cat ladders and such

i know this is a taboo subject, but i thought i'd ask anyway. my kitty is 4 and LOVES going outside. we just moved to a new place and we're on the second floor. unfortunately, there's really no way to get her out into the MASSIVE & PRIVATE backyard and she's going crazy!

can anyone recommend, or does anyone know of any cat ladders or other methods of letter her through the window? all i can find are window perches, but that won't due.

gratefully yours jp

You're right, if you can keep her inside, that will be safer.

However, I have had cats that absolutely HAD to go outside and became almost dangerous if I didn't let them out, so you have my sympathy.

Have you tried a leash? You would have to walk your cat, but better that than an injury. I find that my outdoor cat actually prefers to walk near me, so if he sees me outside he comes right over. I like to think it's love, though it's probably safety.

I think the easiest thing to build would be a kind of ramp. If you live near water, you might have seen the kind of thing I'm thinking of used to connect docks to the mainland. You would want a fairly wide piece of wood, or maybe 2, and enough pieces to reach from the window to the ground at a reasonable angle. Then you want some slats, maybe 1" wide and 1/2" high, like lathing or even from an old window blind. Nail or tack them to the board every 6" or so to provide steps or a grip so your kitty doesn't slide and can climb back up. If it's possible, you might try putting up a screen house of some kind and run the ramp right into that, so she's contained while in the great outdoors. Though that might involve enclosing the ramp in screen too . . .

Problems: It will weather, other animals might use it, the bottom of it will probably be some distance from the house thus taking up yard space, it might not be safe in storms, how will you attach it to the window sill or porch, and if you don't own the house, the landlord might complain.

I think the leash or supervised playing is your best bet. But that's just my opinion . . .

I agree with Sunlion. I think training your cat to tolerate a leash and harness when she is outside would be the safest and best option, especially if you live in an area with a lot of traffic or other dangers.

I have to say that you shouldn't leave your window open during the day when you are not home. If you are on a floor close to ground level you should have security windows in. Often in Toronto, there have been occasions where windows in apartment have been used as access points to rob or do sexual assaults. There was a recent case where a 86 yr old women on the 3rd floor had her window partially open (she had a screen in) & a man went in her room and sexually assualted. I would suggest only letting your cat out on a leash when you are home to protect you and your home from invasion.