Enclosure for Rural Residence
Western Australia, 2018
The installation of an enclosure allowing pets access to an outdoor area requires careful design, planning and construction. Important issues to resolve in advance of installation include size, topography, aspect, location, structure, materials, safetly, planting and maintenance requirements.
Located in a rural area of the Margaret River region, this large cat run was built to withstand strong wind gusts, tolerate strong UV, prevent access by snakes and other predators.
Built along one side of the residence, the enclosure spans a steep slope, allowing human access, an avenue of trees and high animal walkways at the lower ground level where the structure is over 3ms. The enclosure needs to satisfy the activity and resting needs of the animals, with 3m high scratch poles for climbing between ground and walkways, length for running, shelves for jumping up/down, sun and shade perches for relaxation at different times of year. Access to the house should be logical and carefully located for the animals, while for the humans, a double doorway into the structure prevents any escapees.