Above Ground Installation of Cat Fence Wire

These instructions will not be included with your pet fence. You should print this page if you are going to use the Above Ground Installation method.

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A common misconception about "Underground Fencing" is that is needs to be buried "Underground". This unfortunate but understandable misconception often scares many people away from enjoying the freedom that these fences provide both you and your pet.

There is no need to spend a weekend burying the wire underground, or paying some one hundreds of dollars to bury the boundary wire when it can be installed above ground in only a matter of an hour or two.

Using wire pegs you can "Staple" the wire to the ground. Within a matter of 7 - 14 days the root system of your lawn will grow over the wire and hide it completely from view, essentially "Burying" it into the lawn. Not only does this make the installation of your new pet containment systems hassle free, it also eliminates any potential loss of signal that may result from burying the boundary wire under several inches of dirt, not to mention the backaches and blisters it will save you.

The procedure is simple:

Step 1:

First run your twisted wire from your transmitter out to the beginning of your boundary.
Now "Staple" the twisted wire to the ground by hammering in a wire "Staple" every 5 - 6 feet.
Now stop and look at the wire. Is it completely flush to the ground all the way to the start of the boundary? If not go and "Staple" any raised areas before proceeding to the next step. The wire MUST completely touch the ground.

Step 2:

Next, place a "Staple" where the twisted wire and the beginning of the boundary meet (if you have a splice in this area please dig a small hole about 2 inches deep and bury the splice. Then place a "Staple" in the front of and behind the splice to relieve any pressure on the splice)
Now walk the wire to the first corner of your boundary and "Staple" it to the ground. Repeat this step for all four corners of your boundary.
Next go back just as you did with your twisted wire and "Staple" any raised areas down until they are completely flush with the ground.

You are now done!!! It is that simple.

You have no need to worry about people tripping over the wire because it is completely flush to the ground and will be completely hidden within 7-10 days. You also do not need to worry about your lawnmower cutting the wire as the blades will never get anywhere near the wire. Nobody cuts their lawns to shorter than an inch, with the vast majority of people keeping them at 2" - 3" inches, the wire is flush to the ground and cannot be cut.

There are really only a couple of instances where burying the wire is preferable.

If you are putting a fence into a pasture area where livestock such as horses or cattle will frequent, then you will want to bury the wire as their hooves will create breaks. In this case you will want the wire at least 8 - 10 inches underground.
If you frequently have your yard aerated you will want the wire at least 5 - 6 inches in the ground. Although if you do an above ground installation you can simply avoid the exterior boundaries when performing the aeration.

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