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- Apr 29, 2013
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Hi everyone,
This particular subject was hard to find any information on (a DIY, inexpensive solution to kittens on apartment balconies), so I thought I would share my technique for keeping my kittens safe on my balcony.
First off: I know lots of people who've lived in high-rises who've told me "Cats aren't stupid! They won't jump off!" but I live in a 3 story building, me being on the second floor. Not only can cats survive a 2 story fall, they may be tempted to try it!
Additionally, a woman who lives across from me has deer-netting from the floor to the roof on her balcony. It's definitely one way to keep the kitty in, but it pretty much makes your balcony useless for people- plus it's noticeably junky looking and I know the building manager is not fond of it.
I went to a specialty shop called "industrial plastics and paints":
They had lots of options to choose from ranging in price (fibreglass panels, netting, vinyl sheets, etc.) So depending on your budget, there's lots of ways to go about this:
I chose a clear vinyl sheet, 2mm thick. I liken it's durability to a mid to high-grade rain coat. Very durable, and probably not puncturable even by an adult kitty. The sheets are about 4.5ft wide on the roll which is a very typical balcony-railing height. My balcony railing is about 15 ft across so cutting it to size was a breeze.
The sheet was about $2.25 per linear foot, really reasonable considering I was looking at $200-$400 cat fencing packages online.
Then I purchased some zip-ties (zap straps? whatever you call them) at the same time.
From there it was easy- I brought the sheet home and attached it to the metal railing with the zip ties, then cut the zip ties to size so they weren't poking out. There's a perfect amount of excess length along the bottom of the railing, so if I wanted to when the weather gets windier, I could run a piece of tape along the floor to better secure it in place.
Additional tips:
-As with any clear plastic/vinyl material, the sun's rays can be amplified when they shine through it. (Don't get me wrong, it's not like an ant under a magnifying glass, it's a very small amount, but it's still something worth knowing.) I let my kittens on the porch in the morning and evening anyways, since the surface temp of the balcony floor gets too hot even for my feet in the daytime.
-Unlike netting, this material is not climbable!
-If your cats are full grown and capable of jumping up to the railing already, I suggest creating an "over hang" on a 45 degree angle from the top of the railing so that essentially, there is no surface to land on should they attempt to jump up.
-Of course, if you have balcony furniture near the railing, the kittens can scale it and jump off anyways.
-From the ground floor, this rig is virtually invisible!
I plan on potting some cat grass and putting it out on the balcony, as well as creating a shady area and maybe a cushion for napping
The sheets. They come with paper backing to keep them separated on the roll.
Zip ties secure the sheets in place.
Kitties ponder how to escape, but they are stumped
This particular subject was hard to find any information on (a DIY, inexpensive solution to kittens on apartment balconies), so I thought I would share my technique for keeping my kittens safe on my balcony.
First off: I know lots of people who've lived in high-rises who've told me "Cats aren't stupid! They won't jump off!" but I live in a 3 story building, me being on the second floor. Not only can cats survive a 2 story fall, they may be tempted to try it!
Additionally, a woman who lives across from me has deer-netting from the floor to the roof on her balcony. It's definitely one way to keep the kitty in, but it pretty much makes your balcony useless for people- plus it's noticeably junky looking and I know the building manager is not fond of it.
I went to a specialty shop called "industrial plastics and paints":
They had lots of options to choose from ranging in price (fibreglass panels, netting, vinyl sheets, etc.) So depending on your budget, there's lots of ways to go about this:
I chose a clear vinyl sheet, 2mm thick. I liken it's durability to a mid to high-grade rain coat. Very durable, and probably not puncturable even by an adult kitty. The sheets are about 4.5ft wide on the roll which is a very typical balcony-railing height. My balcony railing is about 15 ft across so cutting it to size was a breeze.
The sheet was about $2.25 per linear foot, really reasonable considering I was looking at $200-$400 cat fencing packages online.
Then I purchased some zip-ties (zap straps? whatever you call them) at the same time.
From there it was easy- I brought the sheet home and attached it to the metal railing with the zip ties, then cut the zip ties to size so they weren't poking out. There's a perfect amount of excess length along the bottom of the railing, so if I wanted to when the weather gets windier, I could run a piece of tape along the floor to better secure it in place.
Additional tips:
-As with any clear plastic/vinyl material, the sun's rays can be amplified when they shine through it. (Don't get me wrong, it's not like an ant under a magnifying glass, it's a very small amount, but it's still something worth knowing.) I let my kittens on the porch in the morning and evening anyways, since the surface temp of the balcony floor gets too hot even for my feet in the daytime.
-Unlike netting, this material is not climbable!
-If your cats are full grown and capable of jumping up to the railing already, I suggest creating an "over hang" on a 45 degree angle from the top of the railing so that essentially, there is no surface to land on should they attempt to jump up.
-Of course, if you have balcony furniture near the railing, the kittens can scale it and jump off anyways.
-From the ground floor, this rig is virtually invisible!
I plan on potting some cat grass and putting it out on the balcony, as well as creating a shady area and maybe a cushion for napping
