Cats & Balconies

ozziegt

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Is it safe to allow the cat out on the balcony? Or is it going to jump down? I have heard stories of cats falling out of 2nd and 3rd story windows. Are they really that curious that they will jump 15-20 feet off a balcony??
 

pami

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I wouldnt leave them on a balcony at all. My cats are inside only, but my niece left the door open and one of my cats went out on the balcony. Just as I noticed, the cat jumped up onto the side and was on her way over the side, when my niece grabbed her by her fur and kept her from going over. If my niece had not grabbed her when she did, my cat would have gone over.
 

ladycat

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I wouldn't either. we had a deck that we let ceasar out on here & there. I was out with him & he saw I was going to bring him in and jumped on the ledge then fell (2nd floor) scared the crap out of me, i 've never run so fast in my life. thanks god he was ok though
 

beandip

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They won't necessarily JUMP but things can happen and they can fall. My Paisley fell from the 2nd story down to the 1st (inside the house)...and it scared the %$#@ out of me. Luckily she was fine, but I don't ever want to see it happen again.
 

jadedlaw

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I agree. I used to live in a multi-level building, and I used to let my baby, Kitkat (RIP) out to play on the balcony. She was a tubby thing, and therefore was not all that agile. I used to have a heart attack everytime she would jump on the railing and slip or stumble. As graceful as cats are most of the time, there are times when they can slip, even just jumping onto a table or the bed!
 

mybabyphx

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Reading this thread made me think... I have a loft bedroom and the walls are short... about 4 to 4 1\\2 feet tall. So therefore you can actually look from the bedroom over the wall into the living room. Well, PHX always jumps up there and lays on there and looks down.. Is this safe? It's quite a fall... I mean It's like falling from 2nd story to ground isn't it? Hmmmm.
 
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ozziegt

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Yeah, just after I posted the message I saw her dart across the room after a butterfly on the balcony (the sliding door was closed)...I hate to think about her getting carried away and jumping off.

No balconies for them.


As far as the falling goes, from what I have read, I don't think falling 10-15 feet has a high chance of harming the cat. But maybe people can share their experiences.
 

beandip

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Originally Posted by ozziegt

As far as the falling goes, from what I have read, I don't think falling 10-15 feet has a high chance of harming the cat. But maybe people can share their experiences.
Yeah, the thing about "always" landing on their feet is in their favor...however after Paisley fell, I did some googling and found too many stories about broken ribs and punctured lungs from falls. It still freaks me out. She landed on her feet, but she sat there just stunned for several minutes. Then she finally got up, verrrry slowly, and ran off.
But it still scared me.
 

alice_curiouser

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My Paisley fell from the 2nd story down to the 1st (inside the house)...and it scared the %$#@ out of me. Luckily she was fine, but I don't ever want to see it happen again.
Yeah... Max did the same thing, fell from a bannister on the second floor, to the first, and broke a tooth which later became infected. I've been nervous about cats and heights ever since.
 

andelawhi

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I have a balcony that is about 8 feet off the ground and had been allowing my cats out there, but only if I was with them. About a week ago, they actually OPENED the screen door (it doesn't latch, just slides, but I never thought they'd be able to slide it open!). By the time we realized they were gone, it was dark outside, and they were out there, on the ground underneath our balcony! These are cats who have never been outside, so I guess because the fear of the unknown they didn't stray far. We have some very big dogs in our apt. building and their owners don't always have them on leashes, and if one of these dogs had gone outside while they were out there who knows where they'd be now? This was unbelievably scary for us. Even my husband (big macho guy) really was freaked out. Cats are so sneaky, I don't think it's safe to have them on baloneys unless there is some kind of enclosure.
 

ladycat

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Originally Posted by ozziegt

Is it safe to allow the cat out on the balcony? Or is it going to jump down? I have heard stories of cats falling out of 2nd and 3rd story windows. Are they really that curious that they will jump 15-20 feet off a balcony??
do you own the house? maybe you make an encloser if you do. I always wanted to that...one day if I own!
 

pushylady

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We let ours out, but only under supervision. They just love being outside. last weekend was sunny, so I hung out there with the boys most of the day. They were content to just be out there in the sun and wind, spying on the neighbours.
We have a bird feeder up, and I've actually caught Wiggies mid jump as he was about to leap off the 4th floor balcony in pursuit of a bird. They have no idea really, how high we are and can't be trusted out there alone.
 

jpawz

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Cats are amazing for so many reasons.

Anatomically is just one of the reasons. Cats possess extra lumbar and throracic vertebrae, and with the cat's caudal vertebrae in their tails, this gives cats a great advantage when it comes to balance and dexterity.

But it doesn't make them infallible.

The extra vertebrae allow a cat to twist and realign themselves when necessary. They also lack a collar bone, freeing them up more. They are basically little gymnasts.

Sometimes with LONGER falls, cats actually do better. This is because their bodies have more time to realign and position for landing.

Sometimes with SMALLER falls, the event is too quick and cats on average sustain more injuries this way.

And sometimes it's a crapshoot. Too many variable. Not a risk I want present.

But small and tall falls alike, cats are mortal. I had a scare when Kowe slipped off the 3rd floor balcony. Kowe is our 'indescructable' cat, our 'human' cat. She has survived so much....I watched her slip..I think she was weaving in and out of the rails....then I saw her claws hang on for dear life. I ran downstairs and outside in nothing but a long t shirt. There was Kowe, happily munching grass!

THank GOD there WAS grass. She was checked and fine. But I have seen enough cases where a cat was NOT fine. And even if they survive, they often deal with chronic tendon/ligament stress, which will lead to joint issues, and a myriad other injuries are risked.

Not a risk I would ever take again. We are building house and the original design was for a loft style overlooking the foyer. A straight shot down to hardwood floors. I changed the plans. Cats are a great judge of distance but there is always that ONE TIME (swiping at a dust particle, a gnat, a bird...a loud sound startles them....)

Enclosures are the way to go. And offer window perches and cat trees. My cats love their window time and I create little havens for them all over the house.
 

beandip

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Originally Posted by Jpawz

We are building house and the original design was for a loft style overlooking the foyer. A straight shot down to hardwood floors.
That's exactly where and how Paisley fell...the floor here is stone tile, though. I bet that really stung. Now there's 2 layers of thick carpet there...a crash pad. Of course, it's never been "used" but that's fine by me.
 

jpawz

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Originally Posted by beandip

That's exactly where and how Paisley fell...the floor here is stone tile, though. I bet that really stung. Now there's 2 layers of thick carpet there...a crash pad. Of course, it's never been "used" but that's fine by me.
Yeah, shock absorbancy is a huge factor. The builder thinks I am nuts haha (apparently that design is popular)

But now, instead of that risky drop, I have extra sq footage upstairs in the loft, with a huge arched window letting in all day sun -- perfect cat sunning spot away from kids and commotion
 

mooficat

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to add to all that.........theres things that fly past
and you know how cats are with birdies.......my friends cat did jump after a bird and fell 4 floors
he broke a leg and some other bones - I forget now, so long ago - anyways he was sorted by the vet, but she never let him out on the balcony again
 

littleraven7726

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i live in a 3rd floor apartment. we also have a balcony. the kitties have never been allowed out there. ever. i've heard too many stories about cats falling/jumping and being severely injured. i've seen some tenants letting their cats out on the 3rd floor balconies and i cringe.
 
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ozziegt

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Originally Posted by ladycat

do you own the house? maybe you make an encloser if you do. I always wanted to that...one day if I own!
Yeah we own the condo, but there are HOA restrictions in place which would probably prevent me from doing something like that.
 

kittycorner

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We used to live on a 2nd level apartment and we got to the point that we enclosed our balcony so that they could go out there and relax in the sunshine. All 6 of them loved it, it got to the point we had to drag them in at night. I never left them out when I wasn't home, but if I even went near the balcony door they would all come running. I am not sure if your complex will allow this but it may be an idea.
 

xxtashaxx

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i wouldnt allow my cats on the balcony if there was a drop. i have enough of a heart attack when they jump onto the stair bannersters. and belive me they have feel from that before luckliey always been ok but its only a 7-8 foot drop. but scares the **** out of me.
 
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