Safe Spaces for CatsHome Keeping Cats Safe at Home Safe Spaces for Cats Safe Spaces for Cats Safe Spaces for Cats Do you and your cat share a cottage, caravan, apartment, share-house, duplex, house, or farm? No matter what your situation, there are some practical and affordable options to keep your cat safe at home. exclusively indoors, indoors with an outdoor enclosure, or indoors with an outdoor space surrounded by an escape-proof fence. Exclusively indoors Keeping your cat exclusively indoors is a simple, low-cost way to keep them safe. You can provide for all your cat’s needs within your home, including different areas for eating and drinking, sleeping, hiding, toileting, scratching, and playing. You can create different levels for your cat using furniture, shelving and scratching posts. If you install cat-proof fly screens, windows and doors can be opened for your cat to safely enjoy outdoor sights, smells and sounds without escaping. For more ideas on enriching your cat’s indoor environment, check out Enrichment. Help your cat live their best life at home. and to ensure you meet all your cat’s needs, visit What your cat needs at home Indoors with an outdoor enclosure Providing a secure outdoor enclosure is a great way of keeping your cat happy and safe at home. An enclosure (e.g., a catio) can be attached to your cat’s indoor space (e.g., via a window or cat flap) allowing them to choose where they spend their time. If you have a balcony or veranda which can be made escape-proof, this is a great option. Alternatively, if you have the space, you could build a free-standing enclosure (e.g., cat condo). When designing an outdoor enclosure, you want to make it an attractive and comfortable place for your cat. In the enclosure, your cat will need essential resources including food, water, more than one litter tray, a variety of platforms at different heights, scratching posts, and adequate protection from the weather (e.g., sun, rain, wind, extremes of heat and cold). Providing places for your cat to hide in the enclosure is essential as it will help them feel safe and secure. To keep your cat and other animals safe, any type of outdoor enclosure needs to be escape-proof (to prevent your cat getting out) and animal-proof (to prevent other animals from getting in) needs to be located somewhere safe, where other animals (e.g., dogs and other cats) will not be a threat. Ideally, your cat should be protected from seeing other animals that may scare them (e.g., dogs over the next-door fence). It is also recommended to keep bird feeding stations away from the enclosure. For tips on designing the perfect outdoor enclosure, check out Creating the Purrfect Haven Indoors with an outdoor space surrounded by an escape-proof fence There are many different ways of escape-proofing your backyard including fence products and systems that can be retrofitted over an existing patio or backyard. Modify an existing fence – If you have an existing continuous solid fence around your backyard, you can modify the top of the fence to stop your cat gaining purchase and climbing over. You can achieve this using rolling cylinders, smooth metal or plastic sheeting, or inward-inclining wire. To prevent other cats coming into your garden, you will need to install these on both sides of the fence. New fence – Alternatively, you can set up a new solid fence with an escape-proof top or use netting to create an escape-proof and animal-proof space. While you still need to take steps to reduce risks that your cat might face in your backyard, escape-proof fencing allows your cat the best of indoor and outdoor living. Mind the gap. Regularly check for potential escape routes (e.g., gaps in the fence, around gates, where fences meet buildings, overhanging trees). If you have any trees close to the fence, a simple way to stop cats climbing is to fix a smooth metal or plastic band around the trunk at least two metres off the ground. A cat who has access to the backyard may still kill or injure wildlife. You can reduce this risk by fitting your cat with a bell or ‘scrunchie’ collar, keeping your cat inside when wildlife is most active, and minimising wildlife attractants (e.g., plants, food or water sources that may attract wildlife). Supervised Playtime Letting your cat explore the outdoors under supervision is another option. Make sure they’re always in sight, and that the area is safe and free from potential hazards. Adventures on a harness Some cats enjoy exploring on a harness and leash, which can be very enriching when a catio isn’t possible. However, this might not suit every cat, so introduce it gradually to see if it’s something they enjoy. To learn how to get started, visit A Guide to Harness Training Your Cat. To help protect local wildlife, you can reduce the risk of your cat hunting by using a bell or “scrunchie” collar and keeping them indoors at dawn and dusk when wildlife is most active. If you’re welcoming a new cat into your home, check out for tips on creating a comfortable and secure environment: Settling your new cat into the family More information on: RSPCA Australia guide ‘Keeping Your Cat Safe and Happy at Home. Find out more about the project here Keep your cat safe at home! Find out moreKeep your cat safe at home!For the Cat LoversEducatorsOur PartnersJoin the Cat-ch up! Join the Cat-ch up and enjoy exclusive offers, regular campaign updates, and more information to set your home up for a happy, safe and thriving cat. Plus sign up today for your discount code. Name(Required) First Last Email(Required) Postcode(Required) Are you a Robot?(Required) Yes No Personal Information Collection Notice By completing this form, you are providing personal information to RSPCA NSW (we, us, or our). Further details about how we manage personal information is contained in our Personal Information Collection Notice at rspcansw.org/collection-notice and Privacy Policy at rspcansw.org.au/privacy-policy.Personal Information Collection Notice(Required) I have read the Personal Information Collection Notice before providing my personal information and I agree to its terms. Keeping Cats Safe at home Project FAQsWhat is the Keeping Cats Safe at Home project? Keeping Cats Safe at Home a ground-breaking RSPCA NSW project running over four years It will work with 11 councils across NSW to provide cat lovers with the inspiration, motivation and information needed to help their cats live long, healthy and enriched lives What are the aims and benefits of Keeping Cats Safe at Home? Keeping Cats Safe at Home aims to encourage and support cat owners to prevent their cats from roaming away from their properties both to keep cats safe and to protect native wildlife. The project will create tailored toolkits for 11 partner council areas across NSW as well as resources to equip cat lovers everywhere with the knowledge and skills to help their cats live their best life at home Social science and ecology research will be undertaken to monitor the effectiveness of the campaign so we can apply what we learn in other locations in NSW and further afield Who are the Keeping Cats Safe at Home partner councils? Blue Mountains City Council Byron Shire Council Campbelltown City Council City of Parramatta Hornsby Shire Council Kyogle Council Northern Beaches Council Shoalhaven City Council Tweed Shire Council Walgett Shire Council Weddin Shire Council
