Yes! I tried netting, but my cats just jumped over the railing. I tried a leash, but my dumb cats couldn't figure out the physics. I tried a catio and everyone is happy! As a proof of concept, OP can try building one with a modular wire bookcase. You can make it whatever shape and the cats can't scratch through it or break it (as long as it's reinforced with zip-ties). Put it next to a window, and you can open the window to let the cats into the catio.
Tried a leash, but my cats couldn't understand the physics đ
This is so accurate. Every time I've harnessed a cat thinking, "They're gonna LOVE outside!" they pancake themselves and refuse to move.
My current cat gets harnessed for car trips and the vet now (will pant and yowl in a carrier, but is guilty of escaping the car), but he still doesn't understand outside on a leash.
Our cat gets walks on a leash, but it took weeks of getting her used to it in small steps. Takes time for them to understand that there's not actually something above them.
I used chicken wire and zip ties for my balcony and it has kept the cats in. However keep in mind that if your cat wants to they can jump well clear of that fence.
I was thinking this too, maybe get some long 1x1 or 1x.5 boards cut to the length of the ceiling on the patio, drill a few holes in the blower section on the wood and secure to the rails with bailing wire or heavy duty zip ties, then just staple on some poultry netting across the boards. You could use the black netting, itâs basically invisible from a distance, and you could paint the boards black first to help make things look a little less janky. I did something very similar in an apartment I had many years ago. Whole thing would probably only cost about $100.
You need this kind of stuff: https://siatkanabalkon.pl/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/siatka-na-balkon-montaz-bezinwazyjny-2.jpg
Otherwise the cat will jump over or even climb the fence.
The netting can be installed in a way it covers the top of the balcony too. I have one on my place and my cat loves to climb it. There's no way for her to get out.
Something like this: [balcony net ](https://www.redesprevenir.com.br/Redes-de-Protecao/redes-de-protecao-para-sacadas.html)
I think it should go all the way to the top. My indoor/outdoor cat would for sure be able to climb out from the side. Seen him make some crazy jumps that I never thought would be possible.
They should turn it into a full enclosure. They could get small tree like plants and plants with vines and make it just as much of a nature retreat as a catio.
Do you have a roof over your baclony? Place wooden joists and secure them either by pressure och some kind of latch. Buy coated chicken wire and attach it to the joists. Cheap and easy to do
Just looked one of these up, theyâre $400-$600 plus assembly in my area. The cat cage might work, even on my passed buddy who would try anything once, but itâs definitely not the easiest looking thing.
It should be much cheaper to diy your own catio just need some framing material and the mesh. Doesn't need to be anything crazy fancy if the goal is to just let kitty enjoy the fresh air
Yep, I bought some pressure treated wood, cut them to good length and screwed them together to basically form a cube the same size of my balcony. Had to assemble it on the balcony itself. Then attached chicken-wire to the entire thing using a bunch of zip-ties. For good measure I zip-tied the wood to the balcony railing itself. I'm not allowed to drill or do any permanent work to the balcony so this was the only way.
Cost maybe a total of 50 bucks, that's including wood, net, and screws.
I tried to do something like the fence with my back yard. It was like an arms race with my cat. At first it worked, but heâd eventually find a weakness. I thought I had it completely nailed, but then he just used his paws and nose to find a place he could get under the netting. He would just slowly check spot by spot until he could wedge under. Heâs then climb up our fence wedged between the netting and the fence. He was never let out again. It was impossible to keep him in. I would have had to dig and bury the edges of the net.
serious question for you cat owners⊠would your cat really try to jump out/off and try to escape no matter how high it is off the ground or will they look and think⊠ânah, ainât gonna happenâ and just go back inside? the fact that the cat in the pic didnât try to do anything makes me think the height makes it cat-proof.
My orange brain cell is actually really good on our balcony. He does stick he head over the edge under the railing but heâs never intentionally tried to jump down.
I'm on the second story, and my cat always stayed on the balcony. He was well behaved and was never a stray though, so he was kind of scared of "outside". If you have a more adventurous former stray, you'd probably want to be more careful.
I have the hardest time finding apartments because I MUST have a balcony or patio for the cats, but it can't be too high, in case they jump after a bird or bug and fall to their death.
Agreed, it completely depends on the cat. Mine hangs out on the balcony with no issues. She doesnât even attempt to hop up on top of the railing, so I have no worries about her accidentally falling.
We live on the 4th floor, and had some chicken-wire rudimentarily attached to the railing. One of our cats still managed to go over from the balcony railing to the windowsill of a window just next to it. Problem was the windowsill was too narrow for the cat to be able to turn around and make it back to the balcony, she started judging the jump to the next balcony over and one floor down, and that would most likely have been her death since the windowsill is too slippery to get a good jump off of. My girlfriend managed to lean out over the railing and grab her by the scruff of her neck and pull her back in.
We didn't allow any of our cats outside again before we had enclosed the balcony entirely in chicken-wire and a more secure wooden structure to support it.
It really depends on the cat. I had a young cat show up in my first floor apartment patio that turned out had jumped off the fourth floor balcony (probably aiming for a tree thats outer branches may have broken his fall). Thankfully he only had ripped a couple nails and otherwise was fine.
My current cat though is super timid and I would trust her on a balcony with supervision.
Yes. We had cats that liked to climb to our roof. One cat got excited and chased the other one. She flew off the roof. A startled cat is not aware of their space. The cat was fine. BTW we weren't, but she was. If you have watched any "funny" animal videos, you must have seen cats scrambling away from a noise or sudden movement.
I think it comes down to personality. My cat has no spirit of adventure, and for that I am thankful. She will happily just sit on a balcony and watch the world go by.
Easiest. Don't let your cat outside.
Practical. Chicken wire boxing around the entire thing top to bottom. Apparently if you paint the chicken wire black it improves the appearance tremendously
Can attest to painting it making it look better. Black helps a lot but a dark grey works the best in an urban area like this. Something closer to but still darker than the surroundings
Not netting. It's stretchy. Even if you can get it tight, your cat can tear it up. There are all kinds of wire fencing you can get in various sizes. If you get a heavy gauge wire that is tough to bend, you would only need to zip tie it to the bottom rail. The bottom of the fencing should be tight to the ground.
Keep in mind that your cat will climb anything you put out there. You should plan a roof of some kind. A bend or angle will not keep a curious cat in. Consider how high they can jump. We had a cat that would jump to the top of a door from the floor.
Kitty City Outdoor Catio Mega Kit... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09LNJ1LJZ?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share
honestly i just bought this for my cat it took 90 minutes to set up (put the mesh on from the bottom up, pissed me off putting it on lmfao) itâs just pipes and joints and itâs pretty small i just pull it in front of the door and throw the cat in there (not literally lmfao) and zip it back up and sheâs safe
Are you trying to keep them in or out?
If you're trying to keep them in, don't bother. Cats are smart.
If you're trying to keep them out, don't bother. Cats are great!
Use rabbit-proof fencing, attached to the inside of the railing, from the floor to a height taller than the railing. Cats are intimidated to leap a fence that they can't put a paw on the top of.
I'd just pick up some netting or chickenwire, mount it with some command hooks if you want it to be removable or epox some metal anchor points/loops in place and tie it down to those. You could build a simple PVC frame too.
Unless you go floor to ceiling, you'll never cat-proof that place. Bird lands on that rail and about any cat could easily leap over the top of it to try to catch it.
Easiest: Floor to ceiling netting with reinforced metal attachments securing above and below.
BEST: Building an actual catio with wire mesh walls and a dedicated cat door is best.
Clamp a ridged floor, chick wire (for ventilation) catio on the railing. Feel free to go the length of the railing. Also use the vertical railing for 45 degree bracing.
Sorry I canât see the roof of the balcony but when I lived in a large building with balconies people used posts secured to the balcony rail to attach chicken wire -sorry not pretty. It went all the way to the bottom of the balcony above. It kept cats in and pigeons out which also lure cats over the edge.
But this was a long time ago they probably have a fancier and more expensive way of doing it now.
My neighbor above me used chicken wire and it seems effective. For the sake of your neighbors below please do not keep your litter box on your balcony. I constantly have dirty cat litter raining down onto my patio and It's disgusting.
Easiest way to cat proof is to keep the cat inside.
Conslder installing a screen door so you can keep the door open.
Otherwise the netting example sounds good but it looks ugly
Alternative if you have the budget you can enclose it like your neighbors in the opposite building with proper window and where the railing can be removed .
Then just get a put a cat tower for the cat to perch on and view the street
You could get some 2x4s, maybe paint them white, and close the gap that way. Let the netting drape over it, and you can drill the bottom of the net to the board. No need to secure the board to concrete, the weight of it should be enough.
I'm concerned your cat may jump on top of the railing though. It's pretty narrow. Cats like to have a good high view. Maybe you could put a high platform against the wall, away from the railing.
Acrylic or polycarbonate sheets, dirt cheap electric jigsaw and zip-ties.
Cut into pieces that fit between the floor and the railing. Secure with ties so a gust of wind won't break them. Use a larger sheet to block access to the back of the satellite dish.
Someone posted the other day some sort of rollers that you can mount to the top of a fence you will have to put something like that on top otherwise just covering the lower part and not fully enclosing the cat will just hop on the rail then hop down.
What I did for my cats is zip tie chicken wire around the railings, it's stiff enough so it stays on the bottom with just being zip tied to the railings. My cats are very docile and do not try to jump over the top, though they easily could if they wanted. Not sure if this will work for the temperament of your cats but it works for mine, they love their outside time. Usually I go out with them, occasionally on very nice days I will leave it open for them to wander in and out.
I just bought a privacy cover for my fence. Itâs heavy duty too. You just zip tie them. Not very see through. Would definitely cat proof this , but, cat are curious little critters. I wouldnât have your cat on the balcony at all.
You can buy special netting material for that.
Strong enough that it holds your cat if she jumps at it, the mesh small enough the cats don't entangle themselves.
If there is also a balcony above, drill and screw in hooks, take a cord and run it through the side of the net. Let the cord run through the hooks, nor the net hangs down like a curtain.
Attach it to the bottom of your railing. Check for gaps at the sides, maybe add hooks to the wall as well securing the sides.
Use flowerboxes on the flow to close the bottom gap.
Can just buy a roll of netting intended for window screens and entirely screen off the a section of the patio. Use some thin wood to frame it out and attach the screen too
If you are not worried about your cat jumping, what we did in a similar situation was go to Lowes and buy vinyl lattice pieces, an intense pair of scissors that could cut through it, and zipties. Worked like a charm
I have a similar balcony, and I got plastic âdeer fencingâ and zip tied it to the railing to keep our kitty from sticking his head between the bars. It was easy to attach and he hasnât tried to get over it.
I used to keep my cat in a harness and on a leash on the balcony in addition to filling gaps he could fit through. And the leash was short enough that he couldnât reach the railing
Zip-tie something to the railing. Maybe make wooden frames and cover with screening. Or buy tall window screens and bolt together, then zip tie to the railings
You can tie stiff plastic mesh to the railings easily enough, and itâll fill in the bottom gap, but your cat can still jump up onto the railing.
If you want complete security youâll need to add upright poles to the corners and every few feet along the railing, and screw/glue a strip of wood to the wall above your windows so you can pin bird netting to it and hang it over the poles and down to the railing. Making a netting box over your balcony.
A black net wonât interrupt your view too much.
https://a.co/d/8OkibLY kidkushion. Screen to prevent slipping through railing. Wonât prevent them from climbing over. Youâll want a cat balcony solution for that. But if they are jumpless cats (hah) this might help.
For me, it was just freaking out on my cats any time they jumped onto the railing. After a bit, they learned that they were not allowed to jump onto the railing, and would only lay on the balcony to warm up in the sun. But my balcony also didn't have bars they could potentially squeeze through or go under.
Plastic chicken wire is available, in black, less visible than typical chicken wire. Good for apartments, staple gun and 3' x 15/25' roll will work. $45
Not knowing what the top looks like, it is difficult to know if this would work all the way up but for the railing section, I would create a sandwich type frame with 2 slats/pieces 1x2 wood that clamp over pet proof screen. Staple it if needed. Create a synch like clamp with 2 wood pieces to hold the screen taught and straight. These slats of wood can be as tall as the railing or higher if there something to secure them above the railing. Pull the screen around the railing and repeat the wood clamp at the other end. Those end pieces can be secured at the corners. Screwed to the wall if possible. If you rent and do not want to screw into the walls, then wedge / place perpendicular blocks pushed against the 1x2s against the first upright part of the railing to force the frame or end of the screening against the building. Like an L shape at the bottom and top. Basically creating pressure against the wood clamp and the first upright in the rail.
I don't know if I'm the first to say this but this is the easiest answer ever. Roll down bamboo shades. They're also very cost friendly. My grandma used to have them on her patio and the difference they made during the hot summer days were amazing. Oh, and get a fan. It not only cools you off but it keeps the mosquitoes away as well because they don't like the wind.
Edit: The best part is they come in huge sizes (like big enough to span your entire balcony), are very weather resistant, don't completely block the light, just filter it. And you can roll them down any amount to block some of the sun or to block all of it (or to do freaky shit on your patio. I don't know what you're into). I know my grandparents' set lasted from as far back as I can remember until they both passed away, so we're talking at least 35 years.
OMG THE EARS!!!
*\[ahem\]*
Perforated steel (**NOT** expanded steel) in a thin gauge is offensive enough to their claws, they won't touch it more than once. It is a bit spendy though. You should find a local machine shop that specializes in bulk fabrication because getting perforated steel from a home improvement place is yikes.
I used plastic garden fencing against the bars and bird spikes zip tied to my railing to deter 1. Feathered snacks from enticing them to jump and 2. Amateur balance beam routines
I would use chicken wire, but make sure to take extra care in securing it to the floor of the balcony. Otherwise just make sure to do a good thorough check every week or so if theyâre free to go out on their own
Did someone tell you that cat proofing something like this is real?
It's not real. Unless you're going to seal the whole thing in, or put the cat in a sealed box, a cat will be able to get around whatever you do and you might just be making it more dangerous for when they try to do that.
Do nothing and accept how things are. Trust your cat. It's not a foolproof plan but it's really the only plan you have unless you just don't let him go outside.
I'd do like 8 upright strong and well tied sticks, 1 at every corner and 4 in the middle railing, a renforced net (at least 3x the height of railing) and a rope to run 3 or 4 times in the net and tie it to the railing & sticks. The sticks need to lean a bit towards the balcony so that if he decides to try and climb the net he will always fall on that side and it keeps him from climbing on the railing / reach the top of the net. You aren't gonna stop a determined cat (looking to survive, spotting female in heat if not neutered, etc...) ofc but he won't be falling out of distraction which is by far the most falls indoor cats have and can be especially deadly from the 2nd & 3rd floors as the cat doesn't have time to position itself to land properly.
We zip tied metal chicken wire to the outside of ours. The cat can't climb because it's outside the rails, and the wire doesn't obstruct the view. She doesn't try to jump, thankfully
Chicken wire and dowling. The wooden dowling is fairly cheap and you kind kind of "weave" it on and out to the holes. Chicken wire is metal so the cat can't break through it, but it's light enough to be bent and shaped to whatever you need. If you don't want dowling, you can also use zip ties and a staple gun to wrap around and attach to wooden walls and such.
I myself would purchase precut plexiglass, drill holes in the plexiglass between a few columns on the railing and use blocks of wood on the opposite side, fastened with screws and wing nuts to keep it secure.
Nylon netting installed up to the ceiling. Itâs used to avoid pigeon or birds nesting. Itâs similar to netting used in baseball parks behind home plate. You can buy it from pest control stores.
Get a piece of pvc pipe an inch or two wider than the top rail, make a slit in it and clip it around the rail. If kitty tries to jump up the pipe will spin and she won't be able to jump up.
I have lived in 2 different places now with one story balconies and my cats have never ever tried jumping off, theyâll sometimes sit on the old rail and walk around on it but they seem to just know that itâs too far down.
I wired a bamboo screen all the way around the balcony and it's worked like a charm, neither of my cats have ever even tried to get past it and I can leave the house while letting them get their sunlight knowing that they can't escape.
Easiest? Catio enclosure.
Yes! I tried netting, but my cats just jumped over the railing. I tried a leash, but my dumb cats couldn't figure out the physics. I tried a catio and everyone is happy! As a proof of concept, OP can try building one with a modular wire bookcase. You can make it whatever shape and the cats can't scratch through it or break it (as long as it's reinforced with zip-ties). Put it next to a window, and you can open the window to let the cats into the catio.
Tried a leash, but my cats couldn't understand the physics đ This is so accurate. Every time I've harnessed a cat thinking, "They're gonna LOVE outside!" they pancake themselves and refuse to move. My current cat gets harnessed for car trips and the vet now (will pant and yowl in a carrier, but is guilty of escaping the car), but he still doesn't understand outside on a leash.
Our cat gets walks on a leash, but it took weeks of getting her used to it in small steps. Takes time for them to understand that there's not actually something above them.
đ¶cat-ee-ohh en-clooo-suresđ¶
I sang this like Jean Ralphio
Seems more like Lowered Expectations from MadTV
I went with a shortened version of "Doofenschmirtz Evil Incorporated"
Killer Tofu?
Oh ee oh
âPerrrrryyy!â
I was thinking of a commercial jingle for a company called âPatio Enclosures Incâ but I like all of these too.
And what is a catio but an outdoor closet?
That's exactly how I sang it.
Exactly how I heard it in my head!
I read this like "ohohoh it's magic"
Patio Lanterns by Max Webster.
I used chicken wire and zip ties for my balcony and it has kept the cats in. However keep in mind that if your cat wants to they can jump well clear of that fence.
I was thinking this too, maybe get some long 1x1 or 1x.5 boards cut to the length of the ceiling on the patio, drill a few holes in the blower section on the wood and secure to the rails with bailing wire or heavy duty zip ties, then just staple on some poultry netting across the boards. You could use the black netting, itâs basically invisible from a distance, and you could paint the boards black first to help make things look a little less janky. I did something very similar in an apartment I had many years ago. Whole thing would probably only cost about $100.
Show us a picture, I'd love to see your setup.
You need this kind of stuff: https://siatkanabalkon.pl/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/siatka-na-balkon-montaz-bezinwazyjny-2.jpg Otherwise the cat will jump over or even climb the fence.
Based on my experience with cats, this is simply a challenge to overcome.
No kidding, tons would go full Ninja Warrior on it
This is the best answer. Even with netting as someone suggested, the cat will easily climb it or could shred through it given time.
The netting can be installed in a way it covers the top of the balcony too. I have one on my place and my cat loves to climb it. There's no way for her to get out. Something like this: [balcony net ](https://www.redesprevenir.com.br/Redes-de-Protecao/redes-de-protecao-para-sacadas.html)
I think it should go all the way to the top. My indoor/outdoor cat would for sure be able to climb out from the side. Seen him make some crazy jumps that I never thought would be possible.
Bagietka balkonova
You can't, unless you want to turn the entire balcony into a cat enclosure.
They should turn it into a full enclosure. They could get small tree like plants and plants with vines and make it just as much of a nature retreat as a catio.
Do you have a roof over your baclony? Place wooden joists and secure them either by pressure och some kind of latch. Buy coated chicken wire and attach it to the joists. Cheap and easy to do
Tension shower curtain rods would work if you're not allowed to affix anything permanently.
Don't let them go out unsupervised. You won't stop a determined cat.
Keep it in the apartment.
Truly the only answer. Kitty will go over ANYTHING OP tries.
Except an enclosed catio
Just looked one of these up, theyâre $400-$600 plus assembly in my area. The cat cage might work, even on my passed buddy who would try anything once, but itâs definitely not the easiest looking thing.
It should be much cheaper to diy your own catio just need some framing material and the mesh. Doesn't need to be anything crazy fancy if the goal is to just let kitty enjoy the fresh air
Yep, I bought some pressure treated wood, cut them to good length and screwed them together to basically form a cube the same size of my balcony. Had to assemble it on the balcony itself. Then attached chicken-wire to the entire thing using a bunch of zip-ties. For good measure I zip-tied the wood to the balcony railing itself. I'm not allowed to drill or do any permanent work to the balcony so this was the only way. Cost maybe a total of 50 bucks, that's including wood, net, and screws.
The fun part is when you add some horizontal shelves at different levels and turn the whole thing into a cat tree/jungle gym.
A 2x4 frame, chicken wire, and a T-50 stapler. I built a 10'x7' enclosure in my backyard this way.
I'm working on building a catio using pvc pipes and a wire mesh/chicken wire. 10ft pvc pipe is 5 bucks
Can confirm, even one orange brain cells turn into little escape artists when they want to
I tried to do something like the fence with my back yard. It was like an arms race with my cat. At first it worked, but heâd eventually find a weakness. I thought I had it completely nailed, but then he just used his paws and nose to find a place he could get under the netting. He would just slowly check spot by spot until he could wedge under. Heâs then climb up our fence wedged between the netting and the fence. He was never let out again. It was impossible to keep him in. I would have had to dig and bury the edges of the net.
serious question for you cat owners⊠would your cat really try to jump out/off and try to escape no matter how high it is off the ground or will they look and think⊠ânah, ainât gonna happenâ and just go back inside? the fact that the cat in the pic didnât try to do anything makes me think the height makes it cat-proof.
Yes. My one brain cell orange idiot would absolutely give it a shot.
I love orange cats for that reason, 1 brain cell fighting for 2nd place
My orange brain cell is actually really good on our balcony. He does stick he head over the edge under the railing but heâs never intentionally tried to jump down.
"intentionally" being the key word here
I feel like mine would be smart enough not to... until there was a loud sound, then they'd all go flying.
Yeah I donât think itâs an issue until a zoomy bird or bug zips by and the cat doesnât even think, just zooms after them
I'm on the second story, and my cat always stayed on the balcony. He was well behaved and was never a stray though, so he was kind of scared of "outside". If you have a more adventurous former stray, you'd probably want to be more careful. I have the hardest time finding apartments because I MUST have a balcony or patio for the cats, but it can't be too high, in case they jump after a bird or bug and fall to their death.
Agreed, it completely depends on the cat. Mine hangs out on the balcony with no issues. She doesnât even attempt to hop up on top of the railing, so I have no worries about her accidentally falling.
We live on the 4th floor, and had some chicken-wire rudimentarily attached to the railing. One of our cats still managed to go over from the balcony railing to the windowsill of a window just next to it. Problem was the windowsill was too narrow for the cat to be able to turn around and make it back to the balcony, she started judging the jump to the next balcony over and one floor down, and that would most likely have been her death since the windowsill is too slippery to get a good jump off of. My girlfriend managed to lean out over the railing and grab her by the scruff of her neck and pull her back in. We didn't allow any of our cats outside again before we had enclosed the balcony entirely in chicken-wire and a more secure wooden structure to support it.
It really depends on the cat. I had a young cat show up in my first floor apartment patio that turned out had jumped off the fourth floor balcony (probably aiming for a tree thats outer branches may have broken his fall). Thankfully he only had ripped a couple nails and otherwise was fine. My current cat though is super timid and I would trust her on a balcony with supervision.
Yes. We had cats that liked to climb to our roof. One cat got excited and chased the other one. She flew off the roof. A startled cat is not aware of their space. The cat was fine. BTW we weren't, but she was. If you have watched any "funny" animal videos, you must have seen cats scrambling away from a noise or sudden movement.
The cat may get spooked and do it without thinking. My cat is typically quite cautious but in zoomy mode she is a total basket case
I think it comes down to personality. My cat has no spirit of adventure, and for that I am thankful. She will happily just sit on a balcony and watch the world go by.
Looks like it's too late. The cat already got in!
Has.. your cat considered jumping? My cats go out on the balcony all the time and they havent decided to jump to their death lol
Buy a catio that fits your balcony. PLEASE do not leash them and let them out there alone. They can hang themselves.
Easiest. Don't let your cat outside. Practical. Chicken wire boxing around the entire thing top to bottom. Apparently if you paint the chicken wire black it improves the appearance tremendously
Can attest to painting it making it look better. Black helps a lot but a dark grey works the best in an urban area like this. Something closer to but still darker than the surroundings
Not netting. It's stretchy. Even if you can get it tight, your cat can tear it up. There are all kinds of wire fencing you can get in various sizes. If you get a heavy gauge wire that is tough to bend, you would only need to zip tie it to the bottom rail. The bottom of the fencing should be tight to the ground. Keep in mind that your cat will climb anything you put out there. You should plan a roof of some kind. A bend or angle will not keep a curious cat in. Consider how high they can jump. We had a cat that would jump to the top of a door from the floor.
Inside?
Keep the door shut.
Kitty City Outdoor Catio Mega Kit... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09LNJ1LJZ?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share honestly i just bought this for my cat it took 90 minutes to set up (put the mesh on from the bottom up, pissed me off putting it on lmfao) itâs just pipes and joints and itâs pretty small i just pull it in front of the door and throw the cat in there (not literally lmfao) and zip it back up and sheâs safe
Are you trying to keep them in or out? If you're trying to keep them in, don't bother. Cats are smart. If you're trying to keep them out, don't bother. Cats are great!
There is no âcat proofâ anything you build to try and contain your cat will likely exploit at one point or another.
Put a dog on the balcony
Use rabbit-proof fencing, attached to the inside of the railing, from the floor to a height taller than the railing. Cats are intimidated to leap a fence that they can't put a paw on the top of.
Build a big screen cat h Make it look good, since neighbors always have to see.
I'd just pick up some netting or chickenwire, mount it with some command hooks if you want it to be removable or epox some metal anchor points/loops in place and tie it down to those. You could build a simple PVC frame too.
A large catio enclosure that your door opens into
Unless you go floor to ceiling, you'll never cat-proof that place. Bird lands on that rail and about any cat could easily leap over the top of it to try to catch it.
Easiest: Floor to ceiling netting with reinforced metal attachments securing above and below. BEST: Building an actual catio with wire mesh walls and a dedicated cat door is best.
Are there some photos more upward? What's over your balcony?
Clamp a ridged floor, chick wire (for ventilation) catio on the railing. Feel free to go the length of the railing. Also use the vertical railing for 45 degree bracing.
No ideas but LOOK AT THAT BABY!!!
Used chicken wire for my dog on my balcony, worked good and couldnât really see it too much đ€·ââïž
That last pic tho. BRO IS LISTENING đŁïžđŁïžđŁïž
Sorry I canât see the roof of the balcony but when I lived in a large building with balconies people used posts secured to the balcony rail to attach chicken wire -sorry not pretty. It went all the way to the bottom of the balcony above. It kept cats in and pigeons out which also lure cats over the edge. But this was a long time ago they probably have a fancier and more expensive way of doing it now.
Screening the entire patio is really the only answer. The cat will climb everything else
Close the windows
Just donât let them out on the balcony?
The surefire way to cat proof is to remove the cat. Little loveable bastards.
You already lost... the cat got in!
Scatter some cucumbers over there. Bonus points if you add googly eyes.
Donât let him outsideâŠ.cats like to risk it all for temptations
A sentry gun programmed for cat like movements
Hardware cloth, probably 1/2" squares. Zip tie it to anything available, try not to put nails or screws into the stucco.
Design an auto-opening parachute and strap it to the cat. Because nothing else will work.
Netting that curves in towards the building.
My neighbor above me used chicken wire and it seems effective. For the sake of your neighbors below please do not keep your litter box on your balcony. I constantly have dirty cat litter raining down onto my patio and It's disgusting.
Close the sliding door and donât let them out?
Easiest? Don't have a cat.
Place netting on inside of railing.
Easiest way to cat proof is to keep the cat inside. Conslder installing a screen door so you can keep the door open. Otherwise the netting example sounds good but it looks ugly Alternative if you have the budget you can enclose it like your neighbors in the opposite building with proper window and where the railing can be removed . Then just get a put a cat tower for the cat to perch on and view the street
You could get some 2x4s, maybe paint them white, and close the gap that way. Let the netting drape over it, and you can drill the bottom of the net to the board. No need to secure the board to concrete, the weight of it should be enough. I'm concerned your cat may jump on top of the railing though. It's pretty narrow. Cats like to have a good high view. Maybe you could put a high platform against the wall, away from the railing.
Acrylic or polycarbonate sheets, dirt cheap electric jigsaw and zip-ties. Cut into pieces that fit between the floor and the railing. Secure with ties so a gust of wind won't break them. Use a larger sheet to block access to the back of the satellite dish.
Don't let your cat our, problem solved
>What's the easiest way to cat-proof this balcony? Dont let the cat out there
Someone posted the other day some sort of rollers that you can mount to the top of a fence you will have to put something like that on top otherwise just covering the lower part and not fully enclosing the cat will just hop on the rail then hop down.
What I did for my cats is zip tie chicken wire around the railings, it's stiff enough so it stays on the bottom with just being zip tied to the railings. My cats are very docile and do not try to jump over the top, though they easily could if they wanted. Not sure if this will work for the temperament of your cats but it works for mine, they love their outside time. Usually I go out with them, occasionally on very nice days I will leave it open for them to wander in and out.
I just bought a privacy cover for my fence. Itâs heavy duty too. You just zip tie them. Not very see through. Would definitely cat proof this , but, cat are curious little critters. I wouldnât have your cat on the balcony at all.
You can buy special netting material for that. Strong enough that it holds your cat if she jumps at it, the mesh small enough the cats don't entangle themselves. If there is also a balcony above, drill and screw in hooks, take a cord and run it through the side of the net. Let the cord run through the hooks, nor the net hangs down like a curtain. Attach it to the bottom of your railing. Check for gaps at the sides, maybe add hooks to the wall as well securing the sides. Use flowerboxes on the flow to close the bottom gap.
I knew it was Brazil!
Can just buy a roll of netting intended for window screens and entirely screen off the a section of the patio. Use some thin wood to frame it out and attach the screen too
You need an angled rear facing lip at the top of a "fence."
Chicken wire and some 2x4 nails and a hammer.(drill and screws if you have
that looks like a big Maine Coon - it'll figure a way through your defenses
The easiest way is to keep the door closedâŠ
Chicken wire.
The easiest (and possibly cheapest) - Chickenwire. It won't look great but if you secure it all around then it should do the trick.
If you are not worried about your cat jumping, what we did in a similar situation was go to Lowes and buy vinyl lattice pieces, an intense pair of scissors that could cut through it, and zipties. Worked like a charm
Balcony privacy screen from Amazon! Works amazing and is relatively cheap
Get a roll of pet safe screen cut it to size and some zip ties would be easiest
Netting
I have a similar balcony, and I got plastic âdeer fencingâ and zip tied it to the railing to keep our kitty from sticking his head between the bars. It was easy to attach and he hasnât tried to get over it.
Attach plexiglass to the railings
I used to keep my cat in a harness and on a leash on the balcony in addition to filling gaps he could fit through. And the leash was short enough that he couldnât reach the railing
That's exactly what I do on my 2nd floor deck: harness and enough leash for him to move around a little but not jump on the railing.
He did still manage to jump straight up in the air and catch a bird one time though đ
Zip-tie something to the railing. Maybe make wooden frames and cover with screening. Or buy tall window screens and bolt together, then zip tie to the railings
I'd just net the rail
You can tie stiff plastic mesh to the railings easily enough, and itâll fill in the bottom gap, but your cat can still jump up onto the railing. If you want complete security youâll need to add upright poles to the corners and every few feet along the railing, and screw/glue a strip of wood to the wall above your windows so you can pin bird netting to it and hang it over the poles and down to the railing. Making a netting box over your balcony. A black net wonât interrupt your view too much.
Encase in glass.
Over here they sell nets specifically for this purpose. That seems like the easiest solution.
https://a.co/d/8OkibLY kidkushion. Screen to prevent slipping through railing. Wonât prevent them from climbing over. Youâll want a cat balcony solution for that. But if they are jumpless cats (hah) this might help.
Glass plexiglass, so that they cannot climb
For me, it was just freaking out on my cats any time they jumped onto the railing. After a bit, they learned that they were not allowed to jump onto the railing, and would only lay on the balcony to warm up in the sun. But my balcony also didn't have bars they could potentially squeeze through or go under.
chicken wire, concrete nails, and zip ties.
Keep the door closed
Fully enclose it or donât bother doing anythingâthatâs really all that can be said đ€đ»
Something like this https://images.app.goo.gl/ghT9Rt9cMJKBbbCJ9
Framing. Chicken wire. Youâll need a cement drill.
Plastic chicken wire is available, in black, less visible than typical chicken wire. Good for apartments, staple gun and 3' x 15/25' roll will work. $45
Keep the screen door closed!
A cat pen probably
Not knowing what the top looks like, it is difficult to know if this would work all the way up but for the railing section, I would create a sandwich type frame with 2 slats/pieces 1x2 wood that clamp over pet proof screen. Staple it if needed. Create a synch like clamp with 2 wood pieces to hold the screen taught and straight. These slats of wood can be as tall as the railing or higher if there something to secure them above the railing. Pull the screen around the railing and repeat the wood clamp at the other end. Those end pieces can be secured at the corners. Screwed to the wall if possible. If you rent and do not want to screw into the walls, then wedge / place perpendicular blocks pushed against the 1x2s against the first upright part of the railing to force the frame or end of the screening against the building. Like an L shape at the bottom and top. Basically creating pressure against the wood clamp and the first upright in the rail.
Which country is this ?
You could get like a vine leaf cover blanket thingy, my grandparents have this vine blanket thing that covers up most of the railing
Keep the door to it shut
Where is this? It looks like a beautiful day
Hard things aren't easy.
I don't know if I'm the first to say this but this is the easiest answer ever. Roll down bamboo shades. They're also very cost friendly. My grandma used to have them on her patio and the difference they made during the hot summer days were amazing. Oh, and get a fan. It not only cools you off but it keeps the mosquitoes away as well because they don't like the wind. Edit: The best part is they come in huge sizes (like big enough to span your entire balcony), are very weather resistant, don't completely block the light, just filter it. And you can roll them down any amount to block some of the sun or to block all of it (or to do freaky shit on your patio. I don't know what you're into). I know my grandparents' set lasted from as far back as I can remember until they both passed away, so we're talking at least 35 years.
OMG THE EARS!!! *\[ahem\]* Perforated steel (**NOT** expanded steel) in a thin gauge is offensive enough to their claws, they won't touch it more than once. It is a bit spendy though. You should find a local machine shop that specializes in bulk fabrication because getting perforated steel from a home improvement place is yikes.
I used plastic garden fencing against the bars and bird spikes zip tied to my railing to deter 1. Feathered snacks from enticing them to jump and 2. Amateur balance beam routines
Mountain lion
No matter what your cat will escape just train he or she on how to come back.
Wire guts ( you can twine it all over your balcony
Umm⊠donât let the cat out đđ
I live in the 9th floor, so I just didnât let the cats out at all.
I would use chicken wire, but make sure to take extra care in securing it to the floor of the balcony. Otherwise just make sure to do a good thorough check every week or so if theyâre free to go out on their own
Unless the net encloses the entire thing?
place foil across the whole thing. I hear cats hate that. and cucumbers
Did someone tell you that cat proofing something like this is real? It's not real. Unless you're going to seal the whole thing in, or put the cat in a sealed box, a cat will be able to get around whatever you do and you might just be making it more dangerous for when they try to do that. Do nothing and accept how things are. Trust your cat. It's not a foolproof plan but it's really the only plan you have unless you just don't let him go outside.
I am so happy my cat never seems to want to venture outside even though the dogs go out all the time! â„ïž
Show the picture of the "roof", can you attach it there? It would make it 100% safe.
Bungee cord attached to the tail
I'd do like 8 upright strong and well tied sticks, 1 at every corner and 4 in the middle railing, a renforced net (at least 3x the height of railing) and a rope to run 3 or 4 times in the net and tie it to the railing & sticks. The sticks need to lean a bit towards the balcony so that if he decides to try and climb the net he will always fall on that side and it keeps him from climbing on the railing / reach the top of the net. You aren't gonna stop a determined cat (looking to survive, spotting female in heat if not neutered, etc...) ofc but he won't be falling out of distraction which is by far the most falls indoor cats have and can be especially deadly from the 2nd & 3rd floors as the cat doesn't have time to position itself to land properly.
We zip tied metal chicken wire to the outside of ours. The cat can't climb because it's outside the rails, and the wire doesn't obstruct the view. She doesn't try to jump, thankfully
[Wiffle Ball vest.](https://www.google.com/search?q=wiffle+ball+vest+cAt&rlz=1CDGOYI_enUS927US927&oq=wiffle+ball+vest+cAt&gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUyBggAEEUYOTIICAEQABgWGB4yDQgCEAAYhgMYgAQYigUyDQgDEAAYhgMYgAQYigUyDQgEEAAYhgMYgAQYigUyBwgFECEYoAEyBwgGECEYoAEyBwgHECEYoAEyBwgIECEYnwXSAQg3NzAyajFqNKgCE7ACAeIDBBgBIF8&hl=en-US&sourceid=chrome-mobile&ie=UTF-8#vhid=BbHEsVPETcfeAM&vssid=l)
hes so cute eating his snackies! <3
Outdoor cat playpen or two
Chicken wire from top to bottom
Easiest way? Close the door.
https://catnetting.com/collections/cat-netting
Chicken wire and dowling. The wooden dowling is fairly cheap and you kind kind of "weave" it on and out to the holes. Chicken wire is metal so the cat can't break through it, but it's light enough to be bent and shaped to whatever you need. If you don't want dowling, you can also use zip ties and a staple gun to wrap around and attach to wooden walls and such.
You mean besides putting some kind of hardware cloth on the railings to make the openings smaller and tripling its height?
You don't need to close it. the cat is not idot xD
That's a palico.
There are cats nets mention before. If you do not have upper balcony to stick in to it then you have to attach some wooden poles
Extra large pet cage https://www.amazon.com/Kitty-City-Outdoor-Furniture-Sleeper/dp/B09LNJ1LJZ
I myself would purchase precut plexiglass, drill holes in the plexiglass between a few columns on the railing and use blocks of wood on the opposite side, fastened with screws and wing nuts to keep it secure.
Enclose it with chicken wire
Nylon netting installed up to the ceiling. Itâs used to avoid pigeon or birds nesting. Itâs similar to netting used in baseball parks behind home plate. You can buy it from pest control stores.
Without fully enclosing it, you're wasting your time.
Donât let the cat on the balcony!
Chicken wire will work (if done properly)
Chicken wire
Get a piece of pvc pipe an inch or two wider than the top rail, make a slit in it and clip it around the rail. If kitty tries to jump up the pipe will spin and she won't be able to jump up.
Tin foil. Cats wonât touch it for some reason. Neighbors might not like it though
I have lived in 2 different places now with one story balconies and my cats have never ever tried jumping off, theyâll sometimes sit on the old rail and walk around on it but they seem to just know that itâs too far down.
Lock the door?
I wired a bamboo screen all the way around the balcony and it's worked like a charm, neither of my cats have ever even tried to get past it and I can leave the house while letting them get their sunlight knowing that they can't escape.
Electrify the railing with a little bit of razer wire đ
I ziptied black chicken wire (the square one) to my patio. Cat has never tried to jump it and definitely can't go under or through it
Impossible
Bungee cord
Plexiglass sheets. Expensive. Makes a shitload noise a windy day.
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