People that live in apartments....

Do you leave the balcony open with just the screen door closed when your cats are home unattended?

I am always wondering if Trout could somehow escape...and I don't know if I'm just being paranoid?

I live in an upper duplex and yes I leave all the windows and door screen to my balcony open during the day. (The door is closed so they can't get out, just the screen is there so they can see out..)

I don't...but I live up very high and I'm terrified of heights myself plus I am a super paranoid kitty mommy.

After one very scary incident where Trent decided to try to jump on the bannister, missed and fell from our 2nd story apartment...we don't let them on the balcony anymore. Trent was fine, just scared. We think that the fact that he landed on a juniper bush helped break his fall.

I sure wouldn't ever allow them on an unscreened balcony unsupervised. There's too many things that could happen. I thought about screening in our balcony and letting them out there, but our apartment managers don't agree with that idea, so they stay inside.

I would with Luna when I was in an apartment. BUT I would only leave it open for less then an inch. She was too little and the door was too big to push it open any further if the chance for escape came about.

I'm on the ground floor, so no because I don't want any unwanted visitors being able to come in. I do leave all the blinds open for them and the air on at 70 degrees so it's comfy. besides, my cats are couch potatoes. Animal Planet and a comfy couch are all they need during the day.

You are talking about leaving her inside with the screen door closed, right? So there is no way for her to get out onto the balcony, am I correct?

If so, then as long as you have some kind of latch or lock on your screen door, I would think it is safe enough. I don't have a screen door, or a balcony for that matter, so I am not sure what I would do.

Originally Posted by Sanctie

You are talking about leaving her inside with the screen door closed, right? So there is no way for her to get out onto the balcony, am I correct?

If so, then as long as you have some kind of latch or lock on your screen door, I would think it is safe enough. I don't have a screen door, or a balcony for that matter, so I am not sure what I would do.

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Yes you are correct. The glass patio door would be open, but the screen door would be closed. I do not have any latch or lock on it as I am on the 7the floor so I guess it doesn't come with a lock.
I'm just worried that she could somehow claw the screen open to get out, or somehow open the screen...Keep in mind, she doesn't really express interest in going out there, but I'm worried that some day she might feel ambitious and try something. But I would never forgive myself if she got out somehow and fell 7 stories.

I think it's good to be cautious. I caught Reilly digging at the patio screen door once, now it's always closed unless I'm in the room.

We live on the top floor of a three story bldg.
Although I have installed a cat screen on our large sliding patio door,
I never leave the sliding door open when I am gone.
I do leave it open if I am home and alert to their sounds but I keep a close eye on them.
One kitty in our bldg. fell a couple of years ago,
I won't take that risk.

I never leave my bedroom window open...
They could fall straight down.

One of their cat trees is located right in front of the patio window...
they love it there.
They have a tall desk to perch on at the bedroom window.

Sadie & Dexter, given enough time can open anything.
Better safe than sorry.

Originally Posted by Trouts mom

Yes you are correct. The glass patio door would be open, but the screen door would be closed. I do not have any latch or lock on it as I am on the 7the floor so I guess it doesn't come with a lock.
I'm just worried that she could somehow claw the screen open to get out, or somehow open the screen...Keep in mind, she doesn't really express interest in going out there, but I'm worried that some day she might feel ambitious and try something. But I would never forgive myself if she got out somehow and fell 7 stories.

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I would not take the chance. Cats have this way of ignoring something for the longest time and then suddenly, it is their obsession.

When Yowdy was about a year old. He actually dug the screen out that is by the bed In my bedroom, it was early in the morning and I didn't hear a thing. When I woke up he had gotten a hole big enough so that he could jump out! I'm leary now about letting them be home alone with a screen that they can dig through if they have the want to get out that bad.

Eeek! Well, I don't want her to get it open one day and then explore the balcony..I will continue to just close it went we are not home I think. Just in case.

Thanks everyone!!

My apartment is on the second floor and I have a screened-in porch. I leave the sliding glass door to the porch a cat's-body-width open so they can go out there during the day. My cats are very fearful of the outdoors, however, so I know they would never try to escape. Also, I've only caught them a couple of times trying to scratch on the screens. They were scolded and I haven't seen them do it for the past year.

My cats Juby and Jada somehow learned how to slide the screen door open!!! They would dig around to get their claw in between the door and jam and start pulling on it till it opened. This is how Juby escaped my home several times. We live in a duplex so we're on the ground. I would worry being that your on the 7th floor.

We live on the 4th floor, and we never leave the screen door exposed while we're gone. It wouldn't take much for them to scratch through it. And they love being out there, sunning themselves and birdwatching.

I don't know... my cousin had a cat once that figured out how to open the screen door and get out on the balcony. Some cats are just too smart.

Nope!

Harley is really good @ digging at the screen and popping it open and escaping - (happened this weekend!) We only leave it open when we're at home - I'm too scared he'd run away!

I live in a townhome with a small patio and the patio has a very low fence so kitty's are only allowed outside when Im sitting outside. I had to make a few changes to be fair with them, so every morning Instead of driniking my cup of tea infront of the TV I go outside and sit on my patio while kitties take some morning sun. Then in the evening me and hubby sit outside for our evening tea and again the kitties can go outside and play

I live on the third floor, but we have one window wall that doesn't open at all, and three regular sized windows. I leave her home alone with the windows opened all the time.