Tilting Windows Are A Danger To Cats

By Ruth

We had a tragedy in our street this weekend. A young cat was trapped in the small gap at the top of a tilting window, she must have been trying to get out of the house and it cost her her life.

tilting windows can be dangerous to cats
By Ruth aka Kattaddorra
Two useful tags. Click either to see the articles: Toxic to cats | Dangers to cats

We first noticed an RSPCA Inspector knocking at the front door of the house, but no one was in. We then saw him go down the side of the house to the back and then he was talking to a woman hanging out of her bedroom window of another house behind that. Of course we couldn’t see what was happening there but then a fire engine pulled up, one fireman was carrying a ladder. The crew joined the Inspector who then went back to his van to collect a cat carrier.

At the time I was busy receiving phone calls from BT about a dispute we had with them over our internet usage (now thankfully resolved in our favour) but Babz was out in our front garden with our own cats

She asked him what had happened, because they are cats we are concerned about, very young and out long hours and now sadly pregnant. Apparently the woman in the bedroom window opposite the back of their house had noticed a cat trapped in the top of the tilting window and phoned the RSPCA.

The inspector said that as it is usual for no one to be at home the plan is to climb up outside and open the window further and push the cat back into the house. So, shockingly this must happen often. We were frantic of course, wondering what was going on and meanwhile the two women returned home.

Babz was able to ask the RSPCA Inspector if the cat was OK. Sadly she wasn’t, no one knew how long she had been stuck there as no one had been in the house for hours. He thought she’d broken her back, she was being taken straight to the vets and most likely would have to be PTS.

Worse was to come! She had a litter of young kittens in the house! Eventually the Inspector returned with bad news and collected the kittens who the women had to sign over to him.

This tragedy has affected us deeply and this is to warn everyone that cats are not safe, even indoors. They can usually manoeuvre even the smallest spaces but an unscreened partly open window can be a death trap.

It made me think again of how vulnerable cats are, how we must be very careful always about windows, especially upstairs ones. How we must always close doors very carefully, because cats especially young ones, are unpredictable, they can make a dash for an open door and be shut in it and hurt that way.

The only good thing to come out of this tragedy is that the other cats of the family will now be under RSPCA scrutiny, so that young mother did not die in vain and her story might save other cats lives.

Ruth aka Kattaddorra

Please search using the search box at the top of the site. You are bound to find what you are looking for.

27 thoughts on “Tilting Windows Are A Danger To Cats”

  1. Yea there can be just as many dangers inside as well as outside. Its really hard sometimes esp with Having Jasmine inside. She trys her hardest to outsmart us. We keep the Cat door locked at night. Which, means we have to open the door for the other Cats so its an open and close game most of the night. She sneaky manages to escape,and found where she was escaping last night. There is a small gap in a broken window which we have bordered up. Am hoping either next week or week after will take Jasmine to get fixed. Which be great as she so full of energy.

    Reply
  2. They’re rare where I’m at.
    I’ve seen them in a few old warehouses though.
    Most windows here slide up and down these days and “catch” at various levels so there’s no chance of slamming shut.
    Some older homes from around the 1960’s may have the jalousie (louvre) windows still that crank open.

    Reply
  3. Ours are sort of door windows, which is wonderful for downstairs as Walt and Jo come and go by that one, see the pic. But the upstairs windows are the same, so to have them open we need to put a mesh screen up to keep our cats safe.
    At present because of the noise and stink from those dogs just the other side of the fence I never have mine open at all anyway.

    Reply
  4. I think being paranoid about cat safety is healthy – at least for me. But, no matter how hard I try, I know that !00% cat proofing is impossible. There are probably 50 dangers inside that I haven’t even thought of. And, I hate surprises. So, it’s like always being on edge waiting for a cat to encounter one. Always watching, always listening inside and outside. Always on the move.

    Reply
    • Another of them gone today Dee, very poorly young mother with 4 kittens signed over to CP, only one left due to give birth any time now.

      Reply
        • They phoned CP because the mother couldn’t feed the kittens and when Marion came to collect them and saw the state of the mother I expect she persuaded them in her own inimitable way to sign them all over.

          Reply
          • This makes me so sick that the poor little mama had to reach that state before CP was called.
            The pregnant one that’s left needs to go too.
            At least, it’s comforting to know that CP helps and doesn’t kill.

            Reply

Leave a Reply to Dee (Florida) Cancel reply

follow it link and logo