How to Keep Cat From Jumping Fence
A cat jumping a fence can be quite dangerous for both the cat and whatever is on the other side of the fence. This is especially concerning if your kitty has never been outdoors before or if there are coyotes or other wild animals in the area. In order to keep your kitty from running away, you have to train them not to go near or through an open gate.
Training your cat will take some time, but it’s worth keeping them safe. By following these steps below on how to keep cat from jumping fence, you’ll learn how to stop your cat from going over a fence in no time at all! Read on for more information about keeping cats inside.
8 Reasons Why You Should Keep Cat From Jumping Fence:
- If your cat gets hit by a car, it will save you from immense guilt and the loss of a pet, as well as vet bills.
- Keeping cat out of places where it doesn’t belong: neighbors’ yards and gardens. It can also keep your cat away from potentially dangerous animals such as snakes that may be found in someone’s yard.
- Your cat has a higher chance of getting fleas and mites from other cats, spreading disease.
- Jumping fences can lead to your cat becoming lost. If that happens, it will be up to you to find the cat and pay for any expenses incurred during its disappearance or illness while being away from home.
- Your neighbors may think your cat is a nuisance and intentionally hurt it because they dislike it, which can lead to legal trouble.
- It could be illegal in certain areas to let your cat freely roam the streets due to diseases like rabies that cats can transmit to humans.
- If your cat is indoor-only but likes to jump on counters and tables, it may get into various hazardous materials that make it sick.
- Jumping fences is not suitable for cats’ mental health either because they’re confined in one area or risk injury when jumping back into their yard.
10 Ways on How to Keep Cat From Jumping Fence:
1) Provide High Perches and Vertical Territory:
Cats like to be up high. Providing a cat tree, shelf, or bench (with a guard rail at the front) where your cat can watch everything going on in the home will help prevent him from wanting to prop his backside on top of the fence all day long. Cats also like to be up high for safety. If he feels like there’s no way to fall from his vantage point, chances are he won’t even consider trying to get outside by climbing on top of the fence.
2) Provide Ample Activity Inside:
We all know that cats need to exercise; it’s how they keep their muscles strong and their bodies toned. But, if they’re getting regular exercise, chances are they’ll be too tired to take a running leap at the fence at the end of the day.
3) Keep Your Cat’s Nails Trimmed:
Cats need their claws for climbing as well as keeping those little rodent friends out of your garden (although birdseed probably isn’t a real problem for anyone). If your cat’s wearing down his claws on the scratching post and it’s not time to get them trimmed by the vet, he might be inclined to use those claws on climbing up and eventually over the fence.
4) Don’t Feed Your Cat From the Counter:
Okay, we know it can be not easy. You’ve got to eat. But if you make a habit of putting your cat’s food on the counter where he can see it, chances are he’ll start staring longingly at the neighbors’ hanging flower baskets over the fence and try to jump up there to get his share. If you do feed him on the counter, you can put his food in a hanging flower basket, which you’ve placed up there for this specific purpose.
5) Make Sure Your Cat’s Litter Box Isn’t Near the Fence:
Cats like to bury their waste, and they’re very particular about where they go. So if you have a cat that’s nervous enough to jump the fence, he might decide that your neighbor’s backyard is a much more attractive place to use the litter box than his own. To prevent this from happening, keep him confined to one part of the home with everything he needs, and you’ll have no problems.
6) Keep the Neighborhood Cats From Visiting:
We know that it’s hard to keep your cat inside, especially if you have a very social kitty who likes to meet new friends every night of the week. You might even be tempted to open up the door and let him out so he can make some pals, but if you want to keep him inside, the best thing to do is close off access before he can get outside.
If your cat’s outdoors and sees a feline friend come over and start scratching at the back door trying to get in, there’s every chance that he’ll decide it must be open for business and take his turn at socializing with the neighbors. This leaves you with a seemingly unfriendly cat who won’t come back inside when you open the door because his friends are outside, and he wants to play with them.
7) Reinforce Your Fence:
If you want to ensure that your kitty stays in the yard, consider reinforcing the existing fence with materials such as a chicken wire. It’s pretty inexpensive, it won’t obstruct the view or get in the way of your cat being able to jump over it if he has good reason to (like a bird flitting by), but it’ll keep other animals out and your kitty safely in.
8) Get an Outdoor Time Out Spot:
Cats like to climb trees. They like to sit on top of rocks and perch themselves to survey the area around them without danger. If you don’t want your cat sitting on top of the fence, consider getting him a kitty condo or play tower that’s tall enough for him to climb up and perch himself safely (and comfortably) on.
9) Get a Window Bird Feeder:
Cats love to watch birds and chase them around, but if they can’t get out of the yard to do that, why not bring the birds to your cat? By encouraging local songbirds to come by and visit you via a hanging birdfeeder right outside your window, your cat will have entertainment without the risk of jumping the fence.
10) Put a Scratching Post Next to the Fence:
We can’t stress enough how important it is that your cat scratches on something, just as he would if you were to take away his favorite scratching post or cat furniture. If you’ve got a new kitty and he hasn’t chosen his scratching spot yet, try to encourage him to use the cat tower or post that you have by placing it right next to the fence so he can stretch out and scratch at it without running the risk of being too close to an open window.
You Can Check It Out to Cat Proof Your Garden
Some Tips and Suggestions:
1. Cats are territorial animals and will defend their territories from intruders, including other cats. Since cats can jump a fence in one leap, you may need to make your fence taller for the cat to be able to defend its area. A good height for a cat would be around 8 feet. However, smaller or larger heights may work as well.
2. Provide your cat with toys inside of the fence to keep it busy, so they don’t feel the need to jump over or dig underneath the fence. Also, cats enjoy being up high, so placing a tall scratching post next to whatever they are trying to scale will help them stop using it for that purpose.
3. You can also try providing the cat with a second area to explore on the other side of the fence. If they have been using one area as a “run” from their house, having another place next door will also allow them to run over there.
4. In addition, some cats hate being forced inside and will continue to go out. You can try using a spray bottle or shaking can with pennies in it to scare the cat once it is on top of the fence, but you must be consistent with this method.
5. To keep cats from digging under fences, pick up some mesh (wire) panels that are used for children’s play areas at your local hardware or big-box store. These are simple to use, cost less than ten dollars each, and keep cats from digging under fencing.
Conclusion:
The best way to keep a cat from the jumping fence is by installing an electric wire. However, if you’re not keen on the idea of your pet getting shocked, then consider these alternatives. First, install a motion sensor that will use sound or laser beams as deterrents if the animal approaches the perimeter. This may work for some cats, but others won’t be deterred, and they’ll still try to jump over it.
A more humane option would be to install an invisible electronic barrier such as those made by PetSafe. These fences use radio waves which are undetectable by humans and animals alike, so there’s no need for any shock treatment whatsoever! Be aware, though, that this type of fencing requires installation.
We hope this blog post on how to keep cat from jumping fence has been helpful. If you still have any questions to ask feel free to comment below!
