Enclosures Business for Pets and More

An enclosure is defined as an area that is sealed off with an artificial or natural barrier. There are many uses for enclosures. Probably the most well known use of enclosures is to protect pets and prevent them from escaping. However, pet enclosure businesses can also expand their business to provide enclosures for other uses.

There are many people who are passionate about their pets. They want to give their pets as much freedom as they can possibly provide. This includes the freedom to roam or fly on as much space as possible.

Images: Pet Enclosures

There are many mass produced cages and pet enclosures online. But these mass produced products are not tailor made for pet owners who really want to integrate their houses with their pet enclosures.

MATERIALS FOR ENCLOSURES

Plastic:

Enclosures come in many forms. For pets they come as simple as preformed plastic containers and cages. You can actually repurpose large rectangular plastic containers meant for cloth or food storage.

For example my niece repurposed medium sized rectangular plastic containers as cages for her hamsters. The repurposed container looked like a commercial product made out of a factory.

She just used hardware bought wire mesh as well as a few bolt and nuts. She borrowed a soldering iron to drill holes in the plastic container. This was all she needed to create a beautiful hamster pet enclosure.

Based from what I have seen, this could be made into a business even by a young person. They can just buy big plastic containers. They then can buy simple hardware supplies. Lastly, all they need is a soldering iron, a screwdriver and wire cutter.

With this they are already in business offering custom built plastic pet cages and enclosures. We can also note that one can buy very large plastic drums from bakeries for example. This means much larger pets can be enclosed in repurposed plastic drums.

Wood and Wire Mesh:

These are the materials most used by do-it-yourselfers (DIY). They are used mainly for large and irregularly shaped and sized enclosures. With these materials you only need at minimum a saw, hammer, nails and a wire cutter. Of course you need wood and wire or steel mesh to construct the enclosure.

One thing to take note when using wood is that some animals use the wood to sharpen their teeth or to sharpen their claws. I have seen for example dogs who gnaw and claw their wooden enclosure. In no time at all these dogs have severely damaged their enclosures that they nearly escaped.

Steel and Wire Mesh:

These are the ultimate in pet enclosures. They are sturdy and lasts for a long time. Pets cannot destroy them by gnawing or clawing on them. This ensures that pets won’t be able to escape if the enclosure is properly secured.

Steel enclosures are also relatively lighter as compared to wooden enclosures. This means they are easier to construct when they come in kits. They are also easier to move around in case you want to move your enclosure.

This must be the reason why companies that sell custom built pet enclosures sell enclosures made out of steel and steel mesh. They are not only easier to construct but they are also easier to transport to the customers.

This means that the likelihood of them getting damaged while being transported to customers is less likely to happen. If you are planning to enter the pet enclosure business, you should take these advantages of steel materials over wooden materials.

ENCLOSURE BUSINESS FOR PETS

For example, the mass produced cages and pet enclosures are usually sold in a rectangular shape and have sizes that does not allow a pet owner to enter the enclosure to actually touch their pet.

There are custom built enclosures that are actually so big that they allow a pet owner to enter the enclosure to actually play with their pet right inside the enclosure. These enclosures could become so big that some actually take up an entire room in a house.

Pet Ownership Laws:

There are many countries with strict pet laws. For example there are laws that state that pets should be properly housed for. There are laws that prevent pet owners from letting their pets stray unaccompanied.

Just imagine the trouble a pet owner would get into if they accidentally let their pet cat stray into their neighbor’s house and eat their neighbor’s pet rodent or pet. This could be a good scenario to sell if you are in the business of selling pet enclosures.

The strict pet laws combined with the pet’s owner desire to give as much freedom to their pets are one of the reasons why there are pet owners who spend good money for large pet enclosures. This can only mean good news for cat enclosure businesses.

Cat-centric:

Speaking of cats, they seem to be the pet most pet enclosures are built for. Cat enclosures are called “Catios.” There are many videos and images of cat catios online. You can simply type the search keyword “catios” and you would instantly be shown many large cat enclosures.

This means that in your pet enclosure business you should have a good emphasis on cats. The most elaborate enclosures seem to be built just for them. For example, pet owners build walkways for their cats when they do not build them for other animals.

Walkways for pets also provide good business for businesses involved in pet enclosures. Building walkways can be complicated. They can run from the cages of the cats and into the ceilings.

There are even walkways where the cat has a special exit hole for entering and leaving the house and into their enclosure. These exit holes could be as simple as holes in doors and could be as complex as holes in the thick wall of the house.

Of course these walkways are extra products and services that can be offered by pet enclosure companies. The more elaborate and long the walkways is, the better for the business of pet enclosure providers.

The Need for Custom Built Pet Enclosures:

There are already pre-made custom built enclosures that are large enough to fit a pet and its owner. There is still however good business to be made from one of a kind enclosures. There are enclosure kits that provide a certain leeway in customizing an enclosure but not always.

For example, there would pet owners who want live trees to be included in their pet’s enclosure. There are enclosures that are big enough to house a small tree but there are trees so big that they cannot fit in the enclosure.

So what is the solution for this? Built an enclosure that partially covers the tree. The enclosure could be a wire mesh or a thick net. This unique pet owner need also provides a good opportunity for enclosure businesses to make money. Be sure to recommend this option to your clients.

Barrier Instead of Enclosures:

Sometimes your client does not need an enclosed space but only a barrier. For example, dogs are not particularly good climbers as compared to cats. They can easily be confined in a small area using barriers that are high enough such that they couldn’t climb in it.

This may be an option for you as the owner of an enclosure business to recommend to your clients. This is especially true for big animals that are usually let out in the backyard like dogs, goats, pigs and other domesticated animals.

Enclosures for Transporting Animals:

Besides barriers, there are also enclosures that are specially made to transport animals. For example, there are custom built enclosures that are used to transport zoo animals from one place to another. Race horses are also transported using enclosures.

Zoos, Pet Stores, Pet Shelters, Pet Cafes… etc.:

It is highly recommended that you keep a professional relationship with zoos, pet stores, pet shelters, pet cafes and other businesses involved with animals and not just pets. They are not only customers in themselves but could also be a source of customers as well.

You can enter into a referral business relationship with these businesses where they advertise your products and services or refer clients to you in exchange for a commission. You can even offer the same business relationship with hardware shops.

ENCLOSURE BUSINESS FOR OUTSIDE PROPERTIES

Enclosures do not only prevent pets from wandering out of one’s property but can also protect the outside properties of the owner of a property. In this case, the enclosure can be used as protection and theft deterrent.

Protection For Farm Animals:

There are many predators that can harm and even kill farm animals. Farm animals also need protection from the elements. I have seen online that some companies that sell enclosures also sell to farmers to protect their livestock animals.

For example I have seen companies that sell enclosures for chickens. These are not enclosures for a single chicken but are rather an enclosure that houses several chickens. The enclosures however have dividers for each chicken.

Protection From Dangerous Animals:

Besides being used to protect pets and livestock animals, enclosures can be sold as protection for people themselves. This is especially true for houses that are located near forested areas where dangerous animals from the forest can stray in their houses.

For example, I have seen television shows where large snakes like anacondas have entered the premises of residential homes for example. You can refer to these television shows when you market your enclosure products to people who live near forested area.

When you refer these television shows or news of dangerous animals entering one’s house or backyard, do not think you are engaging in fear tactics. These dangerous animal intrusions are legitimate concerns to be concerned about and there have been many people hurt by these animals.

Suppose it is not dangerous animals but pests. For example, there are big rodents from the jungle or even in big cities that invade someone’s backyard every night to feast on whatever food scraps they could find.

This is a dangerous situation as rodents like wild rats can be very vicious when cornered or when provoked. This is especially so during cold weather when many animals seek comfort in any place that would give them warmth.

Snakes, rodents and even bears have been known to seek shelter in human houses even if they are located in towns and even big cities. The smell of human food like those found in garbage bins are also enough for them to invade human houses.

Theft Deterrent:

There are also areas where the danger is not dangerous animals but human intruders who could be dangerous. For example, I have seen television reports of thieves stealing patio furnitures, decorations and even pets.

There are even malicious persons who besides stealing patio decorations also deface and vandalize the patio or a person’s backyard. This is especially true for houses that are left mostly unoccupied for long periods of time like when the entire family is working or on vacation.

These crimes might not be as common in developed countries but in developing countries these crimes are a fact of life. There are people in developing countries who out of sheer desperation would steal anything their hands could carry. These include items left outside the house like those located in backyards and verandas.

Imagine if you have a brand new set of clothes just recently bought. You wear it one time, wash it and left it to dry. Then next day you find out it’s gone. This happened to me in Australia. If this can happen in a developed country, it can happen in less developed countries.

A few of my past acquaintances before also told me that their most prized plants particularly flowers have been stolen. The thief or thieves probably stole it while they were sleeping. In Australia, there are many residences with no fences.

If they have fences they are most likely to be easy to hop into. From this, any intruder can go to the garden or backyard and take anything they value including plants. I am not saying this is the fault of the home owner for having only easy to circumvent fences but these crimes happen.

In this instance, it would be good to create a business relationship with security companies. It would be an income sharing scheme where both of you market each others products to your respective clients.

Swimming Pool Enclosures:

There are also countries with laws designed to protect small children from drowning in swimming pools. Law or no law it just makes good sense that the swimming pool should have some sort of barrier against small children who may accidentally in it.

Besides the hazard that small children can drown in swimming pools, there is also the possibility that intruders might help themselves to the water in the swimming pool. This applies to both animal and human invaders.

Again, there are television shows that show swimmers being surprised by snakes in their swimming pool. There have even been big animals like seals found in swimming pools near large bodies of water.

It would be a good idea to form a business relationship with swimming pool companies. This would again be an income sharing relationship. Both of you can market each other’s products to your respective clients.

Car Enclosures:

Next to the house, cars are usually the homeowner’s next most expensive possession. There are households with more cars than they can fit in their garage so they leave it in the driveway. In the driveway, the car is exposed to vandalism, theft and exposed to the elements.

An enclosure might protect a car left in the driveway from being stolen. An enclosure is especially helpful in vandalism cases. For example, there are many apartment blocks that only have open parking for tenants.

There are very real news of cars being stolen from these open parking spaces. If they are not stolen, they are vandalized or broken into. This happens because the owners know that there is a probability that this crime might happen to them but does not act and leaves it to chance.

Again, it would be a good idea to partner up with companies that deal with cars. You could recommend their product to your clients and in turn they could recommend your product to theirs.

ENCLOSURE BUSINESS FOR PROPERTIES INSIDE THE HOUSE/BUILDING

We must note that what protection or theft deterrent for properties inside the house/building also applies to what is outside the house/building. Animals and pests might also be able to reach for example food supplies unless they are properly protected by enclosures.

For example grains can be stored behind an enclosure to prevent livestock animals from getting at them without the owner’s consent.

We can also include enclosures that protect and deter the theft of valuable items. For example, in a police station the evidence section and ammunition section can be segregated from the rest of the building thru the use of an enclosure.

CONCLUSION

Enclosures serve many purposes. They help to keep objects including animals inside them from getting out or from being stolen. They also prevent the animals and humans inside them from being harmed or even killed.

Not just for pets dwellings, enclosures can be used for a lot of things. They can be in the form of barriers that prevent animals and humans from getting in or our within their confined spaces. For your enclosure business to really scale, you must find new uses for your enclosures.