Your cat won’t jump off a balcony willingly – but accidents can happen. Cats love to sit in high places and enjoy the view. Usually, nothing happens other than that. But if a cat gets startled, it may try to jump away and land on the wrong side of the balcony.
A cat won’t feel like jumping into the void out of nowhere. They can get distracted by a bird, a squirrel, or any other animal – and that’s when bad things happen.
This doesn’t mean that allowing your cat into a balcony is a death sentence, not at all! Cats have amazing dexterity and can land on their feet from pretty high up. But why risk it?
Are cats safe on a balcony?
Cats are not safe on a balcony. Most of the time, house cats are not safe outdoors no matter how high or low the ground is. If a cat falls from a balcony, it may survive the fall but sustain terrible injuries – and that’s not good!
Your cat might want to go out to the balcony or you may feel like letting it have a little adventure – but that’s not something you should allow.
It’s a high risk, low reward move. One where your cat is one distraction away from serious harm. When it comes to going outdoors, whether that’s the patio or the balcony, it’s better to let house cats stay in the house.
How do I stop my cat from jumping off the balcony?
The safest way to avoid your cat from jumping off the balcony is to keep the balcony off-limits. The second best way is to keep your cat on a leash and watch it at all times when they are up there. Removing furniture from the edges may help as well.
As long as you’re there with your cat, it won’t jump off the balcony. You have to keep it as far away from the edge as possible and when you leave the balcony, so does your cat.
Leaving your cat unattended, even for five minutes, could be enough for your cat to jump, miss the rail, and fall to the ground. If possible, strap a leash on your little friend to be in control at all times.
How do you cat-proof your balcony?
The only way to successfully cat-proof your balcony is to create a catio, a place where your cat can go out and be surrounded with a protective covering. That way, it’ll be impossible for your cat to jump – but it will greatly reduce where your cat can go.
Anything other than adding protective covering anywhere where your cat can jump off won’t be enough. If you don’t have a catio ready, you can let your cat roam around wearing a leash, one that you control.
No matter what your plan is for your balcony, keep in mind cats will try their hardest to overcome whatever you do. They are great at solving puzzles – you need to be one step ahead of them!