Window screen: flight risk?

[The Birds]

So Cal loves to look out the window, especially if the glass is open and it's just the screen. I've checked to make sure none of the screens are loose or damaged, but would an F1 ever try to break out? Has this ever happened at anyone's house? Should I assume that he won't go nuts one time when he's bored and claw his way out?

 

[Rafiki]

I switched to "animal-proof" screens but even with those, I would not trust them alone with the window open. All it would take would be for a bird to fly near and she would hit the screen like a line backer. Most of our windows have a 2 story drop. Rafiki is a F3 female and probably no where near the size and strength of your boy.

 

[Patti]

Yes, Savannahs have gone through screens before, and I know of at least one who was never heard from again...

 

[Trish Allearz]

Well... I had an F1 in one of those mesh cat carriers-- which I think is kinda like window screen-- on my way to a cat show many years ago and he decided on the freeway he was bored of it and he literally was fully in the carrier, the carrier was intact one minute, and out loose in the van being a risk to my driving the next. You cannot predict F1s, but I would not give my cats the option to get out a screen window. Can you simply crack and lock your window so he cannot slide it further open? That way, he can get a whiskerful of fresh air, but not actually squeeze out?

 

[The Birds]

I think if I stay vigilant and make sure the windows are shut when I have to leave the house, it should be ok.
It's just another thing to put on my checklist, like making sure no one left the stove turned on!
I know what you mean about the plastic screen on carriers.
I bought him a stroller that has the same screen across the front.
I'm still getting up the courage to try to put him in it and take him out!

 

[John Popp]

We always pull the top down on our windows and we don't seem to have any issues with cats going after screens. It's just a little more precarious to get perched up there, and they did tug and pull on them when we opened the bottoms.

 

[NikkiA]

Diablo (F5) went out one of our front windows last summer. I was gardening. He wanted to be with me. He somehow managed to finagle the things that lock the screen in place, after, we think, shouldering the window (which was cracked) open enough to stand up. Luckily all he did was jump down and come running up to me, but open windows are only allowed in our house if you are in the room with the cat while the window is open. If a human can lock it, a determined SV may very well be able to think his way around it. D can also open the sliding glass door, if it is closed but not locked. Some of them learn really quickly from their humans.

 

[Pam Flachs]

I'd be very cautious with plain ol' window screens and any cat, especially an F1! We have either pet proof screen (on our screen doors) or wire mesh guards on all of our windows. I have had "regular cats" claw out typical screening and escape years ago, and now that we have newer vinyl windows vs our old wooden screen/window combos, I am doubly vigilant on window safety. Our newer screens are attached via a squeeze clip, so easily popped out, and did once have a cat lying in the opened window and accidentally pushed the screen out and open when she rolled over, so we now have the screen guards on all of them, ugly and institutional as they may be. I did use the wooden screen sliding screen inserts in the past, but have since heard they are not as safe as I once thought. I find my window guards through a variety of sources (depending on the window size) including our local hardware stores and thrift shops. For our smaller windows, such as in our bathroom and back laundry room, I use the grid panels from wire shelving units. The window opens top to bottom and I secure the panel under the upper window lip and drop the top window part down tight. There is enough weight to the top window to keep it secure when opened so far, but I do check them constantly to be sure no one is messing with them and trying to escape.