Climbing high altitudes and jumping down from heights are typical exercises cats engage themselves.
Cats frequently fall off balconies, mainly if they are focused on a bird or squirrel, frightened by a noise, or slide down a sill or railing when sleeping.
Cats are well-known for being graceful creatures who enjoy heights and feel comfortable even when sitting on a thin slick balcony railing.
While cats make their movements appear safe and straightforward, they can occasionally fall off the fence, especially if startled or chasing another animal.
Rails can be too slick for them, even though they can hang on to the resilient bark of a tree. As a result, cat-proofing your balcony is critical.
Is My Cat Safe from Jumping Off the Balcony?
Cats have an excellent self-protection mindset and are unlikely to jump from balconies intentionally.
However, cats are not immune from falling occasionally. They could lose their balance when walking on a balcony, be carried away by strong gusts, or hunt birds and miss landings.
Is It Safe for My Cat to Be Outside on the Balcony?
Balconies can be hazardous to cats and dogs, as they risk falling, being burned by a hot grill, or consuming harmful house plants.
Feline High-Rise Syndrome
Feline High-Rise Syndrome is a phenomenon that occurs when cats fall from considerable heights and results in a variety of ailments.
Injury is most commonly seen when cats fall out of high-rise buildings’ open windows. Cats love to sit on windowsills and relax.
Cats might quickly tumble out if the window is open and the screen is broken or missing. Cats who live in flats with balconies or windows that aren’t protected are the most vulnerable.
Which Cats Are the Most Susceptible to Feline High-Rise Syndrome?
Cats that are healthy, energetic, and young have the best chance of surviving a fall from any distance. Because they can’t use their Righting Reflex quickly enough, overweight and older cats are more vulnerable to injuries.
Senior cats’ and kittens’ bones are weaker, making them more vulnerable to collisions.
The cat’s survival rate is also affected by landing surfaces. They have extra cushioning on softer ground. Bushes or trees that stop their fall could differ between life and death.
What is the Longest Height of a Balcony Cat Can Fall Without Injury?
While there is no specific distance a cat can fall without being injured, the risk of injury varies depending on the height of the fall.
Even if two cats fall the same distance, they may suffer from different injuries. There’s no guarantee that each cat will land on its feet every time.
Cats are arboreal creatures with what is known as an aerial righting reflex. To minimize the velocity of their downward movement, cats tend to open their legs. The springy legs extend the distance over which the ground contact force dissipates.
They spread out their legs, which increases the air resistance by increasing the surface area of their body.
Cats’ powerful legs, designed for climbing trees, act as shock absorbers when they land.
When a cat falls, its body rotates in mid-air, causing its feet to face downward.
Because of the low terminal velocity, cats have more time to use their righting reflex. Cats can generally fall 8 feet or less without being hurt or injured.
Cats’ bodies are constructed to withstand high falls from the moment they’re in the air until they strike the ground.
They have a vast surface area to their weight, reducing the force they strike the ground.
However, a safe landing is not guaranteed when flying higher than the specified altitude.
What Can I Do to Prevent My Cat from Falling Off the Balcony?
Understanding the causes behind your cat’s behavior will assist you in finding the most appropriate solution for your scenario.
1. Close the windows or secure the window screens: Preventing your cat from entering the balcony is one of the most cost-effective and straightforward options. Keeping all doors and screens locked, especially when you’re not at home, can assist you in policing your cat’s behavior.
However, if you choose this option, you should consider that your cat may demand more time indoors.
If your cat isn’t allowed on the balcony, ensure it has access to a yard or other green place to relax indoors. Like many other pets, spending time indoors can benefit a cat’s mental health.
2. Open the Top Half of the Window: Another approach to keep your cat from getting onto the balcony is only to open the top half of the window. This option, though, is to keep your cat off the balcony. Railings are only feasible if you can open half of your windows.
3. Check for Other Gaps: If you’ve opted to keep your cat off the balcony, make sure there aren’t any other openings or gaps that your cat could exploit to go on. These are much riskier if you aren’t aware they exist; your cat could end up on the balcony without your knowledge. The air conditioner opening and potential holes surrounding the windows are the two most essential gaps to check. Cats can fit through areas that appear much smaller than at first glance, but they do so with ease.
4. Construct a Cat Patio: If you want to let your cat on the balcony but cannot close the windows, constructing a cat enclosure or catwalk might be an effective alternative. Catwalks are made with primary construction materials such as screening, mesh nets, tools, and lumber.
5. Install a Strong Mesh Curtains: Heavy-duty mesh screens can be a cost-effective alternative if cat enclosure construction is out of reach. To keep your cat from climbing over the railings, wrap mesh screens around them.
6. Use Bird Netting to Improve Safety: Bird netting can help save your cat’s life if it falls off the balcony railings.
7. Outdoor Cages and wigwam tents for Your Cat
If you reside in a multistorey building, close your windows if they don’t have screens. Make sure that all of the screens are locked.
While many cats survive falls from tremendous heights without significant injury, it’s always ideal to keep your cat safe by limiting the chance of injury.