Outback Jack Kitty Compound Outdoor Cat Enclosure and Tunnel, Play Tents

We have had this tent for a long time now and have used it many times when fostering kittens. We live in a small cottage & have 3 cats of our own. Every time we get a new batch of fosters, we have to quarantine them and get everyone used to each other. The tent makes that easy & convenient. If the kitties are feral, it gives them time to get used to the activity around them (sometimes we start out with parts of the tent covered, depending on how feral the felines are; we always provide a tunnel they can hide & play in). Note: If a cat/kitten is too feral, this tent's size allows the animal to cower in the back & there is no way to get to them without climbing in to get them (not a good situation). They can also totally freak out inside if not given enough privacy & time initially, so if we have a tiny or very feral animal, we usually start with a small playpen since it's easier to grab them to medicate/interact with (most pens let you get in from the top & side), but then we graduate them up to this tent so they have room to play. Once everyone is used to the new situation, we let the kittens out into the main area. They then love to climb on the outside of the tent, which acts as a kind of trampoline & sleeping hammock. This is great for kittens, but once over about 4lbs, they can hit the mechanism that closes it and the whole tent collapses. Obviously that is not a fault of the manufacturer, just putting it out there as a warning that there is a weight limit should you let the animals use it as a jungle gym. When we leave the house, we toss the kittens back in so we know everyone is safe & is easy to find when we return. We rarely use the tunnel part - it is quite large & just doesn't fit our situation. Others were complaining about not getting it to zipper to the tent but we didn't have that issue. Everything worked as expected. While the tent is large, we have made it work even in our small cottage. The size is what makes it so perfect - you can easily fit litter, food bowls, beds & toys & still allow some play area. We did end up with one small hole in it after a metal, spiral toy got caught up in the mesh, but it has taken a lot of abuse & held up beautifully. We've had cats try to claw/bite their way out & had kittens dangle from the inside by their nails while playing with other kitties outside on the top, and not once has there been a tear nor has a cat/kitten got tangled in it. Cleaning is a bit of a pain in the butt & it's possible to miss organisms that might be in the seams - (most of the kittens come with parasites - we live in the Caribbean), so it must be scrubbed down regularly with Rescue and/or bleach - but we just collapse it, bring it out on the deck, spray it, scrub it, hose it down, and leave it to dry in the sun before setting it all up again. We haven't yet had any issues setting up or putting away this tent & it easily fits under the bed when not in use. I highly recommend this if you foster animals of any kind or are introducing newly adopted pets to each other. It's a nice safe space while everyone adapts. We will be donating this one to the cat rescue we foster with here when we move back to the US in a few months and will be immediately buying another one for ourselves for future fosters.

08 mar 2020 Just leaving an update. This tent has outlasted the old boy, so now just the girl uses it. We've had TONS of setups and teardowns; even left it out in some weather for a few days. Still as awesome as day one! Also including some updated pics. WORTH THE PURCHASE. Now I sometimes just place it on top of a tarp if the ground is damp. Parents beware: small children like our 3 year old likes to join in on the fun lol. 20 jul 2015. I got this right on time. It was out of the box and setup within 4minutes. Very simple to use. Advice, trim your kitties' nails before use, and make sure both black pull cords on top are in one hand before your other hand collapses the tent. Otherwise one of the pull cords can get stuck in the creases of the support sticks. The tent weighs just a couple pounds and the netting seems durable. I first set it up in my livingroom on carpet, and it had been a month or so since I trimmed my cats' nails, so maybe that's why they caught a few times. Once I put the tent and them outside after a trim, they were just fine. My boy did panic alittle when a semi went by, so I'll try it later when the traffic is minimal ((he doesn't like loud noises as it is, so no surprise there. Not the tent's fault)) The tent is definitely a plus rather than having to stick them on leashes! It gives us fresh air and minimizes my stress as I drink my morning coffee--on the leashes I had to constantly watch them and pull them away from the balcony railing. As other reviews have said, it does have a large footprint. Like 30sqft. It's a slight rectangular shape, about 6' x 5', with the door on a long side. It does not tip over, even when your cat panics--my 20lb boy couldn't move it when the semi truck went by. It does come with anchors for use with ground, and tiedown points that you could probably maneuver to your deck anyways. The door is large enough to fit an adult thru ((I climbed in there myself with my cats to show them the door)). It is easily large enough to put an open litterbox and a petbed in, so I'll try that later. It seems worth the price. I haven't used the tunnel yet, so I'm not sure on the whole zipper thing. Also, I'd have to turn the tent sideways to use the tunnel, should I choose to do so. This *might* make it a tight fit; like, wedged against the railing and under the slidingdoor's runplate. I will do my best to update this later. I'd say purchase it and test it out several times. It's pretty neat!

I love this. I have three cats (two large and one medium sized). They all fit fine. They can get a bit moody and want out for more personal space after a while if all 3 are in the tent, but that’s just my cats’ particular personalities. Unfortunately, I don’t have a good window to build a “catio” onto so my indoor-only cats can go out while staying contained, but this is a great alternative. I have a long, wide porch and this tent easily fits on one side of it with plenty of room to spare. If your space is smaller, you can squish the tent to fit. It’s flexible. It’s easy to take down and move if needed. The instructions are easy to follow and setup takes a couple minutes. The measurements are listed in the product details, but I measured mine (plastic foot tip to plastic foot tip for the sides) and added them to my photos. As you can see, there’s enough room inside for a litter box, food and water bowls, and a scratching post (also purchased from Amazon). The material can be damaged by claws or any animal that chews like rabbits or guinea pigs. I wouldn’t leave them unsupervised for long periods of time. This certainly wouldn’t be a good option for a permanent home, either. I added the scratching post to deter my cats from using the tent walls to stretch and scratch on. It worked so I recommend doing that. Plus, it gives them somewhere off the ground to nap like cats typically want. I like that the zipper can be put through the yellow loop to keep smart cats like mine from simply unzipping the door. Yes, one of my cats has figured out zippers. He doesn’t even try to get out of this tent and will gladly nap the day away since he has everything he needs. The tent and tunnel both come with storage bags, stakes (also in bags), and bags for sand/rocks or other materials to secure the tunnel if needed. There are also enough doors to use the tunnel separate from the tent. Things I’d Change: since I have the outdoor space and 3 cats, I’d like a bigger/deeper option. It would also be nice if there were doors on all sides to attach another tunnel(s). Maybe even a bigger access flap if there were ever a larger size tent option available. With my three in the one tunnel, it can get crowded. I would also prefer if it had a removable top for shade. It doesn’t take long for animals to overheat in direct sunlight on warm days. And animals get skin cancer, too. Especially those with thin and/or lightly colored hair. As it is, the storage bags or other material can be clipped to the tent to potentially offer shade if you’re placing the tent in direct sunlight, but a real cover with side flaps would be nice.

I have bought 3 of these over the past 3 years. Each lasts about 9 months outside, so I look at them as disposable. Kitty door access to the tube, and then the tent. Sun and rain deteriorate the material, even if you spray the protection on it. The cats love it, and I don't trust the cheaper stuff, so I'll order a 4th here today.

If you've never bought a cat tent rest assured you will like this one. One caveat being that sometimes the cat likes it so much ut doesn't want to come out, so the tunnel can be left off if it's a problem, and the tunnel can be used separately with enclosed mesh zippered ends, 3 in all. Very well packed, nice enough bags for storage or travel. Nice quality tent, especially for the price. The yellow tape on the tunnel may not last being out in the sun, maybe they improved this since the last one I had. And the little yellow loops you use to stake it down also can wear out. I bought some small aluminum stakes which I like a lot, haven't used the ones that come with it. Stake it down though! I usually collapse it in place (or put inside) if weather is coming. Makes it a bit of a pain to move when mowing, but pretty easy really, 5 stakes total 1 for tunnel. I like to put a water resistant pad in (which can kill the grass if not moved frequently), and please remember to keep it where it will have at least some shade. We avoid midday heat and sun though. Cats do like to stretch up and may be able to bring the tent down on them. Usually a sign they want out, or want to run around the yard. Overall, these are very nice options if you have a cat who always want to go outside, but you want to keep them safe. It should last many years, and can easily be moved around. Outdoor Jack tents are my go to cat tents! No regrets! Enjoy!

UPDATE: The cats seem to love it, but the problem has arisen from the zipper. Of course they can't unzip it (no opposable thumbs), but just pushing against it makes the zipper come undone from the middle. I found out the hard way when Fred pushed on it and escaped. I think the zippers are poor quality, although the mesh is outstanding. But there is no way to fix the zipper. The cats haven't told me how much they love it, but they aren't trying to get out. I love how portable (sort of) it is because I have them in the front yard when I work out there, in the back yard when I work out there and then I bring it in and they go in and out of while it's in the living room. I said "sort of" about the portability because it's so big I have to take it down to go through doors. I did not grade the durability because I haven't had it long - I'm hoping it lasts a long time but there was a review that cast doubt on that. I gave 4 stars on sturdiness because the legs holding up the tent don't seem terribly sturdy and I'm not sure about the cord that pulls it open, but I have to say the mesh they used is incredible. My cats like to try to break things. And when they see a bug outside the tent, they try to get to it. It has withstood those razor sharp claws. I highly recommend this tent/tunnel!

We have a small patio in our townhome backyard. Our cats beg to be out when it's nice outside, but because we cautious owners, they are only allowed out in their tents. In fact, the moment our sliding glass door opens, they know to run right to the tent openings. These tents are large, roomy, and avoid the problem of many outside "habitats" for pets—they can't turn into giant hamster wheels when your pet puts its paws up on a wall. Because the tents are also mesh on the bottom, we like to put blankies or a towel down for our babies to sleep on. They are also simple to set up. Just pull up on the cords and the tent pops open. Push down on the tent supports that are marked with arrows, and it folds down. We don't tend to put the tent in its package because we use them almost every day. They lean in a corner of our living room in the summer. And because the tents are mesh, if they accidentally get caught in the rain they're easy to dry out. We've had one tent for almost four years now, and it has held up to cats who sometimes like to jump up and stick their claws into the mesh when trying to chase a bird. The mesh is really strong and of a great quality. In the photos I've shared you can see the newest version of the tent on the left. The tents are definitely large enough for multiple cats. Ours are 15 lb (gray tuxedo Ajax) and 11 lbs (white tabby, Athena) siblings, but Athena is a riot grrl and likes to beat up her brother, so she needed her own tent. Long story short, these tents are absolutely worth the price and are highly recommended for responsible cat owners who want their pets to enjoy nature safely.

This cat tent is puurfect. Is supper easy to set up and take down. My curious cat loves the tent and the opportunity to spend time outside with me. I love that I don't have to worry about him getting away. The mesh fabrics make appears to be easy to clean if we have had to the need. Set up and take down is easy and the size of it makes for easy storage.

Esta casa y tunel son muy rápidos de armar, a pesar de las uñas de mi gato soportan muy bien el trato

I think the simplicity of the design. It worked well with the cat flap we had glazier install in the bottom right hand corner glass of loungeroom. Whilst awaiting a more permanent cat enclosure but wanting this girl to experience a touch of freedom of nature free of harm from monstrously large Aussie lizards and poisonous snakes in spring summer thank you for this product!

Sooooo worth it! — Enrichment — Safety — Very durable to claws and teeth — Easy to assemble (pop-up style) — Spacious — Great quality (very strong tent material) — Easy to move cats in and out

My cats love this and so do I. I've had it for about 5 years and we use it daily in the summer and spring/fall if the weather is nice. It's a great way to have your indoor kitties out and keep them safe. One of my cats absolutely loves to sit in there for hours. After 5 years it has a couple of small holes where one of my kitties kept digging her nails in and pulling it, but other than that it's still going strong. I would say it's a pretty good tent for your small pets. It's not indestructible but, as I said, 5 years and going strong. Good value for money, if you ask me.

works well