The loss of his cat Lola prompted Simon Davies to devise a solution that would allow his pets to enjoy the outdoors but remain safe from harm. Three years later he launched ProtectaPuss, an innovative system that 'cat-proofs' gardens.

One of the the most exciting new developments in the business is becoming a supplier to Cats Protection and working on their new multi million pound facility in Padgate, Warrington.

"We have designed a new indoor PVC cat screen for Cats Protection which prevents cats from gaining access into the spaces above the pens," said Simon. "The screens are wipe clean and have access hatches for maintenance. 

"If successful, we aim to fit these in the future at vet practices, cat charities and re-homing centres nationwide. We are also expanding our product range and website to incorporate a shopping basket for more efficient online sales."

But it was the unfortunate death of one of his cats that caused Simon to embark on his new venture. 

"My cats, Leo and Lola, were indoor cats for the first two years of their lives. However Lola, in particular, was desperate to get outside and would dive between my legs when I opened the door.

"The whole family was devastated when our neighbour came round to tell us he had found her body.

"I became desperate to devise a solution that would prevent Leo from meeting the same fate. I designed a cat-proof fence barrier to allow Leo to experience the outdoors without suffering any of the associated risks.

"I quickly realised there were plenty of additional benefits to using a cat barrier around the periphery of the garden.

"Cats are less likely to catch birds or other wildlife, they will not annoy neighbours by digging up flower beds, and other cats are deterred from entering the garden because they cannot see an exit."

Currently ProtectaPuss is a cat containment system installation specialist covering the whole of UK mainland although it can supply people with a DIY kit including the brackets, mesh and fixtures. These can be bought on the company website www.protectapuss.co.uk. 

"We usually supply the quote through phone calls and email correspondence where we ask the customer to measure up and send some photographs to us. This way we can keep the cost affordable and respond quickly," said Simon.

"Although we don't advertise for dog enclosures, we are able to build enclosures using suitable materials for the type of dog. Some of our enclosures in the past have been dual purpose for cats and dogs."