Care Corner: Window Safety for Cats

Cats love looking out windows. But hearing one loud noise or seeing an enticing bird could cause your cat to push against the screen with their paws. They could fall out, leading to serious harm or even death. And you might be surprised how easily some screens pop out. 
Even if there’s just some slight give, the screen probably isn’t secure enough to prevent a spooked or playful cat from pushing through it.

Since it doesn’t take much to startle or excite some cats, take steps to prevent a window-related safety hazard for your cat(s). 

Why It’s Important 

Cats aren’t generally afraid of heights, and if a cat falls out a window, their claws can’t grab onto concrete or brick like they could with a tree. And when the weather is nice out (think spring and summertime in New England!) and people open their windows, more cats are at risk to fall out of windows. The good news is that this can be an avoidable situation with some minor precautions.

Here are 3 tips to help ensure window safety for cats: 

1. Control how much your windows are open. This can be particularly important for renters who might not control the quality of the screens in their home or how tightly and securely they fit. As a general rule, use mechanisms so you cannot open your windows more than a couple of inches.
2. Always close the window when you are not there to supervise your cat with it open. Cats often gain a lot of momentum when jumping toward a window to watch a bird or other wild animal who might be outside engaging in some sort of enticing or rapid movement. If a cat’s prey drive is triggered, anything within 7 feet of the window is generally reachable for your cat, and they can move through the air both horizontally and vertically!
3. Invest in a window wedge stopper, a hinge or chain lock, or a mesh window guard, which goes inside the window frame and can deter a cat from playing too close to an open window and usually blend in with most window treatments. Many of the window wedge stoppers are super easy to use without any tools needed for assembly. Some potential solutions include:

• Attaching something to the window frame with Velcro that mates with a matching strip of Velcro.
• Using a suction cup window stopper that can be fixed directly to the window.

You want to keep your cat safe, so make sure to cat-proof your windows. Enjoying fresh air in your home and having cats can be mutually compatible when you plan ahead and put your cat’s safety first!

Check Out These Resources

You can visit our Care Corner web page for resources that can help you research and secure the window safety apparatus that’s right for you and your cat. 

What You Can Do To Help

Phinney’s believes in keeping people and their beloved pets together. We do this by extending a helping hand to pet parents in need when these emergency vet visits become too costly for some to afford. Ways you can help include donating to Phinney’s or volunteering. And, anyone in need of help in caring for their pets can visit our Get Help page for more information.

Our thanks to Rachel Geller, Ed.D. Certified Cat Behaviorist, who contributed to this Care Corner post. For more tips on Living in Cat Harmony, check out our
tip sheet How to Blissfully Co-Exist with Your Cat.