Cats In Windows That Won't Stay Open

jasimon88

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Hello,

I am wondering if any of you have ever had this problem: I am renting an apartment in an old house with those old wooden windows. Many of the sash cords are broken or breaking and I worry about my cats (who love to sit in the windows) being crushed by a falling window one day.

Does anybody know a quick fix for these windows? Obviously I'm renting so I can't do any major construction. My kitties love the fresh air so I'd love a fix. Thanks!
 

LTS3

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Hello,

I am wondering if any of you have ever had this problem: I am renting an apartment in an old house with those old wooden windows. Many of the sash cords are broken or breaking and I worry about my cats (who love to sit in the windows) being crushed by a falling window one day.

Does anybody know a quick fix for these windows? Obviously I'm renting so I can't do any major construction. My kitties love the fresh air so I'd love a fix. Thanks!

I know the type of windows you are referring to. I grew up in an old house with those double hung windows with the sash cord and weight hidden inside the window frame. The cords were all broken so the heavy windows were downright dangerous - they unexpectedly fell down and became guillotiines :shocked: Definitley not kid or pet safe :shocked: My parents' (cheapskate) fix was to wedge a short 12 inch or so tall piece of wood about an inch thick between the bottom of the window sash and the interior sill :nono:

You can try adjustable window screens that sit under the window sash like this. Or window guards like the ones used to keep children from falling out. A mesh type one would be less obtrusive than the bar type ones.

Or if the landlord allows it, you could get a cat window box.

The windows are simply dangerous for anyone. Your landlord should replace the broken sash cords. Offer to find a handyman to do the job if the landlord doesn't know how to do it. I know there are videos on how to replace broken sash cords. The tv show Ask This Old House often has a segment on how to do this and it doesn't seem that hard.

How to Replace Window Sash Cords
How to Replace Sash Weights with Spring Balances
 

MoochNNoodles

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The town I grew up in had a lot of old houses. I remember people having a piece of wood to hold the window up. Places like lowes will usually cut things to size for you if you want to try that and don't have a saw or vehicle that can move a long board. I do like the look of those screens LTS3 linked!
 

sargon

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I suggest the screen rather than the piece of wood, because the wood can fall (or be knocked down), which could cause the window to fall and injure your cat.
 

LTS3

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I suggest the screen rather than the piece of wood, because the wood can fall (or be knocked down), which could cause the window to fall and injure your cat.

The sash is usually really really heavy so it holds a piece of wood firmly in place. My parent's windows had this track in the sill so the piece of wood fit into that with the heavy sash (nearly impossible to lift up anyways with the broken cords) resting on top of the wood. We had various widths of woods to wedge under the windows but typically 3 inches or so (12 inches or so tall, 3 inches or so wide, and about a inch thick). My cat at the time never bothered the wood. Two pieces of wood, one of each side of the window, is probably better and safer than just one holding up the window just on one side.

You can try a combination of things. The landlord really should fix those windows, though.
 

maggiedemi

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I have those same type of windows. I hate them, all the window cords are broken, they are so dangerous. There are so many of them that we could never afford to replace them all. Do newer homes have different types of windows? We are putting wood in the windows to hold them up for now, only on one side though since we don't have any the same size. We might have to get some cut so we can put on both sides.
 

LTS3

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I have those same type of windows. I hate them, all the window cords are broken, they are so dangerous. There are so many of them that we could never afford to replace them all. Do newer homes have different types of windows? We are putting wood in the windows to hold them up for now, only on one side though since we don't have any the same size. We might have to get some cut so we can put on both sides.

My parents' house has 58 of those old windows and more than half of them have had broken cords since probably well before I was born (it's a nearly 100 year old house) :cringe: I have no idea how my parents will sell the house, which will probably be within the next couple of years.

The cord can be replaced with a newer spring type mechanism. The second link I posted above has info about this and how to install it.

If you want completely new windows, I'm not sure if they have any sort of internal mechanism these days :think: I have single hung windows and the sash just slides up and down within the side jambs. I guess friction keeps the sash from falling down. Double hung windows may be different. A window store or even the hardware store would know and have sample windows.
 

PushPurrCatPaws

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I rent in a 100-yr old building, and had the same worries as you... one of our windows had its sash cords cut. If the cords aren't thick enough on the pulleys, they can get jammed in the pulleys and the best you can temporarily do to get your window shut again is cut the sash cords. But yep, replacing the sash cords via the apt manager is your most reliable bet, if you don't know how to do it yourself.

LTS3 LTS3 , those window boxes are fun! How sturdy/ reliable are they?
// edit: where did you find that particular window box?
 

MeganLLB

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My windows to the same thing. If you open the bottom half, the top part slams down. We just took a bracket and screwed it to the window sill. So it is NOT moving. Most of my windows stop falling right before it hits the bottom though.
 

maggiedemi

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I've never had the tops of the window slam down, just the bottom. I hope the tops can't slam down on mine...
 

arouetta

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We also used wood when we had those windows. If you get one to fit in the side track it's very secure.

The windows we had would have been easy to fix but I was scared there were spiders in there. The windows are wood and the two boards on the sides that are part of the window frame are hammered in. You pry those out and you have full access to the sash cords. The cords are tied to weights and to the top of the bottom window panel, you simply remove the cords (noting the length) and tie the new cords to the holes. Then you hammer the boards back in place. I found sash cord at Ace Hardware.
 

LTS3

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those window boxes are fun! How sturdy/ reliable are they?
// edit: where did you find that particular window box?

I just Googled for pictures of cat window boxes and it was one of the results. It was on Pintrest but it looks like the original is on Flickr:
Google Image search for cat window boxes

Pintrest has other ideas:

www.pinterest.com/explore/cat-window/

www.pinterest.com/pin/76209418673645737/

I don't know how sturdy a cat window box is. I've never used one. From the Google search, some window boxes have supports underneath attached to the house so I imagine those types are pretty sturdy.
 

arouetta

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I would not trust that one. There's clearly no bracing on the outside. While there might be L shaped supports screwed into the interior walls on the sides, there's none on either the bottom edge or the top edge. And side supports will not keep the plywood from dropping.

Zooming in, it looks like it's home made. It's wood with a poor paint job, the corners are 1x2s, the bottom looks like plywood and the screen looks like ordinary replacement screen door screening that is either stapled or tacked in, with the staples or tacks several inches apart. 1x2 is not very strong and even an only half-determined cat could rip out the screening.

In my opinion, do not duplicate this one. Bottom exterior supports and L brackets attached to the wall below the window with 100 lb rated or higher drywall anchors. The actual bottom of the box is what needs to be supported as that is the part holding your cat's weight. Sandwich the screening between two pieces of wood so there's no gaps a paw can get into and definitely fasten it every inch to one piece of wood before laying the other one on top.
 

lyrajean

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Yes those old windows can be a deadly hazard if they fall down. I watched one of my aunt's cat die that way as a child. We live in an old farmhouse and I've used wood to guarantee that doesn't happen here for years.
 

maggiedemi

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Can the tops really fall down too? I just have a piece of wood jammed under the bottom part. Now I'm worried...
 

arouetta

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No, they are permanently fixed in place.
 

basscat

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Yep, just jam a stick in there. If it's tight the cats can't knock it out of place.
This. If you don't have anything handy, just go to the hardware store and buy a 1/2" or larger wooden dowel for about a dollar. Open the window, cut it a couple inches shorter than the opening. Stick it in one side, and close the window down on it. It won't get knocked out or fall out with the window setting on it.
Buy a long enough dowel so that you can use what's left to make another one, for another window.
Kitchen utensils work also. (wooden spoons, etc).
Vacuum cleaner tube extensions.
100's of things around the house will work. (just some things, like a book, won't allow the window to be as far open as other things)
 
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