Types of Cat Barrier & Their Benefits

Cats, similar to dogs, are physically active domesticated animals and letting them roam around inside your house without supervision could cause damage and scratches to your beddings and furniture. If you want to prevent that from happening, the use of cat barriers such as cat doors, enclosure or playpen will be very helpful to keep your feline friend in a safe and contained area. Such pet containment systems are also a great way to keep your cat away from aggressive dogs and other dangerous stray animals in the neighborhood.

Here are a few types of cat barriers and the many good benefits they can bring to you and your beloved cat:

Cat Doors
Cat barrier, in the form of a cat door, will allow your kitty to enter and exit the house in a safe manner. As you all know, cats are naturally territorial and they immensely enjoy playing inside and outside the house. If you have a small cat door installed specifically for her, it can make the life of your cat easier and convenient. Hence, there’s no more need to exert effort to open the main door at all times to let her out or in.

Cat Flaps
This unique feline door design will let your cat to enter and exit a house on their own without needing you to open the main door from time to time, while providing protection against wind, rain and other harsh elements.

Cat Enclosures
For outdoor use, cat enclosures are very functional to contain your cat in the backyard or the park. More than being a cage, this spacious cat containment system can serve as an outdoor feline barrier where your furry friend can play, run, exercise and rest safely while enjoying the beauty of the outside world.

Cat Playpens
For indoor use, on the other hand, cat playpens are a great solution. This type of cat barrier provides a comfortable space for your feline pet to stretch out, move around and play inside the house, while preventing her to get in touch with fragile objects such as furniture and other precious decorations. Cat playpen is also ideal to use if you leave your cat home alone.

How can we make sure our pets and our new baby will live together harmoniously?

Many pets are very tolerant of small children, but it's still important to be aware of potential dangers and take precautions you can take to avoid them, especially once your baby is crawling and walking.

While your baby is tiny, you can generally manage to keep him and the pets apart most of the time. Keep animals out of the room he sleeps in, and use a cat net on the pram or pushchair your baby uses downstairs or in the garden.

Dogs need supervision when babies and children are around. Even the most tolerant of dogs can be unwell or bad tempered sometimes. Most cats will simply escape if a child is teasing or hurting them, but some will scratch and bite. You may find it very helpful to use a safety gate to keep your pets and your children apart at least some of the time. These gadgets can also help keep your baby away from animal foods and litter trays.

Double check with your vet that your pets have been adequately wormed, and never leave worming tablets or other pet medications where your baby can reach them. If your pet has free range of the garden, you may need to check it over and use a pooper scooper before letting your child outside. You could also fence the garden in such a way that there is a safe baby area and a separate pet area. Lastly, curious babies have been known to use a cat flap to escape into the garden, so you may need to leave the lock in it while your baby is around.

If you have little children and are thinking of getting a pet especially for them, choose an animal that does not have to live in the house all the time, such as a guinea pig or rabbit. These pets can have cages outside in a sheltered place, and your children can visit them and handle them for short periods of time while under your supervision. Later, when your children are older and can understand that animals need to be respected, is the time to get them a cat or dog.

The World’s Strangest Feral Animals

Everyone has seen their share of once-domestic cats who have left the litter-box behind in favor of an outdoor life. Feral cats have made the transition easily. They are natural predators and able to fend for themselves. Other domesticated species seem, at first, to be less able to make it in the big, bad world. But pet birds, farm animals, and even aquarium fish have been able to thrive in the wild in certain situations. Here are some examples of domestic species that have unexpectedly made a life for themselves outside the cage.

Australia’s Feral Camels

Camels were imported to Australia to help with the exploration and settlement of the Outback. Their use declined with the advent of railways and automobiles, but the camels continued to thrive in the harsh environment. Some estimates claim that there are nearly 0ne million humped creatures on the continent. Because of their rapidly increasing numbers, hunting and eating camels is encouraged.

Feral Parakeets

The hardy monk parakeets, also called Quaker parrots or Quaker parakeets, have become famous residents of urban areas like Chicago’s Hyde Park. These wild parakeets are descended from pets and have somehow managed to adapt to the conditions and thrive in the city. They are larger and louder than common budgies.

Feral Honey Bees

Most bees were born in the wild. However, some, like the one in Southeastern Australia in the picture, were actually descended from domesticated honey bees. In the wind, they continue their hive lifestyle, creating honey that will never find its way into a jar.

Thailand’s Soi Dogs

A Bangkok alleyway (soi) is bound to have a few rather mangy residents. Feral soi dogs are sometimes fed by compassionate residents and sometimes able to scrounge food from trash or roadkill. They are as much a part of the city’s personality as its markets and temples.

Aquarium Fish in the Wild

Most of the tropical fish species that you’d find in a pet store are bred specifically for the tank environment. Hardy fish like koi and common goldfish are able to survive is most freshwater environments even if they were born in a tank. For other fish, like the Pearl Cichlids that wreak havoc in Northern Australian streams, a more specific settings is needed to survive.

Wild Parrots

Perhaps the most famous animals on this list are wild parrots. The red-masked parrots who starred in the documentary The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill are the poster children of the wild parrot population in the US. In fact, there are communities of parrots all along the West Coast that are equally welcomed by residents.

Feral Farm Animals

It would seem that most farm animals are ill-equipped to survive in the wild. What would a pig used to feeding at the trough do outside of its pen? But feral pigs and sheep are commonplace in rural areas around the world, especially in agricultural areas in the US. Some are hunted like wild animals and others are considered a nuisance, eating crops and forever altering eco-systems.

Feral Cows of Hong Kong

It is a common sight worldwide: cows sitting lazily in fields, chomping on grass. It is the same on Lantau, a sparsely inhabited island in the territory of Hong Kong. The difference is that these cattle do not belong to a dairy or beef farm. They are feral, but that doesn’t seem to have changed their lifestyle much.

Hawaii’s Feral Mouflon

Hawaii’s countryside is being eaten by the rapidly expanding populations of feral sheep and European mouflon. Mouflon are thought to be the forefather’s of domestic sheep. Their appetites mean that they can mow through vegetation quickly. With no natural predators besides humans, populations are difficult to control.

Bali’s Tame/Wild Monkeys

Though they are not, and were never, domesticated, it would be easy to mistake the Crab-eating Macaques at Ubud Monkey Park on Bali for trained pets. They pester visitors for hand-outs and some are able to turn on the charm the way a clever dog who wants a treat might. According to Balinese lore, the monkeys are protectors of the area’s Hindu temples.

Feral Guinea Pigs

Last year, people began seeing a strange rodent on the Hawaiian Island of Oahu. It’s not that guinea pigs are a rare animal; it’s just that they are usually found in cages with wheels and water-bottles (or as the main course of an Andean meal). The large litters that these rodents can have makes them a danger to any natural environment into which they are introduced. Some speculate that the original 40 sightings of feral guinea pigs last year where the result of one pregnant female being released.