Indoor cats and open windows

[khalltusk]

I have my back door open during the day when I am at home. The dogs and cats roam around the back garden as they please. As for windows The only reason I would have it closed is due to mozzys getting in and biting me up while I sleep. :/

Aside that I just let the cats go on the window ledge as they please. If they fall its only out of one window which has the bins on the front so its a 5ft drop from there. My own rooms window opens to the conservatory. So the cats just walk onto that. Although one cat did catch a bat the other week. Luckily I got to the poor bat and released it. (didnt have any wounds so should have been fine) Bats are protected in the UK so I didn't fancy letting one die on my watch :P

[Seirith]

If you have a hardware store near you they may sell a removable screen. All my windows have screens but I also have 4 indoor cats. I bought these removable screen locally and put them in the windows when I open them up to ensure the cats can't get out.

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Wood-Frame...-x-37/20434386

Not a very good picture but this is what they are. You just open the window and shut it on top of the screen.

[Deleted]

I can't imagine not having screens on windows. Don't bugs fly in? Won't animals get in?

We used to leave our patio door open on nice days for the cats to go in and out as they wished. A raccoon kept coming into our kitchen as bold as you please, ripped open the cat food bags, and munched away like he was at a buffet. So we had to stop. Plus our 2 cats went out and eventually never came back, and so now we keep the house buttoned up so our new kitten doesn't get out.

I live in England and I've never in my life seen a window with a screen on it.

[Deleted]

I live in England and I've never in my life seen a window with a screen on it.

Exactly, you don't need screens in England.

We don't have wild animals that would venture into our homes, we only have insects in the height of summer, and even then to a much lesser degree than other places in the world (a few months and other bugs).

We really have no need for screens on our windows, but I have been to places in America that do, and I am glad for them then.

[Deleted]

I installed a net around my balcony (actually I called a company that did it for me at a reasonable price) and now I keep door leading it open all the times, Audrey seems to love spending time on the balcony, but she never tried doing anything bad to the net, I even leave it open when I go out and nothing happens, and she's still a small somewhat stupid, and incredibly curious cat.

[ptwonline]

I live in England and I've never in my life seen a window with a screen on it.

As a kid growing up on the Canadian prairies, I would get about 250 mosquito bites every summer (they seemed to love me for some reason). If we didn't have screens on our windows, I probably would have gotten 1000.

It's the fly bites that are really bad though. Mosquito bites itch. Flies eat a chunk of flesh and it really hurts.

[galaxiah]

If you dont have bug problems, chicken wire is fine or a similar alternative.
If you have bugs, get something with smaller holes like window screens.

Here in Florida you are insane if you open a window even a crack with no screen on it. You're just asking for roaches,ants,spiders,mosquitoes,moths,beetles,lizards,frogs anything that crawls inside your house. On top of the ones that get inside anyway.

I hate this state :c

[Deleted]

As a kid growing up on the Canadian prairies, I would get about 250 mosquito bites every summer (they seemed to love me for some reason). If we didn't have screens on our windows, I probably would have gotten 1000.

It's the fly bites that are really bad though. Mosquito bites itch. Flies eat a chunk of flesh and it really hurts.

Indeed, we don't have insects like that in England, I can't say that I've ever been bitten, and when we do get insects inside our homes at night there are only usually a 'few', not hundreds.

And I live in the countryside.

[smokii]

when i moved house with my cats a few years back (have moved since) we had to keep the cats indoors for a week so they could get used to their new home and the smells and stuff so they didn't get lost when we finally let them outside.

it was summer, it was hot and as such i opened my bedroom window - only the top half of the window actually opens, so i thought it wouldn't be an issue.

but the cat saw it as a giant cat flap, jumped up to my windowsill, then up again onto the the top of the bottom window frame, then out of the window and onto the outside windowsill... the little bugger sat out there for an hour, 1 floor up and didn't dare jump (it would've been onto solid concrete). the other cat joined him after about 10 mins.

but after a couple of hours and realising that they were never gonna make the jump easily, they came back inside.


i think if the drop is onto concrete, you may want to get a net curtain or something to go across your window, if the drop is onto grass, your cat will probably be fine, just make sure gates and things are closed.

what makes me laugh, is that in my new home, we have patio doors and the cats love to go in and out through it - however, when the net curtain is drawn, they have real trouble navigating around it. they could easily just push their way through and under it, but too they're both too stupid to realise how to.

[Howard Moon]

who doesn't have screens on their windows?

About 90% of the people in my country don't.

OT: isn't 4 meters like a joke for a cat? But yeah, I can still see why you would want some protection just in case.

[FusedMass]

My cat I leave the window open slightly but only on second floor and there's something there blocking her from making an escape. An open window can be useful to help rotate the air in and out. But cat's are curious by nature and if they can they will climb outside of it. Best to make sure a secure screen is in place. Even then watch so they don't claw their way out.

[Tziva]

Cats do have amazing survival abilities for large falls but cats can and do get injured. Be a responsible pet owner and get some screens or chickenwire for your windows so you can leave them open safely, and don't faith in the "it's only four metres, he'll be fine" posters.

[Deleted]

4 Meter? He'll be fine.

A cat can fall four stories or less and they'll normally be fine.

idd, 4 meters is no problem for cats.

my aunts cat did fall down 8 stories (around 30 meters?), survived without any injuries.

[Notorious]

I made a screendoor that fits my balconydoor (at first i was going to net the entire balcony but seemed like to much work) and it works wonders, some wood, staples, heavy duty garden net + mosquitomesh, some bits of small wood to lock it in place and also 2 screwes. Pretty happy with the result and a fully open balcony door gives me a lot of fresh air. Big floor and roof fans to deal with those extreme days. If i owned the apartment instead of renting i'd might invest in an AC.

[Deleted]

In my old country one of my cats got out of the house and into the garden then a snake ate it in one go. I chopped the snake in half and got the cat out but by the time it had already died.

I hate snakes.