protectapet

ProtectaPet Release New DIY Balcony Kit

* Originally published by ProtectaPet

The ProtectaPet Cat Balcony Kit enables apartment-dwelling cat owners to provide safe, supervised, outdoor access for their cat.

International cat fencing specialist, ProtectaPet, has launched its latest product in the modular range of cat fencing products – the ProtectaPet Cat Balcony Kit – a unique way of keeping cats safe on balconies.

The risk of cats falling from balconies is highly publicised. Animal welfare charity, the Blue Cross, appealed to cat owners to keep cats safe around elevated open windows and balconies after two cat fatalities and five cat injuries were treated one summer weekend at their Victoria animal hospital in 2017. In New York, the term ‘high rise syndrome’ was coined when one hot summer in the 1980s more than 100 cats were brought into a veterinary center with injuries from falls.

For high-rise cat-owners with balconies, the choice has been stark, with most cats kept indoors for their own safety. While thousands of cats in the UK live in apartments, many of them don’t have access to fresh air, with windows and doors being deliberately kept shut to ensure their safety.

Product designer and Managing Director of ProtectaPet, Simon Davies BSc, challenged himself to design a balcony enclosure that was adaptable to different balcony configurations. The clever design allows multiple sections to be joined together inline or at ninety degrees. The modular screen can be used on one sided balconies or expansive balconies with multiple sides. The netting is made from hybrid stainless-steel reinforced nylon for resistance to chewing, while maintaining a low visual impact.

The ProtectaPet Cat Balcony Kit has been in development for three years, having undergone extensive product testing. It is the first Cat Balcony Kit of its kind with ‘no drill’ attachments. This is because most people living in balconies are prohibited from drilling into the masonry or attaching anything permanent to the exterior of the building. Crucially, the innovative new fixtures are secured under tension, enabling owners to easily relocate the balcony enclosure if they move.

Simon says, ‘We are really excited to launch this solution for cat owners’ peace of mind about their cat’s welfare and safety. No more worrying about smelly cat litter trays and keeping the balcony doors shut either! The DIY kit can be installed with a hacksaw, hammer, pliers and scissors, making it accessible to most practical people. It requires two people for installation, and they must undertake a rigorous risk assessment to ensure the safety of themselves and those around them.’

ProtectaPet say that the target market for this new product is cities with high rates of cat ownership in the UK and across all of Europe. They are noticing ‘hot-spots’ of enquiries from places like St Helier in Jersey, presumably because once one cat owner has discovered the product, news spreads and subsequently their cat-owning neighbours are interested. It is designed and made in Britain with ambition for international clientele.

Cat fun, Health & Welfare

How To Work From Home With A Demanding Cat

* Originally written by William O’Brien for ProtectaPet

In recent times, the act of working remotely from home has become a massive trend, especially during and after the lockdowns due to the Covid-19 pandemic. A lot of us find it much easier and less restricting than having to go into the office five days a week, and we get to work from the comforts of our own home.

However, where there are pros to working from home, there are all sorts of unique challenges that arise in these new working environments, especially for owners of demanding pets. For us cat owners, working from home can mean more quality time spent with our feline friends but it can also present challenges that you need to overcome in order to establish a healthy balance of work time and play time.

If your cat is particularly demanding, giving them access to the outdoors whilst being protected from the usual risks can help your cat to exert that additional energy. ProtectaPet offers a range of Cat Fencing solutions to keep your cat safe outdoors, available for DIY or installation.

Set Boundaries

Most of us will know that cats do as they please and when they want. They stroll up and down their palace corridors deciding where they want to sleep, eat and relax. A lot of us have transitioned into working from home either on a flexible or permanent basis, so setting some boundaries between you and your cats might be the best option for you.

If you’re cat is particularly needy and you are struggling to help them be more independent, check out this article by Noots.

If you’re trying to have an important meeting, or if you are working towards a big deadline then you might need to think about not allowing your cat into the office or training your cat to not climb up onto your laptop and sit on your keyboard. Cats have a reputation for doing what they want, especially for love and attention, so training your cat might be the best option for you, as just shutting the door on them might cause some distress. Training them will take time, but it will be worth it when your cat stops knocking over a hot coffee onto some important documents!

Set a Routine for You and Your Cat

Just because working from home can be a comforting way to work, we still need downtime and who better to do this with than with our cute cat companions. Also, setting aside time for you and your cats will ensure that you are giving them enough love and attention so that you can go back to work undisturbed, leaving your cat satisfied. Ensure that you are the one to initiate the playtime, so that they can learn that you are the decider when it comes to when the work ends and when the fun starts.

Cats also respond well to routine, so setting up a daily schedule for you and your cat might be the best option if you live with a demanding one. Make sure they have their own safe space, with their own scratch posts, fresh water, toys and a comfy bed.

Cat-Proof the Office

If you are letting your cats into your home office, you need to make sure that there aren’t any items lying around on the surfaces or the floor which your cat could potentially swallow or knock over. Make sure to never leave your pet in your office unattended so that they can’t damage anything or hurt themselves. Also ensure that there are no cables lying all over the floor because they have been known to chew through these, so keep this in mind too.

Over time your cat will hopefully become accustomed to the do’s and don’ts of the home office workspace and naturally will avoid causing too much destruction or annoyance during stressful work times.

Be Flexible and Patient

Creating and maintaining a harmonious relationship with your feline friends whilst you’re working from home may seem like a challenging prospect now, but with time and patience you will be rewarded with an even better understanding and deeper love for your cats.

Understand that they are an animal with intuition and instinctive behaviour and although successfully training a cat might seem impossible, it is achievable. There might be setbacks but in the end they are extremely smart creatures that with your love, patience and flexibility, they will learn to understand your needs as well as you understand theirs.

Health & Welfare

Guide to a Cat’s Vision

* Originally written by William O’Brien for ProtectaPet

One of the first features you notice on a cat is their dazzling eyes. Not only the gorgeous colours, but the way they use them. When you see your cat trying to hunt something down, whether that be prey or a toy you are playing with, it is clear that a cat has a quality of vision that allows it to be a successfully stealthy animal.

The quality of the eyesight of cats has been widely discussed and over time, thanks to science, we know more and more about if they can distinguish between different colours, how well they can see and the differences between the eyesight of a cat and a human.

Can Cats See Colour?

It used to be widely believed that our feline friends are colour blind, only being able to see the world in black and white. Over the years, this theory has been proven wrong by scientists and we now know much more about what colours cats are able to detect with their striking eyes.

There are two different types of colour receptors (cones and rods) found within the eyes of both cats and humans. The cone receptors are linked to what we can see in the daytime and how we perceive the colours around us. The rod receptors are associated with what we can see in the dark and also our peripheral vision. Cats possess a larger amount of rod receptors and a lower amount of cone receptors whereas humans are the opposite way round. This is why humans can’t see as well in the dark but can recognise and detect colours much better than cats.

The major difference between cats and humans is that we have three cone receptors, whereas cats have two. This is why cats won’t be able to see the world as vivid and clear as we can, however, this doesn’t mean that they are completely colour blind. The main colours that cats see is a range of blues and yellows, as well as some greens (along with white, black and grey).

The colours that cats struggle to register are found within the orange-red spectrum, this was discovered through certain food-reward related tests which opened our eyes to what cats can and can’t see.

What are the advantages of a cat’s vision?

Although we may have one more cone receptor than cats do, they have more rod receptors within their eyes which makes them have excellent night vision. Cats have incredibly intelligent constructed eyes, and they are able to adapt to low light settings in a plethora of different ways.

If you’d like to know more, check out this article about the superior night vision of a cat.

They also have a wider field of view than humans, we have a peripheral vision of 180 degrees whereas cats can see up to a 200 degree view.

This makes them excellent hunters and of course, especially at night time. So although they may not see the vibrant array of colours that our world has to offer, they have plenty of other advantages and features related to their vision that show that they are an incredibly successful species.

Health & Welfare

Revealed: Naughtiest Cats in UK

* Originally written by Rebecca Owens for ProtectaPet

The fire brigade has been called out to save more than 2,000 cats in London since 2015 – making it the moggy rescue capital of the UK.

Meanwhile, Essex is revealed as the place where felines stick to the straight and narrow most often.

There were 2,061 callouts recorded over the past seven years in London but its neighbouring county had just nine.

Freedom of Information requests have shown the second naughtiest cats live in the West Midlands, with more than 100 fire brigade callouts made.

Birmingham cats were saved 52 times.

Kent and Hertfordshire moggies also ranked highly, with 40 and 39 incidents.

Cardiff, Humberside and Nottingham were mid-league with 36, 32 and 28 callouts respectively.

And Liverpool accounted for 11 callouts.

The most common reasons for rescue were cats being stuck in trees, chimneys and on roofs.

Eve Davies, director at ProtectaPet, which makes fence barriers to keep pets safe, said: “Cats love exploring. Sadly, they can sometimes find themselves in tricky situations.

“We recommend owners ensure their homes and gardens are safe and secure, whether that’s with cat fencing, enclosures or catios – or simply creating a good routine so owners can closely monitor their comings and goings.”

Health & Welfare

Cat Fencing for Bengals

* Originally written by Rebecca Owens for ProtectaPet

The beautiful Bengal cat is one of the top favourite picks for a family pet. This highly intelligent breed often turns heads due to its unique markings!

One of the defining characteristics of the Bengal is how agile this breed is, and for being strong and muscular.

A concern we often receive here at ProtectaPet by Bengal owners is how can our system hold up with this powerful breed? Let us tell you how!

ProtectaPet have developed a range of cat containment products to keep cats contained in the garden. The ‘Bengal Bend’ on our 70cm overhang fencing bends in such a way that it is extremely difficult for even Bengals to climb over.

We also offer Catio‘s which are fully enclosed with galvanised and black powder coated steel for integral strength and durability.

ProtectaPet Fencing Brackets

Designed and Manufactured in Britain
Patented technology and optimum aesthetics
Minimal maintenance and long life in use with black gloss powdercoat
Bengal Bend on the 70cm overhang
ProtectaPet® logo as a marque of quality

ProtectaPet Cat Mesh

Exclusively manufactured for ProtectaPet, our mesh has been designed specifically for keeping cats in safe outdoor territories
UV stable polypropylene with high tensile strength for longevity
Designed to flex to create instability if your Bengal attempts to climb it
Unobtrusive
Superior quality designed specifically for cat safety

Keep your Bengal cat safe with ProtectaPet.