wrote in message
ps.com...
We live in an apartment complex, so this is a security deposit issue.
Big bucks. Perhaps a thousand dollars.

Our kittens are about six months old now, indoor calico kittens/cats.
They love hanging out on the screened porch, which is ground level.
They can eyeball people walking by, and listen to birds, that kind of
thing.

BUT they have learned they can climb up on the screens, even run around
on these "walls" like Spiderman. They didn't do this very frequently
even a month ago, but they certainly are doing it now. They are growing
and getting heavier ... the screens are starting to show the damage.
They've caused one small tear already.

The screens in this apartment were almost pristine before the cats
showed up. The screens aren't pristine now.

If a grasshopper or some other bug lands on a screen, I have seen one
of the cats jump from halfway across the porch and all the way up to
the top of the screen, landing heavily, in an attempt to catch this
bug.

Will the apartment managers notice? I'd bet so; as I said, we're on
the ground floor, near the entrance, and the two kittens draw attention
(they're beautiful). I see people jogging by with their I-pods, and
they will turn their heads to look at the great calico cats running up
and down the screens.

So ...

I have banned them from the porch, for now, until the wife and I come
up with some sort of strategy. Like spraying Bitter Apple on the
screens each and every time they go out. Or taping up tin foil.

Of course, the cats don't understand. They keep hinting that they'd
like to go out on the porch again.

Does anyone have any experience or suggestions? We do not want to be
shelling out a thousand dollars to replace the landlord's screens.

tom


I'm not sure how much area you are talking about, but would one of the
following be practical?
(1) Install plexiglas all around the bottom of the screens. It is clear, so
would not look bad to people seeing it from the outside. It is slippery, so
the cats could not climb it; but it would need to be high enough so they
would not simply jump over it. It is also expensive, so I don't know if
this would be practical for you. It could be removed when you move if the
landlord does not want it.
(2) Install metal mesh panels all around the perimeter -- the type of panels
that you often see used as "kick plates" to protect screen doors. They
would have to be on a support that would keep them in from your screens (not
mounted directly to the screens). Otherwise, the cats would probably reach
through and continue to damage the screesn. Again, it could be removed when
you move.
(3) Could you mount a separate set of screens inside the original set? The
cats would still damage this set but could not reach the ones that belong to
the apartment. Expense would not be great because this could be a
do-it-yourself project with screening (purchased by the yard, if you prefer)
mounted to a free-standing support.
(4) Could you create a temporary "room within a room" on the balcony using
the coated mesh that is sometimes used to prevent deer from entering
property? It is barely visible. Again, it is expensive, but I would not
think it would be a great expense for something the size of a balcony.
(5) Finally, there are some outdoor "rooms" for cats, and one could be
placed in the balcony. From your description, though, I'm not sure if this
would be suitable.

As someone else said, the problem is not only damage to the screens from the
standpoint of looks and your deposit. You will eventually have the
potential for the cats creating a hole large enough for them to climb
through.

MaryL