I live in an apartment, on the second floor with a balcony. I have a 10 year old Calico cat who's very sweet and loves to sit by the balcony window (what cat wouldn't?). I thought about letting her onto the balcony, but I'm afraid she might try to catch a bird and fall off the balcony. She's tried that next to the window sill and hit her head on the window. Yeah, I know. Cats can fall off high places and land on their feet. I just worry about her because she is older and her reflexes aren't like they used to be. She gets on top of the fridge fine, but she doesn't jump straight down from there. She gets off and on there from the kitchen counter. So, is it safe to let her onto the balcony unattended or should I just let her out there when I'm around?
2006-06-21 04:34:31 · 20 answers · asked by Sara 2 in Pets ➔ Cats
When I was in the same situation, what I did was go to a hardware store and get some small garden wire, like chicken wire with smaller holes, and use a staple gun to put it up around the balcony. It kept my cats on the balcony.
2006-06-21 04:38:39 · answer #1 · answered by buggsnme2 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No he definetly will not jump off as cats are clever creatures however he could accidentally fall and you would hate that to happen and so would I. Some callous people in the UK have thrown their cats out of top floor flats how I would love to have the Judgement of Solomon to do the same to them. I'm wondering if you are allowed to place wiring over the balcony if so that can be easily installed. I do know some cats that live in flats and walk in and out of the balcony with the doors open and not one have jumped off. Do what's best for your companion and I think allow him to just look outside and perhaps ensure he does'nt jump onto the edge, this might work or a covered corner might also work with a frame of wood with wire and a carpet on the floor. There's also some thin barbed wire that does'nt notice but that would deter him run it along the edging of the balcony. , take it easy with him and play it as you go along.
2016-05-20 08:49:59 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Do not let her out onto the balcony unless you are ot there with her. You can not take the chance that you could be in your apartment doing something and she chases after a bird and falls. Also if you are siting out there with her then if she gets too close to the edge the you should ake her inside which shows her she cannot get near the edge. Though if you really want her to enjoy going outside then take her downstairs and let her play on the grass right in front of the apartment building. But don't let her play outside too long because she might get fleas.
2006-06-21 04:44:11 · answer #3 · answered by littlemin5 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Well, how much do you love your cat? If she is getting older, her reflexes aren't great, she might try to catch a bird, or she could see something below and decide to go for it, it might be a bad idea. If letting her out onto the balcony is worth the risk of letting her get lost or hurt, go for it. Chances are, your cat will be perfectly happy inside.
2006-06-21 04:49:16 · answer #4 · answered by lizwatson109 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes, it's safe for 99 percent of the time...It's extremely rare for a cat to fall off its platform unless it's slippery, not stable and solid. Check to make sure your balcony is in good shape! Moreover, a bird is not likely to land onto your balcony anyway. If she's well fed, would she really bother to hunt? Unless she was taught as a young kit to hunt for food, she's not likely to have a predator mindset(innate but only necessary for survival).
I worked in a many vet hospitals and never seen a dead cat because of "high-rise syndrome".
2006-06-21 04:48:09 · answer #5 · answered by hawaiki2003 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You can go to any Home Depot/Garden supply/home store/Target & pick up that plastic (usually green, can find a clear one though) fencing & tack /staple onto your balcony to prevent your cat from escaping, and still be able to view the outdoors through the holes. It's not so bad & you can put plants around it..some people use meshy (softer metal version of chickenwire) fencing to keep pets inside balcony areas. I find the plastic garden fencing works just fine. You just have to get wide enough to cover open area, (usually comes in rolls) and tall enough that your cat won't leap over it.
Good luck, T
2006-06-21 07:12:30 · answer #6 · answered by tula_p 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I'd let her out only when you're around at least in the beginning. Perhaps even on a leash, just in case. Then you'll know what she may or may not try. Sometimes cats will try to squeeze through the bars on a balcony too.
2006-06-21 04:39:05 · answer #7 · answered by Christina 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I have known lots of people that had a window opening onto their roof and let their cats out there with no problems. But since there is always that slight possibility of your cat jumping or falling why don't you go with the suggestion about putting up chicken wire.
2006-06-21 07:39:02 · answer #8 · answered by Dellajoy 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I would only let her out there while your around and probably on a harness so if she falls off her weight will be on her chest and not on her neck. If you want to let her out unsupervised, I'd build a cat fence. I built one out of lattice work and screening. I made sure the lattice was high enough that my cat couldn't jump over it and then stapled the screening onto it so my cat couldn't put her paws in the lattice spaces.
My cat used to love that space, I had little cat friendly plants for her to munch on and sit in the shade of too.
2006-06-21 04:54:02 · answer #9 · answered by leblanc_christine@rogers.com 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Cats need time to wriggle around and get themselves upright before hitting the ground---sometimes they can't manage it. I wouldn't leave the cat out there unattended. They don't have any concept of height or danger, so you're right to worry about her jumping after a bird.
2006-06-21 04:40:27 · answer #10 · answered by MOM KNOWS EVERYTHING 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋