground for Cats

Safety can be terribly frustrating.

Indoor cats enjoy an average life span as much as 10 years longer than those of cats that go out, according to the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University. They do, however, need extra stimulation to compensate for their luxury. One option is to provide a protected outdoor area that the cats can reach. They may still miss prey that's too large to get through the screening, but they can be directed to their own house plants to eat and that special entertainment that happens only on the balcony, roof or deck.

Things You'll Need

• 4 square fence posts
• 6 planks, 1 ft long
• Hammer and galvanized nails
• 7 lengths of 2-by-4-inch lumber
• Hardware cloth
• Tin snips
• Staple gun
• Sturdy branch or small potted tree
• Boot tray
• Potting soil
• Oat-grass seed
• Cat fountain with filter

Instructions

1. Cross two planks and nail them to the bottom of each of two fence posts. Set the posts at the outer corners of the area for the cats. Nail a single plank across each of the other two fence posts and set them against the house, surrounding the window or door the cats will use for access to their playground.

2. Nail 2-by-4s to the outsides and fronts of the outer fence posts at floor level and at the tops. Nail the seventh 2-by-4 to the insides of the inner posts to stabilize the enclosure.

3. Cover the three outer vertical sides of the enclosure and the top with hardware cloth. Cut it to fit with tin snips and secure it to the frame using the staple gun.

4. Place a branch inside the enclosure to allow your cats to climb and use their claws. Brace the branch if necessary to keep it stable. Add platforms near the top of the enclosure where the cats can rest and observe.

5. Fill a shallow tray, such as for boots, with potting soil and plant oat grass in it. Reseed it periodically.

6. Place a fountain in the enclosure to provide your cats with aerated water to drink. Naturalize the surroundings of the fountain if you like, but the cats will be just as happy with the plain plastic. Keep the fountain clean and filled.

7. Attach the enclosure to the house for everyone's safety, using methods and hardware appropriate to conditions, including your means of access to maintain the playground.

Tips & Warnings

• If you plan to leave a window or door open to the cats' enclosure, wrap it in window screening as well as hardware cloth.

• Even in a natural area, cats benefit from living indoors with controlled access to the outside. You can build a shallower enclosure, with a lightweight floor, high enough off the ground to keep your cats safe from larger predators.

• Take care that nail points and wire ends are pounded over so they can't scratch your cats.

• Don't give your cats access to the playground when you aren't home to supervise and intervene in case of trouble.

• Some outdoor animals, including blue jays and squirrels, can perceive when cats are confined and taunt these cats. Be prepared to bring your cats inside when this happens.

References

• The Behavior Clinic, Tufts Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine; Outdoor Vs. Indoor Cats