Adopted a Cat - Balcony Question
 

We live on the 4th floor of our apartment building(technically the 5th
because it is a drive-under). The apt has a sliding door accessing a
balcony with a solid cinder-block rail - we're talking 8 inches thick
here and about 42 inches high.

Nothing is stacked within two feet of the rail and the balcony floor -
concrete - is about 6 feet deep from wall to edge. There is nowhere
for her to slide through and jump, but my concern is that 42 inches is
enough height to keep her off without having to screen the balcony in.

My neighbor is moving out and has a screen/frame he built himself that
he can install at our place at our request.

-Chris

Adopted a Cat - Balcony Question
 

On Thu, 31 Jul 2008 16:27:54 -0700, ChrisCoaster wrote:

We live on the 4th floor of our apartment building(technically the 5th
because it is a drive-under). The apt has a sliding door accessing a
balcony with a solid cinder-block rail - we're talking 8 inches thick here
and about 42 inches high.

Nothing is stacked within two feet of the rail and the balcony floor -
concrete - is about 6 feet deep from wall to edge. There is nowhere for
her to slide through and jump, but my concern is that 42 inches is enough
height to keep her off without having to screen the balcony in.

My neighbor is moving out and has a screen/frame he built himself that he
can install at our place at our request.

Most cats can jump to the top of a refrigerator - I had one who regularly
jumped to the top of a bookcase that was even taller. Forty-two inches is
nothing to a healthy cat. My Fleagor (admitted a large cat) can *reach*
higher than that.

--

T.E.D. ) MST (Missouri University of Science and Technology)
used to be UMR (University of Missouri - Rolla).

Adopted a Cat - Balcony Question
 

On Jul 31, 9:19*pm, Ted Davis wrote:
On Thu, 31 Jul 2008 16:27:54 -0700,ChrisCoasterwrote:
We live on the 4th floor of our apartment building(technically the 5th
because it is a drive-under). *The apt has a sliding door accessing a
balcony with a solid cinder-block rail - we're talking 8 inches thick here
and about 42 inches high.

Nothing is stacked within two feet of the rail and the balcony floor -
concrete - is about 6 feet deep from wall to edge. *There is nowhere for
her to slide through and jump, but my concern is that 42 inches is enough
height to keep her off without having to screen the balcony in.

My neighbor is moving out and has a screen/frame he built himself that he
can install at our place at our request.

Most cats can jump to the top of a refrigerator - I had one who regularly
jumped to the top of a bookcase that was even taller. *Forty-two inches is
nothing to a healthy cat. *My Fleagor (admitted a large cat) can *reach*
higher than that.

--

T.E.D. ) MST (Missouri University of Science and Technology)
used to be UMR (University of Missouri - Rolla).
____________
That said, would my cat have the common sense not to jump the 45 or so
feet to the driveway below? Or will we be transferring my old
neighbor's screenbox from his balcony to ours?

-CC

Adopted a Cat - Balcony Question
 

On Fri, 01 Aug 2008 16:05:27 -0700, ChrisCoaster wrote:

That said, would my cat have the common sense not to jump the 45 or so
feet to the driveway below? Or will we be transferring my old neighbor's
screenbox from his balcony to ours?

Falling is more likely than jumping, but either can happen. Whether to
fence the balcony will have to be based on how much you like the cat and
how much you would dislike finding her corpse on the ground. I would
fence, but then, I really like cats and get upset when I have to bury one.

--

T.E.D. ) MST (Missouri University of Science and Technology)
used to be UMR (University of Missouri - Rolla).