Getting your cat used to the balcony: first outings, the railing and the neighbour's balcony
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To get your cat used to the balcony, start once the net is up and checked, never before. Stay with them for the first few days, keep outings short with the French window open so they can come back in whenever they like, then lengthen them gradually. A well-fitted net makes the balcony safer; it doesn't replace your attention.
Before the first outing: what should you check on the balcony?
Before the first balcony outing, it's the net you test, not your cat.
The Pelux steel-braided balcony net goes up with a cord threaded through the edge mesh and hooks fixed to the wall or ceiling of the balcony. Its product page ends the fitting with one instruction: “look for the slightest gap, at the bottom and along the sides”. Before you open the French window, walk the whole perimeter:
- At the bottom. No space should be left between the bottom of the net and the balcony floor.
- Along the sides. The net meets the building on both sides, with no slit between the last row of mesh and the wall.
- Every open side. For a corner balcony or a loggia, the product page has you add up every open side when measuring, including the one facing the neighbour: one forgotten side leaves a way through.
- The tension. The net is pulled taut without creases, the cord threaded all the way along: the cord is what spreads the load across the hooks.
- Stepping stones. A chair, a planter or a clothes airer pushed against the edge helps them climb: move them away.
How do you get your cat used to the balcony, day by day?
Getting a cat used to the balcony comes down to one rule: they explore at their own pace, and you stay there. That's the net's product page instruction: “For the first few days, stay with them”.
According to the Cat Protection Society of NSW “Balcony safety” factsheet, it's a good idea to sit on the balcony with your cat a few times before leaving them out there alone: to make sure the area is escape-proof, and to show your cat it's a nice place to spend time.
| When | What you do | What you watch for |
|---|---|---|
| First outing | French window wide open, you sit outside, they come out if they want to | The corners and the bottom of the net they sniff: those are the spots you check again |
| First few days | Short outings, always with you, the door stays open so they can go back in | Whether they try to climb onto the edge or squeeze through at a side |
| After that | Longer outings, with you within sight | Their habits: a shady corner, a lookout spot over the street |
| Every spring | A full check of the net before outings start again | Edges, bottom, hooks, cord, damaged mesh |
Don't carry them out by force and don't close the French window behind them. A nervous cat doesn't have to go out on the balcony at all: if yours crouches low or bolts indoors, go back to our method for building confidence in a cat who is scared of the outdoors, or let it go.
With a kitten, take even more care: according to the Animal Medical Center in New York, kittens and young cats are more prone to falls. The net's product page gives a 3 cm mesh but doesn't say whether a very young kitten could squeeze through it: check that yourself, and only let them on the balcony while you're watching.
A balcony in full summer sun is dangerous, net or no net: keep outings to the cooler hours and read our advice on keeping your cat safe in hot weather. Shade, fresh water and a hiding spot do the rest; they are covered in our guide to setting up a safe outdoor space.
The balcony, given back to your cat
Braided with steel and black so it fades from view, the Pelux balcony net comes in three lengths to enclose your whole balcony, open sides included. Discover the balcony net →
What if your cat jumps onto the railing or towards the neighbour's balcony?
The balcony railing is where the risk builds up. According to the Cat Protection Society, cats are good at balancing on railings, but they can get a fright and fall, or see a passing bird and instinctively pounce: “it only takes one slip”. The Animal Medical Center also mentions sudden loud noises that startle a cat, and advises against feeding birds on balconies.
Training cuts down these climbs without ending them: you can distract your cat and offer something better elsewhere, but a cat is still a cat. As for deterrent sprays, we found no solid source to judge them by, so we say nothing about them. What actually closes the way through is the net:
- closed on every open side, including the one facing the neighbour, with no gap at the bottom or along the sides, as the product page asks;
- on a shared divider with the next balcony, fix nothing without your neighbour's agreement, and if you rent, the product page asks you to get your landlord's agreement before drilling;
- take nothing for granted: no net promises a cat will never try to climb, and your presence remains the best safeguard in the early days.
Their wish to watch the world, though, deserves an answer. The Cat Protection Society suggests perches once the balcony is enclosed; keep them away from the net so they don't become a stepping stone. Indoors, the window hammock gives them “a proper sunny spot to watch the world outside”, on four 8 cm suction cups and smooth, clean glass that stays shut while your cat is on it, never the French window. The hammock is not a safety device and does not replace the net.
Why check the balcony net again every spring?
A balcony net wears outdoors: the Pelux net's product page asks you to check it “every spring”, when outings start again. The manufacturer gives no figures for sun resistance, lifespan or load: we don't make them up.
The cord is braided with a strand of stainless steel, which sets it apart from a nylon net that some cats end up chewing through. No net is unbreakable, though. Walk the same perimeter as before the first outing, then look at the hooks, the cord and every mesh. If in any doubt, keep your cat indoors while you repair it. The other products in this range are gathered in our safety and care collection.
Frequently asked questions
Do you need water and a litter tray on the balcony?
Only if they can't come back in at any moment: according to the Cat Protection Society, a cat without immediate access to the home should find fresh water and a litter tray on the balcony. With the French window open and you nearby, their usual bowl and tray are enough.
My cat climbs the net: what should I do?
Calmly get them down, then look for what helped: a crease that gives them a grip, a nearby piece of furniture, a bird on the other side. Pull the net taut again, move the footholds away and shorten outings. If the climbing comes back, don't leave them unsupervised on the balcony.
My cat got onto the neighbour's balcony: how do I get them back?
Never lean out over the drop to grab them: knock on your neighbour's door and fetch your cat from inside, without rushing them. Then keep them indoors until you've found and closed the way through (a gap at the bottom, a slit at one side, a forgotten side) and go back to supervised outings.
Key takeaways
- You get a cat used to the balcony once the net is up and checked, at the bottom, along the sides and on every open side.
- For the first few days, you stay with them, French window open, for short outings you lengthen gradually.
- A kitten or a nervous cat goes on the balcony only under supervision, or not at all.
- A balcony net wears outdoors: check the edges, bottom, hooks and cord every spring.