Giving your dog or cats the freedom to be outside while offering them the protection of an enclosure is one of the best gifts you can provide your pets. However, buying a pre-made kennel or enclosure can be expensive and having a fence installed professionally can cost even more. You can make a homemade pet fence -- as large or small as you need it to be -- with a few hours of time and relatively few supplies.
Layout
Place stakes in the ground along the lines you want your fence to follow. The stakes should be 6 to 8 feet from one another and will determine where you place your T-posts. Bamboo skewers work well as a cheap stake substitute. Run twine from one stake to the other to ensure your fence line is straight. Drive T-posts into the ground at each bamboo stake using a posthole driver. The T-post should be driven into the ground until the "V" at the bottom of the post is no longer visible.
Fencing
Run welded wire or poultry wire fencing from one T-post to the next, attaching the fencing with wiring or T-post clips using your pliers. Determine the height of your fence based upon the size of your dog. Chicken wire works best if you are building a fence for cats. Install a gate in one area of the fence, or simply use wire to close the fence and open it when you need access. If your pet will not have access to the house at all times, provide shelter, food and water within the fenced area.
Prevent Escape
Run chicken wire over the top of the fence from one T-post to the other, attaching it with wire, if the fence is for cats. The closer you set the T-posts, the stronger your fence will be. If you are building the fence for a large, rambunctious dog, you may want to set the T-posts closer than you would if you were building the enclosure for a cat. If you have a dog that tends to dig out from under fences, you may need to place chicken wire around the bottom of the fence. Another option is to bury the fence 2 feet below ground when you are building the fence.
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