How to build cat net on second floor balcony?

lauramcnulty92

Hey! We have a small outdoor balcony on the second floor of our building, in our unit. There is a rooftop situation under the balcony, so it isn't just straight to the ground overlooking. We have two curious cats and we'd love to let them explore the balcony when the weather is nice, and nap out there.

We're looking into floor to ceiling netting, as they have always been indoor cats and we wouldn't want them escaping. We rent, so we can't do too much in terms of drilling, work, etc.

We are wondering what would work best to set up netting with poles and what might be the best way to attach, and maintain, so if it's ever windy, it doesn't blow over or fall down.

MitchellMc

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community, @lauramcnulty92 . It's wonderful to have you join us.

The important thing to understand is that if you're relying on netting to safely contain your cats, it needs to be securely fixed. By their very nature, secure fixings tend to be permanent and don't usually lend themselves to renter-friendly, non-destructive installation methods.

To offer specific suggestions, it would really help if you could upload a few photos of the balcony. Without seeing the space, it will be difficult for our members to recommend a suitable solution. Let me know if you need a hand uploading images.

At a minimum, you'll need a way to attach the netting to the ceiling, floor and side walls. These fixings typically need to be spaced fairly closely, around every 200mm, to keep the net taut and prevent a determined cat from pushing underneath or around it. The amount of tension required is generally far more than adhesive hooks or removable fixings can withstand.

Unless your balcony already has suitable attachment points, this may not be feasible without installing permanent fixings. If that's the case, it would be worth speaking with your property manager to see whether the owner would approve a cat net installation.

You'll also want to check with the buildings body corporate before proceeding, as many apartment complexes have by-laws governing what can be installed or visible on balconies. Hopefully, once we've seen some photos, we can suggest an approach that works for your particular balcony.

You might like to read through these previous discussions on the topic:

How to install cat proof netting for balcony in rental apartment? by @Seifer

Indoor to outdoor cat tower by @Shannon

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Mitchell