Making balconies and windows safe for pets

In clinical case series, cats arriving after a fall largely come from low and middle floors and show recurring patterns: chest trauma, fractures of the jaw or hard palate from the impact of the face, and limb fractures. An animal that gets up and walks is not necessarily unharmed, because chest injuries can declare themselves hours later.

• A cat does not read empty space as a danger while it is focused on moving prey.
• Narrow, wet or smoothly painted sills offer far less grip than they appear to.
• Kittens and young cats have immature motor control and fall more often.
• Old or visually impaired cats misjudge jumping distances and can miss the landing.
• Small dogs fall too, especially when they climb a chair left against the railing.
• An animal that gets up after a fall still needs examination: some injuries appear hours later.

Before buying any material, walk the flat with a tape measure and write down every opening with its dimensions. The weak point is almost always the one nobody counts as an opening: a small bathroom window, a roof light, the patio door left ajar for air.

1. 1

   Check what the building rules allow

   Installations visible from outside may require a specific colour or written permission. Clearing this first avoids dismantling a finished job and arguing with the building manager once the net is up.

2. 2

   Measure total width and height

   Take measurements at three different points, because railings are rarely perfectly parallel. Add at least 10 cm of cutting margin per side: netting can be shortened, never lengthened.

3. 3

   Choose the mesh for who lives in the house

   An adult cat needs a mesh its head cannot pass through, a kitten needs a much finer one. When in doubt choose the finer mesh: it does not noticeably reduce light.

4. 4

   Fit the upper suspension system

   A steel cable tensioned between two fixed points, or a rail, carries the top of the net. The tension must be enough that the net does not sag in the middle under its own weight.

5. 5

   Fix the net along the perimeter

   Tie the net to the cable, the side posts and the base with ties rated for outdoor use, spaced about 15 cm apart. Ties set too far apart create gaps that widen in the wind.

6. 6

   Close the bottom band against the floor

   The gap between net and floor is the most used escape route. Fix the net to the ground with profiles or anchor points every few centimetres, leaving no lifted pockets.

7. 7

   Test it with your hand

   Push with an open palm at several points, with the force you would use to open a heavy door. If the net deforms or a fixing shifts, add anchor points before calling the job done.

8. 8

   Remove anything to climb on near the net

   Chairs, planters, ladders and cabinets become launch pads towards the top edge. Keep the perimeter clear, and assess anything added later by the same standard.

Balcony netting works outdoors and ages. Plastic nets that are not stabilised against sunlight become brittle within a few seasons and snap exactly where they were tensioned hardest.

Note the installation date and the checks in a recurring reminder. A net fitted well and never looked at again provides apparent safety that lasts until the first strong wind.

A window opened in tilt mode leaves two wedge shaped side gaps, wide at the top and extremely narrow at the bottom. A cat trying to pass slides into one and, the more it struggles, the further it slides towards the narrow end, where it becomes trapped at the level of the abdomen or pelvis. Prolonged compression causes severe injury, and the situation is treated as an emergency even when the animal still seems responsive.

1. Never open a window in tilt mode in a room the animal can enter unsupervised.
2. Install a dedicated guard that closes both side gaps while the window is tilted.
3. Alternatively, keep the room locked and ventilate it only while you are present.
4. If you find the animal trapped, do not pull it downwards: that movement worsens the compression.
5. Lift the animal upwards, following the direction of the wedge, then open the window fully.
6. Take it to the clinic regardless, even if it walks: internal compression injuries are not visible.

Closing the perimeter solves the fall risk but turns the balcony into an extra room, with its own hazards. It deserves the same review you would give any indoor room.

• Remove toxic plants and check every new plant before bringing it onto the balcony.
• Store fertiliser, plant treatments and cleaning products in a closed container.
• Get rid of saucers holding standing water, which become an unclean drinking source.
• Make sure shade is always available: an exposed balcony reaches high temperatures within hours.
• Secure planters and heavy objects that could fall onto the animal.
• Do not leave the animal on the balcony while you are out, even with the net in place.