Help! Cat trying to escape out of 3rd floor building

I need some advice!

My cat (9months old) has been creatively finding ways to get out. He has always been an indoor cat.

Just last night, he tried to crawl under our bedroom window and was practically on the window ledge OUTSIDE the flat.

This morning, he managed to squeeze through the gaps between our balcony window and almost full body outside the flat too! We live on the 3rd floor and of course, these incidents freak the hell out of me.

These are just the last two attempts he tried.  He has been trying for the last couple of months.  We already installed pet net on the part of the balcony window that needs to be opened at all time (especially in this weather! 34 deg C in Norway Oslo) ever since his first attempt to jump to the ledge via the gas bbq grill. 

His attempts just makes me wonder if we should put him on a leash and take him out for a walk. BUT I am not sure we are ready to have an outdoor cat since we live on 3rd floor and there is no way for him to get in/out safely at his will.

We bought all kinds of toys for him to play with to keep himself entertained at home.  Some to play with him (my fiance plays a lot with him) and a couple for him to play by himself (laser flashing toy ball in a roller track).  He has cat tree house, two scratching poles and lots of toys that he likes to play football with.

Does anyone has similar experiences and how do you handle it?

Below is a picture of Oreo.  top is when he was 6months old and bottom is last night 9 months old.

Is he neutered?  If not, he's in puberty and he has the drive and urge to get out and mate.  More than likely, there is a female in heat somewhere near by and he can smell and probably hear her call him.  He needs to be neutered as soon as possible.  Outside in an apartment building would not be safe for him at all.  Once he is neutered, it takes the hormones about a month to leave his system, but he should stop trying to urgently escape to find a female to breed with.

I agree with the neutering part, but I have a male cat that yowls to go out even though he is neutered. Is there anyway you could cover the balcony windows to make it cat safe? Some cats just want to go out and smell the air, watch the birds and feel "wild". Luckily I have a screened in porch where my cats can bird watch safely. If that isn't possible, maybe a window seat would be enough to entertain him.

If he is not neutered he will continue to look for ways out to mate. For his safety and your sanity, please have him fixed ASAP! 

Thanks for your advise.  No, he is not neutered YET.  We are thinking of doing it soon. It seem like we should try to fix an appointment asap.

Neutering is the total key here.....I find that cats even more than dogs, are WILD when it comes to getting outside to mate, be it male or female cat.  They will put themselves in grave, sometimes fatal, danger, to get to a mating partner, if not neutered or spayed.    

I totally think that this cat of yours is smelling outdoor cats and I promise you, WILL find a way to get out, if you don't neuter him ASAP.  

I have a male who was neutered at 6 months old and even HE, four years later, still pees ( marks ) by the back door every spring when the females in heat are hanging around outside.  

This is just my opinion, but I think that cats, much more than dogs, retain a feral, primitive quality in them, even our foo-foo little house cats....they are never quite tame, to me, when it comes to those primitive urges.  We have to help them along with the neuter and spay, so we can at least keep them at home, safe.  

My cat has been neutered since he was 8 weeks old. At about a year he tried constantly to get outside. A few years later and he comes and goes as he pleases. Every cat is different. Yours might quit trying to get out once he'd neutered. I just wanted you to be aware that neutering is not a cure all for every kitty

AJohnson109 said:

My cat has been neutered since he was 8 weeks old. At about a year he tried constantly to get outside. A few years later and he comes and goes as he pleases. Every cat is different. Yours might quit trying to get out once he'd neutered. I just wanted you to be aware that neutering is not a cure all for every kitty

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Yes, this is true... But, the fact is that he is a cat in puberty.  Much like us, "teenage"/pubescent cats have a very strong urge to mate and will try to escape to make that possible.  Also, a cat not intended for breeding should be neutered anyway, not just for the obvious reasons of keeping down the count of unwanted pets and the heartbreaking life they lead with a worse end, but also for health and psychological reasons.  Unsnipped cats can develop cancer and they will most likely start spraying along with the psychological frustrations and strain.  It is best to get them done asap BEFORE they start spraying because often once they start that, they may not stop or it becomes considerably harder and costly to get them help to stop.