Deck

Our apartment is on the 3rd floor and today we introduced our two youngest cats to it. 1337, the youngest of the young (my boyfriend's cat), was scared of it and then slightly curious (he went inside, but then sat by the open sliding glass door and sniffed) while Roarie, my "baby," took to the deck like no other. I supervised and followed her close, gently holding onto her collar as she poked her head through the bars to sniff. She was born outside and is a bit "braver" than 1337, so that's why I assume she was okay.

I'm just curious, how much can I trust my cats? While the weather continues to get nicer I'd like to be able to let the cats out on the deck, but how smart is a cat as far as slipping through the bars or jumping up on the railing? I don't want to lose them, whether it be them falling and hurting themselves or surviving the fall and running away. But I would like them to be able to enjoy the sun a bit more personally and get some fresher air... Without me having to watch them like a hawk.

Just looking for suggestions, opinions, and ideas.

It's only a matter of time before they escape the deck. If you want them to get fresh air and be safe you should harness train them.

Originally Posted by missymotus

It's only a matter of time before they escape the deck. If you want them to get fresh air and be safe you should harness train them.

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i agree. you can never be to sure. I trust mikey to never run away...but when he's with our 7 month old kitten...anything is possible

Its just a tease, before you know it they will be running out the door to! One cat may appreciate just the deck, but more then one, forget it!

I would never, never let them on the deck, supervised or otherwise -- they're so quick, it would only take an instant for one to be over the edge and gone!

However... you might see if the landlord will allow what a neighbor of mine has rigged up: she took what's called "carpenter's cloth," which is actually a flexible grid of wires about 3/4 inch apart, and completely sealed her entire balcony with it. I helped her nail the lower edge of the material to 2x4s that lay on the balcony just inside the railing (with shorter ones as returns along the sides), and we nailed the top edge to the underside of the roof overhang.

Of course, we had to use galvanized wire to weave the edges of several strips together to make a large enough expanse of the stuff. And of course, the cats climb it like monkeys! But it protects them from falling, and also from the fleas and ticks that could be brought onto the balcony if it were open to birds and squirrels and such...

I don't think we'll be here more than a year or a year and a half, so I don't really want to rig a whole lot up. I think supervised on occasion I'll take them out, but that's as in me following them close behind. LOL.

I had a harness but forgot it back home (I was starting to Harness Train my little Roarie). I'll have to get some new ones.

We took Foofy, the oldest, on the deck last night, but she didn't like it much (maybe because my boyfriend took her). Foofy likes outside, her previous owner let her outside to wander and sniff and she didn't run off, but I never trusted that because we lived closer to a road. So if I can get them all trained then that'll be cool, but otherwise I guess it's limited deck time for them.

LOL @ 1337. Is your boyfriend a gamer?

My girls hang out with the french doors open on the 2nd floor during the spring and fall and it seems to take away their itch to escape the house. But I don't like to leave those doors open when I'm not around in case one of them decides to make the jump.

I've personally seen a cat survive a high 4 story jump, so anything is possible.

Would something like this work? http://www.wildwhiskers.com/OutdoorCatEnclosures.htm