Mr. Fixit, Genius at Work

Having male cats in our home (and a cat door which allows them unfettered entry into the house) made it necessary to create a barrier that would keep the little darlings from all areas of the house except the dining room and kitchen. Everything in those two rooms is washable unlike the couch and loveseat and the carpeting throughout the house. Even though they have been neutered, they, unfortunately, spray.

Mr. Fixit decided drastic steps should be taken. At first the barrier consisted of a piece of plywood, the screen insert for the front storm door, a barstool, and a large container of bottled water. A very ungainly and unsightly solution. After several accidents with the screen insert hitting Mr. Fixit in the head when he was trying to get to the kitchen, he decided to improve the barrier. Some of my temper tantrums may have contributed to his decision. Also the white cat discovered a way of sliding the plywood aside to gain entrance to the living room and the rest of the house. We thought a door would do the trick, but discovered that the door, when opened, would hit the china cabinet. Then he thought of installing a pocket door that slides into the wall. That wouldn’t work either.

This is his solution. With the handle and the little casters on the bottom of the barrier, we can easily slide the door aside for ingress and egress. It’s so heavy that the smart cat can’t move it. I wonder if the design people at DIY could suggest something that would make it more esthetically pleasing.