[johnd9]

Hi

I have a screened in patio and I allow my cat to chill in there. The screen is pet proof, so he can scratch at it and it holds very well. He usually chases lizards that are running around outside, and the screen holds well.
Now I have a problem with neighbors lose cat that is taunting my cat and my cat gets really really 'angry' and tries to get through the screen... and I've never seem him so aggressive, so I'm afraid that the screen might not hold.

So, I 'm looking for ideas how to add additional layers of protection, because my cat was never allowed to be outside and i have a small dog inside, so a hole in the screen can make my life a living hell.

Some criteria:
- it needs to be as clear/see through as possible, so my cat can still chase lizards - his favorite daily activity
- I hope it is only temporary, until the cat gets bored coming around or I chase it away so loudly it doesn't' come back - so I'm thinking maybe 1 or 2 months and then the additional protection should be removed
- I would prefer not to screw anything into the screen frame (so I'm not left with holes after I remove it)
- measurements of area needs protection: height: 36 inches, length: all around = 30 feet

So, first thought was to buy a clear polycarbonate or acrylic sheets, which you can get really thin, but they are not easy to cut to measure and the weight would probably require screwing them into the frame.

So, next idea is to have a strong (heavy duty, industrial) double sided tape and use it to tape something on. Perhaps some light polycarbonate or acrylic sheet (if I can find one), or maybe even cardinal safety netting (but needs to be strong, not flimsy).

Any ideas or suggestions are much appreciated! Or which material to buy (amazon has many double sided tapes, but reviews are mostly very good and very bad).

 

[Nealtw]

Have his front claws removed. I have seen people cover screen with plexiglass, and the cat just jumped up to where there was screen to scratch.

 

[johnd9]

Have his front claws removed.

Thank you, my wife probably divorces me the same day
I need to find another solution.

He does already jump up or sometimes climb up the screen (cats can climb pet proof screen because it's strong enough), but the force with which he could break through, is only at the ground level where he can run up to the screen - because the other cat is always o the ground level.

 

[hkstroud]

Spray the neighbors cat with water from garden hose any time it comes around.

 

[huesmann]

Chicken wire?

 

[johnd9]

Spray the neighbors cat with water from garden hose any time it comes around.

The 2 times it came around was at 1am and 10pm last night. The first time I just heard commotion, last night I was able to chase it away, yelling and banging on the fence.

 

[johnd9]

Chicken wire?

How would I attach it to the frame? I can't use zip ties since, there's not room around framing. You think a strong weatherproof double sided tape could hold it?

 

[Nik333]

Double-sided tape doesn't hold well.


It seems only a metal lattice would work, or chicken wire.


You could get the neighbor's cat fixed, if not.


I'm glad you won't get the cat declawed.

 

[SPS-1]

Never heard of pet proof screening, but I know a cat can rip apart regular screening.

Acrylic is cheaper than polycarbonate, put still pretty expensive.

Best suggestion so far has been the chicken wire.

 

[johnd9]

Never heard of pet proof screening, but I know a cat can rip apart regular screening.

Yes, it's a little thicker and it has different threading so that cats claws actually can go in between the threading and then it gets back into shape when claw is removed. They can scratch it and climb and is all good.

But, running into it and aggressively trying to attack another cat... this is probably not something it's tested for.

 

[johnd9]

Best suggestion so far has been the chicken wire.

If you look at the picture, the frame is not something I can wrap or attach anything on it by wrapping around the frame - so not rope, zip ties or wire.

Unless i don't see something very obvious, I think the only solutions are to screw, nail or glue/tape onto the metal frame. And I prefer not to put holes into metal framing, if possible.

 

[DoomsDave]

@johnd9, sounds like you're in California.

Or someplace like that.

Glad you won't be declawing your cat! And, keep him inside. I've managed to keep six for a while, inside away from the hungry coyotes.

Sounds like your kitty is a real bull-dozer . . . .

So does the neighbor's cat.

This might be a bit early for a full-on total solution. I'd be prepared to experiment a bit. Sounds like the chicken wire is promising, and it's cheaper, less visible, and less likely to catch kitty claws in a fit of bull-doziness. That, in turn, might make it feasible to cover the whole enclosure. .

 

[Nik333]

Wooden lattice? It would have to have holes smaller than your animals.


I took a cat with us camping, once.

She lasted in the tent about 3 minutes.:wink2:She would have ripped the nylon tent apart.


She did enjoy watching the wildlife from the car.


I spent $200 having a kind of chicken-wire shelf screwed up all around my home's garden's wooden fence. It was supposed to deter their climbing. One cat, 11, took one look & leaped over the door in the fence.


They don't make cats like they used to. The handyman next door calls him a baby cougar.


Oh, fyi, if you have a fence, the chicken wire shelf did keep cats from climbing in.

 

[Nik333]

Here's an article on Catios.
https://www.adventurecats.org/pawsome-reads/catio-hacks-every-cat-owner-should-know/

One thing, though, is that I think the cats that think they're protecting their home & owner, repeatedly, can become quite stressed. I had two cats looking, all day, through a three inch gap between door and jamb. I didn't realize until we moved how stressed they were, protecting that gap all day.
​

 

[huesmann]

How would I attach it to the frame? I can't use zip ties since, there's not room around framing. You think a strong weatherproof double sided tape could hold it?

Heavy duty staples?

 

[ChuckTin]

We have a similar situation, 3 cats and 2 screened in patios. Only solution I see is to eliminate the bottom screening. A complete non-starter so we don't allow them in the larger of the 2, the smaller room has awning windows and a knee-wall.
Anything I could think of turns the patio space into kitty gulag and cuts off the air flow.
If I was pressed for a solution I'd build a (temporary) light weight wall on the inside of the screening, 2x3 framing, chicken wire, 4' tall, with an inward sloping top shelf so kitty couldn't get purchase. Alternatively you could hang a 4' high slick tarp "wall" on the inside, again only temporary. I think there's a kid proof swimming pool fence like that.

 

[johnd9]

OK, I tried some glue... of course it didn't hold. So, as soon as I accepted the only way is to attach them really well - screwing them in, it went pretty good.

And here is the end result:

I found black colored pvc fence roll, and I painted the screws and washers black. It's very sturdy, no cat can get through, from inside or outside. I like it!

And my cat is enjoying nice weather again

 

[Lolamhl]

You definitely need to find a way to chase away the neighbor's cat. Try talking to your neighbors to look after their cat and keep him away from your house.
Your cat is stressed because of the neighbor's cat, which is a problem. Maybe you need to put a strong glass instead of a screen.
You can also read some articles about the psychology of cats on the website https://catbeep.com/do-cats-have-belly-buttons/ to understand their psychology and find a way to drive this cat away. This may actually be useful.
I wish you good luck with this. I hope you can solve the problem and not harm any cat.

 

[chandler48]

@Lolamhl it's a 2 year old thread. Hopefully the solution the OP used worked well. Besides, glass will break.