Cat tunnel
April 12, 2018 6:40 AM   Subscribe

I would like to construct a collapsible, durable, see-thru outdoor cat tunnel. I’m not handy at all. I’m wondering if there are materials out there that would enable me to do so, and any other advice on making this work.

We rent and have a large, unfenced yard. I would like to give our little monsters access to roam the yard, and was thinking that one way to do this would be to create a cat tunnel, sort of similar to the ones you buy in pet stores for indoor use.

I was envisioning the tunnel as being constructed from some sort of very durable mesh material that is see thru and cat proof. I was envisioning sturdy metal frames that can be either staked in the ground or weighted down on the bottom. Think of the wire that goes in political yard signs--very sturdy but also small and lightweight.

The goal is to have something that I can put outside when home so the cats can explore various parts of the yard, then bring inside when not being used so as to minimize landlord annoyance. I was thinking that whatever it is could accordion down like a slinky for storage at night.

While I would love to construct a giant outdoor catio, I also want to be the most quiet and unobtrusive tenant possible so as to lessen the chances that our rent will be raised (we rent from an individual).

Do they sell anything like either the mesh or wire frames? Would fishing net work? Is there anything you’ve come across at the hardware store or in doing other projects that might suffice?

(And the reason why I'm not buying one of the pre-made cat tents is that they get mixed reviews, and I was seriously hoping that this could circle the yard rather than be a dinky little spot for them to sit in.)

Thanks in advance!
posted by whistle pig to Home & Garden (13 answers total) 5 users marked this as a favorite
 
So the cats would stay inside the tunnel, looking out?
posted by beagle at 7:11 AM on April 12, 2018


Durable. Collapsible. Easy to build. Pick 2.

I would probably build a set of frames out of 2"x2"s measuring 18" x 18" x 96", cover them in hardware cloth (this is heavy screen with a pitch of about ½"), and connect sets of 3 panels lengthwise with hinges so they can pack flat. You'd need something different anywhere you wanted a corner.

This would still be somewhat bulky to store.
posted by adamrice at 7:16 AM on April 12, 2018 [1 favorite]


You could follow the directions here, but just make multiple sections and connect them together.
posted by beagle at 7:19 AM on April 12, 2018 [1 favorite]


Response by poster: Yes, the cats would stay inside the tunnel. I'm of something like this, only homemade and much longer: https://www.google.com/search?q=outdoor+cat+tunnel&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiBpYit97TaAhVnw4MKHW1ABGAQ_AUICygC&biw=1467&bih=674#imgrc=dLEMxTum5cqnGM:
posted by whistle pig at 7:21 AM on April 12, 2018


Flexible HVAC ductwork? Maybe you can find transparent. (The cats will love it even if it's not.)
posted by JimN2TAW at 7:30 AM on April 12, 2018


What you do is get a 10 33"x12" tomato cages, (they nest) and a roll of 12" nylon or polyethylene tubular sleeving and you got yourself a collapsible lightweight cat tunnel. Only problem is you probably don't want to spend $149 for 164 feet, but you can shop around and find smaller rolls, and also compromise on a cheaper material (the stuff I linked is rather durable). With some time shopping I bet you could get 30-50 feet for around $50.

As a bonus, you can start with 3 cages and a few potato sacks to see if the cats will even go for it. Actually buying 10 pound potato bags may be the best way to source a relatively small quantity of tubular nylon mesh.
posted by SaltySalticid at 7:31 AM on April 12, 2018 [1 favorite]


Most kinds of wire mesh come on a roll. Example, 4ftx100ft wire mesh. If you cut that roll into 3.5-5ft lengths, you'd have about 16 4ft long tubes of 1-1.5ft diameter, which you could string end to end, to make an 64-ft long tunnel. Ideally you'd be able to telescope some of the narrower inside some of the longer for storage, but the packing up would still be pretty arduous ( a lot of zip ties connecting sections, which you'd have to cut and re-tie each time) and the packed setup would still be pretty large - say you had tubes of diameter 12, 14, 16, and 18 inches, which fit inside each other without snagging (dubious), you'd have 4 sets, meaning 4 18"x4ft rolls of wire, not bad for a garage but a bit much for a 1br apartment.

If you don't like the tube idea and would rather make panels, that type of mesh is still a good option for something self-supporting.
posted by aimedwander at 7:32 AM on April 12, 2018 [1 favorite]


Is there anything you’ve come across at the hardware store or in doing other projects that might suffice?

Transparent PVC tube.
posted by JimN2TAW at 7:33 AM on April 12, 2018


Slightly less durable than my tube idea: a collection of 4ft stakes, which you hammer into the ground at 3-4ft intervals, then staple a flexible nylon mesh (example) down the length of your two rows of stakes. Now you have a chute with no roof, and you can pull up the stakes and roll into a bundle. When you deploy the tunnel, of course you'll need to use more mesh to make a roof. The main hazard of something flexible like this is that any cat with a sense of adventure can pretty easily shove under the sides of a soft wall. So maybe that's not the form factor you want, but in terms of materials, the nylon mesh I linked might be useful.
posted by aimedwander at 7:38 AM on April 12, 2018


Bed bath and beyond sells mesh laundry baskets that are tunnels. Cut out the bottoms, stitch them together.
posted by tilde at 9:41 AM on April 12, 2018 [5 favorites]


I know you want to DIY, and I know the Kittywalk tunnels are expensive, but:

I bought two of them (you can connect all parts of the Kittywalk system together) for my cat Barney back in the late 1990s.

After Barney came Smudge. After Smudge came Boo. And the Kittywalks are in nearly the same shape they were when I bought them. There's not too many pet items that will hold up that well for 20-plus years. And they do collapse and store very nicely. So - spendy, but worth it, imo. Still, if you'd really prefer DIY, these hoops aren't coated but will probably work, and here's a source for strong netting. Yeah, the netting is expensive, and probably accounts for most of the cost of the Kittywalks.
posted by Lunaloon at 10:51 AM on April 12, 2018 [1 favorite]


I would look for something like this kids play tunnel. Or build one myself from a spool of appropriately springy wire and some sort of suitable netting.

We had one that survived three rowdy kids, including throwing it in the pool to swim through (so surprised we didn't drown).

It will collapse down to nothing, say fitting in a box-fan size box.

Take the wire off over the end of the spool and stretch out enough to have a spring like thing as long as you want, fix the ends to be a stable circle, wrap the netting and affix it to the wire while it is extended. Do just a few sections first to make sure you can collapse them back down without ripping your netting.
posted by zengargoyle at 3:45 PM on April 12, 2018


Amazon has a vendor, Kittywalk, that sells outdoor cat pens, like this one and this one. They aren't necessarily cheap, and I'm not sure whether they collapse easily, but these seem to be close to what you're looking for.
posted by LOLAttorney2009 at 5:22 PM on April 12, 2018 [1 favorite]


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