Is there anything which prevents a cat from climbing?

[Den]

My worst fear has just come true. So I'm going to make sure the ladder is taken down. I was busy doing things and heard this god awful thump. I knew EXACTLY what it was. I found Memphis on a step.  He seems to be perfectly ok physically, but I shall be keeping a very close eye on him. At the moment he's curled up looking visibly shaken 
No one else though that would happen, but I just knew it would.

He probably fell a little over 3 meters.

[blackcat]

you may be able to purchase plastic netting which you could fix to the bannister and wall, using wire along the sides so there are only fixing points at the corners. That way, if he does fall, he is caught by the netting. Won't stop him climbing but will stop him falling too far. May also be a more aesthetically pleasing solution ...

[Den]

Thank you for the link Helen, was just looking through it and it seems just what I would need.
I'll also try the sticky tape and orange peel. Lets see if we can convince Memphis that staying in the house is more desired and that suicidal practices are not very fun in the long run.

[Tiggy's Mum]

I've got the cataire window screens www.cataire.co.uk  I was wary of the velcro method but trust me this velcro is super strong like no other velcro!  My windows aren't suitable for the turn button method (if you email the guy a pic of your windows with measurements he'll tell you what methods are suitable) so velcro was my only option. 

Lukey took to zooming up the window and climbing up the window mesh and the velcro stayed firmly in place, it's actually quite hard to pull it off!  If I could choose again I'd go for the aluminium mesh rather than the fibreglass coated mesh though as where Lukey had his full weight on the window screens there are tiny claw holes and it worries me that they could rip to a bigger hole.  The fibreglass mesh is what's recommended as standard, aluminium mesh is for climbers or escape artists and I guess Memphis falls into that category!

[Millys Mum]

Window screens are made by cataire, v.easy to fit. With it not being your house can you fix things securely? I personally wouldnt trust the velcro option 

[hOrZa]

You could try double sided tape on the ladder treads as cats hate the feel of sticky stuff on there pads.

hth

[Angiew]

Same principal - two bits of plywood - one for each side to stop access.
As far as bannisters are concerned my fosters are climbing all over mine (new) and have well ruined them. Not much tou can do to stop them jumping if thy are so inclined.

However if you want to protect the bannisters and provide more grip for puss then you could always cover them in cheap carpet - at least the top rail. When I visited St Francis Hospice they had done this to all the bannisters and the cats were having a great time on it  It can be done quite neatly.

[Den]

Thanks for all the replies.
The ladder is there because there is constant need to go in the loft and removing the ladder would end up being impractical. Which is why I was looking to see if there was anything out there to stop the climbing. Like I said he will also climb on the banister which still leaves me with the same falling problem (but it does eradicate the being stuck problem).

The way the house is designed means no, the ladder isn't against a wall. It's perfectly safe for humans but not for anything that can fall through through the rungs, aka Memphis. The loft and therefore the top of the ladder lines up with the banister, which runs across part of the landing. When not in use it leans a lot closer to the banister, so at the moment its vertical. When in use it leans at the correct ladder climbing angle (Oooo er this is so hard to describe). This means that should he fall one way he will have a couple of foot drop and end up on the landing. If he falls the other way he will fall over the banister down a flight of stairs. This is also why I don't want him climbing on the banister either, in case he were to slip. As there is a considerable drop, and the chances are he'd land on the edge of a step or something, which makes it even unsafer.

As for the windows the downstairs ones have the top part of the window, but upstairs just had the main part.

I just want my baby to be safe!!

[Angiew]

Tricky one . If the loft ladder is fixed to the wall, can you use a piece of plywood to cover the whole thing? A couple of holes drilled either side one top and botton to use as eyes so that you can thread string behind the ladder to make it look tidy and secure it to the ladder.
If you need to use the ladder it would be a case of just untying the string.
If the plywood doesn't suit your decoration you could alway paint it to match your walls, cover wih similar wallpaper to blend in or put a poster on?

[lisa77]

cats also hate orange peel.. you could try that with the ladder?

[lisa77]

Can you take the ladder down at all ?

As far as windows go I live on a top floor flat & this was a major concern to me with Leo being indoor only. I will have to look into the window guards properly but come summer Leo will be a BIG boy so im not too confident with the strength ?

I intend on getting an air conditioning unit as even with the windows open my flat is baking in the summer... Im glad you posted this as I wanted to ask if I did get the air conditioning unit if it will be ok ?

[Sabrina (Auferstehen)]

Windows are a toughy here in the UK for some reason you guys don't believe in window screens as an automatic thing to come on houses but there's always places like this

http://www.safetyscreens.co.uk/windowscreens.asp

Who make to order etc.

We only leave the very highest small windows open and only about a 1/2 inch while we are home and this normally leaves me jumping around counting cats to make sure everyone is safe.

As for something that keeps them off things there are sprays (though I've not seen this in the UK....)

http://www.odordestroyer.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=BDRY22CAT

It does work as we used it to help get my cats to stop going under the wardrobes but your cat's nose has to work (our Burmese's doesn't that well...)

[Den]

Help!!

Having a slight crisis at the moment. Whilst my house is 98% Kitten proof, Memphis has discovered the remaining 2%. It's not my house so I can't do anything drastic unfortunatly.

Memphy has discovered the loft ladder, which is a permanent feature. He's gotten stuck twice today within a matter of minutes. It's not him going into the loft I'm worried about it's what happens if he falls  If he falls one way it wont be a problem, but the other way leads right over the bannister and to the bottom of the stairs  I'm so scared he will fall, and I don't think he will bounce all that much. Is there anything that can be done or put on the ladder which will make it unappealing to him so he won't climb it. I really don't mind rescuing him. It's the falling I'm so worried about. Obviously his saftely is paramount and if nothing can be done the ladder has to go .. at the moment I'm just looking to avoid that. Even if it did go he would climb onto the bannister itself and I'd still have to worry about him falling.

So how does one attempt to stop him getting stuck on the ladder and/or going on the bannister.

Also, what do people with indoor cats do about windows. I had to have mine open last night as I was so hot. I found him sitting on my windowsill this morning wanting out (that would have involved a big rescue since he'd have gotten stuck on the lobby part below.) I might as well solve the problem now ready for spring/summer. I really do want him as an indoor only cat.