14 Ways to Cat Proof a Fence (With Pictures)

Cats are nimble, agile creatures that are known for their grace and climbing prowess. Indoor cats don’t have much to fear with these skills, but their curious natures can get outdoor cats into much more trouble. If your feline flees the backyard and makes their way into the big, open world, you might never see them again.

You probably won’t break your cat of their desire to explore or their natural curiosity. But you can take steps to prevent them from escaping the backyard. We’ve found 14 great examples of cat-proof fences. Feel free to take what you like, leave what you don’t, and modify anything to fit your needs. Remember, these are just ideas. It’s up to you to make them yours!

The 14 Ways to Cat Proof a Fence

This is a simple but very effective way to keep the cats in. Since the chain link fence is so sturdy, you won’t need too many support pieces to keep it up. Flimsier materials might require supports more often. But the chain link fencing can be difficult to cut, so make sure you’ve got the proper tools. On the other hand, it’s one of the more cost-effective ways to keep the cats contained.

1. Soft, Bendable Materials

Here’s a cat-proof fence made from softer materials. This is still fencing material, though it’s got some serious flex to it. You probably don’t even have to install this curled over like that. If you leave it standing up, your cat’s weight will likely cause it to fold when they climb.

2. Mesh Fence w/ Overhang

This fence appears to be made out of some type of mesh. It stands tall enough with the overhang that the cat isn’t even able to escape after climbing a nearby tree. This is all one piece, instead of having a separate fence and cat-proof overhang.

3. Brackets & Chicken Wire

Here’s a close-up of a solid mounting method using some shelf brackets and chicken wire. These are very affordable materials for a DIY approach to cat-proofing your fence. Granted, it’s not the most attractive look, but it’s definitely cheap and easy to install.

4. Large Overhang

If you’d prefer to install something that looks as good as it is effective, then you might model your cat-proof fence after this one. The overhang here is substantial, several feet at least. These might be custom-made supports, though you can likely find something to substitute for them at your local home improvement store.

5. Steel & Wire with Large Overhang

This freestanding cat enclosure is constructed from steel to give it ample strength to contain any type of cat. It looks like this one was also fashioned to provide the cat with a great perch and elevated walking path, which we’re sure it’s appreciative of!

6. Single-piece Curved Fencing

Here, the whole fence and cat-containing overhang are made from a single piece of fencing that’s simply bent over to create the overhang. This is a simple method of installation that looks much easier and quicker than many of the other cat-proof fences we’ve seen so far. And it doesn’t look half bad!

7. Aesthetic Mesh Overhang

The bright green of this overhang almost blends in with the trees in the background, and it’s a great way to prevent your backyard from looking like a prison once the cat-proof overhang is installed.

8. Spring-Loaded

Here’s an interesting one. If you’re not content with just creating a cat-proof overhang, this fence is actually spring-loaded! When your cat climbs up, the spring will catapult it off and back into the yard. Good thing cats always land on their feet!

9. Spinning Overhang

This concept appears a bit less imposing than the large overhangs meant to keep the cat from climbing out. In this design, the top of the fence has a spinning wheel of sorts that rotates whenever your cat grabs onto it, making it impossible to get a grip to climb over.

10. Steel Cable & PVC Pipe

If you liked the last concept but thought it looked like an expensive addition to your fence, you might try this DIY version instead. It follows the same basic principle, only you’ll make it out of steel cable and PVC pipe, which you can purchase for a few bucks at your local hardware store.

11. Metal Pipe

Ok, we have to agree; the last DIY rolling fence topper wasn’t that attractive since it was made from PVC. This one will cost a bit more, but it looks like it’s meant to be installed on top of your fence. It’s still made of plastic pipe, but the grey pipe looks much better on a chain-link fence. We think you could take this a step further by using a metal pipe instead, which would really complete the look and offer excellent durability as well.

12. Cement / Blocked Bottom

This type of cat containment system might not work with every style of fence, but we think it’s perfect for some situations. You can use similar methods to block the bottom of a fence where a cat might squeeze through.

13. Rolling Waste Pipe

Here’s one final iteration of the roll bar fence topper. This one uses large black waste pipe instead of PVC.

14. Metal Bar Overhang

We like this variation on the more traditional overhangs that are made of fencing materials. This one uses metal bars and offers no way for the cat to get over the fence. There’s nothing to grab onto. With fencing, they can still climb the overhang to some degree. But here, there’s not much they can do!

Conclusion

If you use a little imagination, you can probably come up with far more ways to cat-proof your fence than just these 14 ideas. But these are great starting points for you to use to come up with your own versions that work with your cat and your fence. It seems like these generally boil down to two main types of cat proof fences: overhangs and roll-top fences. There are probably other methods as well, but these two seem to find great success in containing cats. So, use these concepts to help come up with your own idea or just copy them as they are.

See Also:

• How to Cat-Proof Wires: 10 Expert Solutions
• How to Cat Proof a Balcony: 16 Expert Solutions

Featured Image Credit: MabelAmber, Pixabay