Outback Jack Cat Tent, Large Portable Playhouse for Outdoors and Indoors

We were researching a way to provide a safe and comfortable private space for our 18 year old Senior Female cat named "Novia", without putting up barriers and making our place look like an institution. Our dwelling also houses a one year old white male cat named "Neon" and a one year old Female Jindo Dog named "Winter". They are friendly with Novia but are high energy, running around the house at 100MPH, occasionally teaming up to throw Novia around. We looked into certain kinds of indoor fences and pet gates but it just did not fit into the look of our place. Besides, we were interested in something that was covered from the top, is easy to assemble and put away, is cost friendly and can be used indoors. I immediately developed a liking to the "ABO GEAR HAPPY HABITAT" due to the price factor, ($35 at the time of my purchase) and the fact that so many people had given it good reviews. The size was just perfect as we did not want an indoor gazebo. Novia mostly sleeps all day and wakes up only for food so it became necessary to provide her a home within a home so she could feel safe when we are at work. Initial reactions after receiving the tent were mostly good and unboxing to opening to setup took less than 2 minutes. Clear Instructions with pictures are included but may not be required. All that needs to be done is to pull the two black cords on top which will snap all the joints in place. That's it! Tent Setup. We did realize that the tent was rather light and the coverings felt like mosquito net but it was good in a way providing plenty of ventilation. Upon Setup, we introduced Novia to her new space and discovered key factors of improvement in relation to our living situation. As our other cat Neon likes to get "Creative" like a mad scientist and explore loop-holes in everything, he did make every attempt to gain entry from all sides including the top of the tent to give his Grandma a hard time. We noticed that the tent was being squished in and pushed around everywhere because it was very light so we decided to reinforce it and add some traction. We covered the interior flooring with heavy bed sheets and several soft towels Novia loves to sleep on and moved the litter box and large pillows to the corners for weight distribution. after we filled up the litter box with sand and moved her food and water bowl inside as well, the tent felt very sturdy and did not move around at all but we faced another problem. Neon, after several unsuccessful attempts to gain access began to use his sharp claws between the netting to tease Novia. In order to protect the exterior netting from damage and being ripped open, we put a thick moving pad which had been lying around the house and put it on top of the tent. Surprisingly, the moving pad was large enough to cover the entire area of the tent on all sides and had a little more to spare on the floor. This worked out perfectly for everyone as for the last 3 or so days, Novia does not even feel like she wants to step outside her little condo and is being fed all her tuna and crackers right there inside. she is very happy now. The front side of the tent has been positioned next to one of the windows she likes to look out of. The two pillows i mentioned about earlier are stacked one on top of the other so she is elevated to the window level. Neon on the other hand made several attempts to scratch the pad but even his sharp claws cant go through the thick material in the pads. We did not want him to be too depressed so we ordered him a 4 level cat tree with several scratch posts that he loves. He sleeps on the top most level and now teases our dog Winter. As far is Winter is concerned, she received a Memory Foam dog bed of her own so everyone is happy now. I would recommend this to anyone who wants to use it for indoors. Although not perfect out of the box, with a little tweaking and creativity i think you can get most out of it.

EDIT: My review refers to the version of this tent with the square door, large enough for a human to enter. I cannot vouch for this new circular entrance. (I must say, I am surprised it is allowed to make a significant change to a product and keep the same reviews. I don't think I would like it as well with the smaller entrance.) I love this tent. I really shopped around and looked at options before settling on this one, and I'm glad I did. What I was looking for was something: a) big enough for my cat to be comfy b) easy to open/take down c) inexpensive. * Size: This tent is not only large enough for him, it's large enough for me to sit with him, or even lie down (corner to corner). Because of the mesh, you can easily glance at the tent to see that it is still occupied and all is well. * Floor: The "floor" of it is the same mesh as the rest of it, so the grass pokes through. My cat likes this, so he can sniff and chew on it, although I usually put out a little pot of wheat grass for him to chew on instead. * Zipped opening: The opening on one side has a zipper on both ends (but not both inside and out, unfortunately), and can be held open by two clasps if you don't need if for enclosing a pet. * Stakes/stability: If you live in a very windy area or are concerned about your pet throwing itself against the side when a stray shows up, there are 4 stakes which allow you to make the tent stable. * Ease of use: It's VERY easy to open, and quite easy to take down as well. You just pull on a cord to open it and *pop* it's open and full-sized. To take it down you just push down on a bar and it collapses, then you just fold the legs up. It does not fill well back into the bag without a little finessing, so I usually just don't bother, since I use it almost every day. Or should I say, Sasquatch my cat does. Not all cats will like this tent. I have one other cat who is terrified of the outdoors and just cries in the tent, so it's a no-go for him. However most indoor cats will love the chance for some fresh air and sunshine. The only downside that I have encountered with this product is that once my cat got a taste for freedom, now he always asks to go outside (pawing at the door). He's in total bliss while in this tent. He's happy, I'm happy. (Pictures included with review.) (Scratch that, they must have removed my photos since they were of the old product.)

My cat is very happy with this. VERY. And as a result he is not constantly YOWLING to go out. He's only three and we've been arguing a lot over indoor/outdoor. I'm not budging, but I am willing to compromise. This is one of my concessions. Okay, so let's get to it. *Came ready to go. No assembly. Took me just a few minutes to see how to prop it up, but really, it's very easy. I'm just terrible with mechanisms of any kind. It pops right up and snaps into place. EASILY. And to break down, you just push and it pops! This is easy too. So easy in fact, that it made me nervous. I know, I know, it would take one heavy bird to pop it, but when it falls it falls with a bang. So very simple- I used some of the orange, sturdy ribbon that came with it, to tie the cord (the one you hold to open the tent) just below where one of the legs meets the fabric. Very simple, even though it does not sound like it now. Once you have your tent open, it will all be clear. If you tie it off this way, it CANNOT pop down, until you untie. Made me feel like my kitty was nice and safe. As for zipper securing, not an issue. Just pin, tie it off, or whatever you like to the strap. Very easy. The basics: *Nice size. Very portable. Plenty of room for kitty(ies). *All mesh all day. Floor and all sides. That means no sun protection, so bear in mind. *Seems reasonably sturdy. It's been through two thunderstorms (sans cat) and many opening and closings. No issues yet. *This tent does attach to the tunnel from the same company. I saw others claiming otherwise. Only one end of the tunnel attaches, so if you have the wrong end, that might be the problem. Now here's what I would improve on it, though for the very reasonable price, I'm not unhappy.: *Larger storage bag! Maybe I'm just finicky, but I detest having to fight getting things back into bags. I knew instantly I would never store it this way unless for long periods of time. A wrap around or roll out model for the bag would be better. It needs to be easy to pack away. *Two doors. Very simple. I would just like a door on the other side. Or on all four! Of course, I would also like this company to make more components, so there you are. Make more attachments please! =) *Something to hold the cord in place on top once the tent is up. I got around this quite easily, so don't let it deter you, but it should tie so that it cannot accidentally close and fall on kitties. Alright and last - this isn't a change I would make- I just had to add that if you're thin enough and able to wriggle, this can also be YOUR bug away tent. I sat inside of it with my cat and had a good laugh. I have not tried crawling through the tunnel yet...that's next on my list!

We used this tent inside after my cat was spayed, to separate her from our other cat and to keep her in a small area that we could keep clean and keep her from being too active. Well, my cat is a bit of a gymnast so after a few days of recovery she was ready to play and has mastered hanging from the top of the inside of the tent as well and jumping onto and swinging on the sides. Clipping her nails helped some, and I believe kept her from actually tearing the tent. I would certainly watch her in it outside, but she did not make any holes in the tent. The tent needs much better instructions though - the instructions were too minimal and the photos hard to see. For those complaining of tent collapse, please be sure to tie multiple knots in the cording out the top once you have the tent set up. We had no problems with that, quite the opposite. We had a very difficult time trying to collapse the tent down / the arms didn't fold up quite evenly (and it's really a two-person job, also) and once we got the arms folded up, even though we had unknotted the cables the rest of the tent did not collapse. Since the instructions were unclear I was not sure what to do at that point and almost damaged the tent. If you are having this problem also, the two pieces of circular plastic at the top actually come apart from each other and the cording falls back though allowing the rest of the tent to fold up. I had to apply slight pressure to separate those two plastic parts, but once this happened the cording freed up and the tent folded completely. Overall I love the tent because it gave my cat a safe place to live for a few days where I could watch and interact with her easily, and she had room to move around and stretch and have her necessities. I do feel the zipper could be of better quality also, I had to stop unzipping it quite all the way because the zipper stop almost came off. But for the price I'm so glad I got this! We will use it again in the future on outdoor visits or any other time we need to separate the cats for a short time.

I have had the habitat for about a week now and it's working out great. I have an all white male cat who is 2 and all of a sudden decided he wants to be an outdoors cat. Unfortunately he is all white and while we're about 20 mins away from a big city, we have fox and coyotes and fisher cats that wander around our neighborhood and my cat wouldn't stand a chance as he sticks out like a sore thumb. I spent $99 on the cat cage hoping that would work and he hated it. Since he has now developed some bad behavioral issues because he can't go outside I went searching for another product in desperation. I am using Feliway but that is helping only so much, he needs to have some outdoor time. I saw this pop up tent and the price was right so I went ahead and bought it. I am not going to say that my white cat loves the idea of being confined to this tent but he is so much happier now being able to be outside and I have another cat that loves it too. He begs all the time to go in it. For my white cat he really needs an expensive outdoor habitat built to suit him but we are wanting to move so it's not going to happen at this house. This will work great for now. When he goes outside he doesn't pee/mark on things because he's mad I won't let him outside (he's been neutered since 5 months). It's very easy to open and shut and store in the bag. I have no issues with my cats needing stronger pegs (btw - it comes with 4 yellow plastic pegs, not 2 like the description says). They are content to lie there looking around. You can probably get some metal ones for tents at an outdoors store if you feel you need a stronger version. This looks bigger than other ones on the market right now and it's less expensive. I've already spent $100+ on Feliway products and $99 on a cat cage and $50 for a used cat tree and nothing helped the peeing and marking so I wasn't looking to spend a lot of money on something that may not work. I'm very pleased with the product and the ability to let my cats be outside by themselves and be safe at the same time. I lost an indoor/outdoor cat 2 years ago and refuse to have another outdoor cat because of the predators around. I do recommend this product for someone in a similar situation or someone who wants to let their cats have some safe outdoor time.

I used this tent for the first time yesterday, so I can't yet speak to its durability, but I think it's great. My cat is very interested in the outdoors but is strictly an indoor cat so this is a good compromise. He gets to experience the outdoors while I supervise nearby. It pops up and down in seconds and appears to be sturdy. The net's not flimsy and the bars seem strong. It comes with stakes, as mentioned, but I didn't need to use them. The carrying case makes storage simple and, unlike real tents, this one fits easily back into the bag. It's big enough that I would have been very comfortable in there too. Here's my cat's experience: He was completely overexcited for the first few minutes, probably wondering why he was suddenly allowed outside. He surveyed the scene and then checked out the tent, walking the perimeter and checking out the top part of the enclosure (probably looking for an escape route!). Then he just took in the scenery, walked around, and munched on some grass. About an hour into the experience he finally crashed and just soaked up the sun. It was great. I kept him in my line of sight in case he tried to make a break for it but he didn't. We stayed outside for about two hours - kitty in the tent and me gardening nearby. I used his cat carrier to transport him from the house into the tent and then left it in there. I also put in a small blanket, a crows nest enclosure, food and water. He was a very happy kitty. A word of caution: If your cat's a feisty fighter or an accomplished escape artist then this tent probably won't work for you. After all, it is just netting. The material has bigger holes than mosquito netting and is stronger but it wouldn't take much to cut it. My cat didn't mess with it, being content with his confinement, but I can see a different cat clawing its way out. I'll upload some pics to show Jake in the tent. I'm very pleased with my purchase! 2013 UPDATE: I used this tent frequently for five months (until winter came) and had no issues whatsoever. Jake, the spoiled cat!, grew to LOVE being in it. He used to flee like a criminal at the first sign of his cat carrier coming out of the closet; it was only used for his vet visits. I started leaving it by the back door after I got the tent. He liked going in the tent so much that he developed the habit of running into the carrier in the mornings and crying until I brought him outside. I think that means this product it "cat approved"!

This tent has been perfect and everything I hoped for. It’s large enough for my cats, sets up in about two seconds, and the mesh bottom is a real plus so they feel like they’re actually walking on the ground. We’ve been undecided on a catio setup, so this has been the ideal temporary solution for safe fresh air. Portable, the cats love it, and I’m really happy with it.

This was the saving grace for our problem of how to contain our very active, very large cat while he recovered from surgery. The vet said he could have no more than an 8 foot range as she didn't want him to get a running start and re injure himself. We could not imagine how we were going to contain him and could barely stand the thought of what we would put him through. A large dog crate was suggested which we purchased that day and our cat was miserable. So we ordered this right away and when it arrived, it set up so easily, just pull on the cords and poof, it's set up. Our cat took to it quite easily. He can sit in the middle of the living room with everyone with only mesh, not bars, to look through. He can signal he wants to be pet by rubbing up against the sides and we can pet him right through the mesh if needed. It is easy to unzip the hole and reach inside and pet him or refill his water, get a small cat pan in and out for cleaning. The mesh is strong enough that it has not tore while he pulls his 18 pound self along it with his claws. Yet sheer enough that he gets all the sunlight through the window every day and can survey the whole room, floor to ceiling. Though he is injured and confined, he has reestablished his dominance over the other cat by almost appearing as if he isn't confined. The zipper is on the outside so there is no chance of him figuring out escape. And unlike the extra large dog crate we spent over 70 dollars on, he can fit a cat bed, multiple toys, food water, cat box, blankets, and anything else he may use in daily life. I also highly recommend this toy bought on Amazon for cats that are confined http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000JTDP18?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00 . One week down, and unfortunately several more to go per vet orders. I will update if he is able to destroy this tent. If any cat can, he can, but I don't think he will. We plan to use this outside this summer!

Encontré este producto con un gran descuento respecto a su precio normal. Mi sorpresa fue que llegó muy rápido, el empaque en excelentes condiciones. El producto funciona muy bien, es bastante grande por lo que se tiene que considerar un buen espacio, muy funcional para mantener a los gatitos seguros sin miedo a que se escapen. Es bastante fácil de armar y guardar. Mi gato pasa horas dentro. En resumen un excelente producto.

my kitties love this! little bit pricey but overall i do not regret purchasing because my cats enjoy it. It was easy to set up and is very durable as I have left it outside (we use it frequently) all summer and there are no rips, tears or breaks. Perfect for those who want to let their cats outside but are afraid of having them run away. It is very spacious as well.

Mir gefällt es gut und es passt gut zu meinen beiden Katzen.

My cats love going in the tent when we are out in the Garden. Great buy and very happy cats 🐱 🐱🐱🐱

Very pleased with purchase. My cat is getting use to it. Good to use when out in garden. Light weight and easy to assemble. Good value for money and well constructed. Thank you ABO Gear. Delivery excellent service.