Since ProtectaPet was inaugurated in 2012, their UK designed and manufactured cat containment systems have been used to cat-proof over 2,000 gardens in Britain. In this - the sixth year of product development for feline welfare - the innovation team has turned their focus to cats staying in multi-cat facilities such as adoption centres and cat hotels. Here is an overview of some of the projects completed this year:
Cat ‘solariums’ as they have become known in the US, or ‘cat window boxes’ as they are more commonly known in the UK, offer the ideal opportunity for urban dwelling kitties or cats residing in luxury cat hotels to bathe in the sun. ProtectaPet installed seven bespoke window boxes at the Great Catsby Luxury Cat Hotel in Wigan earlier this year. Jenny Harris of the Great Catsby says, ‘The cat balconies allow our guests to safely sit outside in the sun and watch the local wildlife visiting the landscaped pond and garden.’ Cat balconies installed for domestic customers have also included retractable sides so as not to impair the view.
One kind-hearted man in North Yorkshire decided to build cat pens in a barn to care for feral kitties infected with FIV. ProtectaPet was commissioned to build cat enclosures featuring perspex sneeze guards and ‘air-lock’ gates to keep the cats safe and prevent neighbourhood cats from contracting the virus. Eve Davies, Communications Director at ProtectaPet says, ‘Owners of cats infected with FIV often worry about allowing their cat to roam freely. Building a secure and stimulating territory offers a solution to keep FIV cats safe, especially as they are more susceptible to infections and fits, while minimising the spread of FIV.’
Cats in adoption or foster facilities often have indoor pens with limited opportunities for exercise and outdoor enrichment. Forward-thinking staff at Wood Green’s Godmancheter Adoption Centre set about the task to commission an outdoor cat play pen. Upon contacting ProtectaPet, computer aided designs were drawn up to visualise the space before work began. Juliette Jones of Wood Green says, ‘The enclosure is fabulous! ProtectaPet is a fab team to work with.’ Cats are now able to meet prospective owners in a natural and open outdoor setting.
Cat fosterers can have a challenging job to look after several cats with differing needs within the space of their home. One cat fosterer contacted ProtectaPet because she wanted the cats in her care to be able to come and go from indoors to outdoors as they pleased. ProtectaPet designed and installed a two-level Cat Tunnel at her home in Staffordshire. The cat tunnel led from an upstairs window down to a catio with latrine and play centre.
Simon Davies, Founder of ProtectaPet says, ‘Innovation is at the heart of ProtectaPet: we are always looking for ways to enhance the lives of pets and their owners. I am heartened every day that thousands of cats have been kept safe by our cat containment systems. As a qualified product designer, prototyping is always underway and current projects include cat climbing shelves, weatherproof catios, detachable cat tunnels and roofed walkways for disabled access through large scale cat enclosures.’
While ProtectaPet cat fencing and cat enclosures have won numerous awards, perhaps one of the most highly prized accolades comes from their recent time installing a cat enclosure at Bradford Cat Watch Rescue Kittens. Three two-week-old kittens were named after the Installation Engineers. This photograph shows Phil feeding his namesake Phyllis. It’s all in a day’s work!