HOLYOKE, MASSACHUSETTS - When Rich Ruppert and Mary Griffith first moved into their home in the Elmwood neighborhood, they were very excited to have a backyard. During the day, they’d let their three cats outside to lay out in the sun and chase birds in the fenced-in area.
“Then one day, one of ours didn’t come back,” Griffith stated.
One of their cats had sadly been hit by a car. Griffith found him in critical condition and his legs had been mangled from the crash.
Following a series of expensive surgeries, Griffith and Ruppert took their pet home sporting a cat-sized leg cast.
“We didn’t know not to let them out,” Griffith stated. None of the couple’s cats were allowed outside following the accident, though they’d vocally complain about being kept inside. So, Ruppert came up with a solution.
He built a simple wooden structure in the backyard using chicken wire, grass turf, string lights and shelves. A cat door was installed in the window, which connected the cat space to the main house.
For hours each day, the cats watch the birds as they’re flying by, chase any bugs that fly through the chicken wire or simply sleep on the carpet.
After the backyard project was fully completed, Ruppert soon turned toward the front of the house and converted a second-story porch into an enclosed space for both the cats and their owners.
After posting photos of the cat-friendly projects on social media sites and sparking interest in other cat owners, Ruppert then decided to start a side business: Rich’s Cat Enclosures.
“He’s one of those people that can build anything,” Griffith stated, of her partner.
Since starting the business just this year, Ruppert has converted several porches and a deck into cat play-spaces. For a friend with a smaller home, he also built a window enclosure, allowing a pair of cats to comfortable lounge in the sun.
The cost of such projects range from just a few hundred dollars to several thousand, with the average under $1,000, Ruppert stated.
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