Cats and securing the windows

I have moved recently, so I had to arrange my window nets again. Cats instinctively seek out raised places and places with a good view into the surroundings. Many owners believe, that if they live on a higher floor, the cat can’t jump out and so they don’t need a net. However, this is a mistake. Year after year, I read about a fluffy falling out of someone’s window.

If it happens on a low floor, the cat might not be able to turn around to all fours, but even if nothing happens to it, it suffers a great shock. For the first time, it might find itself on the street, among all the smells and commotion. In a better case, you will manage to find it, in a worse case, it gets lost forever or gets run over.

Don’t be mistaken, a cat can fall even from a high floor. It can be snuggling on a window sill, get scared and fall. A fly might fly by, which will not leave its hunting instincts at peace, and while snatching at it, it will step into an empty space. In a fall from height, the cat will easily suffer from fractures or serious injuries, which it can even succumb to.

You have several options how to secure the windows and balconies. If you can’t or don’t want to interfere with the house façade, you can buy telescopic aluminium rods at a pet store, that you then use to fasten the net. It is also the cheapest option. The stumbling block might be, however, the tightening of the telescope.

Another option is a set of a protective net with parts for fastening. However, in this case, you must drill holes to fasten the hooks into the façade or window. Then, you just pull a fastening string through the net’s circumference (the net will be more firm around the edges), which you will then hang into the hooks.

The last alternative is to commission a company, which will place the net on the window for you. The advantage is, that you don’t have to worry that you will damage the insulation of the house or a plastic window by drilling. The company will surely know how to go about it even if you didn’t know how to deal with assembling. For example, if you have a metal window sill, the company will be even able to cover a terrace without a ceiling with a net. In addition, you will have a warranty for their work.

Therefore, ventilation is not safe even with a tilt turn window. The cat may still run out of the ventilation opening, and in a worse case, it can get stuck and hurt itself, or even suffocate. However, you can buy special bars that will cover the free space of a tilted window and then you can leave it open without worrying. You can get the bars at any larger pet store.

It’s really not a good idea to underestimate the risks surrounding windows. The cat may have been lying on your window sill for years without any trouble, but it takes a single moment for an accident to occur. After all, it’s not such an expensive prevention and it’s worth the feeling of calm, that you have made your fluffy safe.