Source checked 12 November 2026. PawLine editorial team. Not professionally reviewed.
Educational information, not veterinary, building or installation advice. Never drop a cat, stage a fall or test a barrier with an animal. Keep access to unresolved hazards prevented. After a fall, seek immediate veterinary care; do not wait for a worksheet or app reply.
The opening matters even in a familiar home
ASPCA warns about unscreened windows and notes that cats can be distracted while near a ledge. Familiarity with a room is not evidence that an open window cannot become a fall route. Keep the animal away from the opening while safety questions are unresolved.
A screen needs more than a name
ASPCA recommends snug, sturdy screens and says adjustable screens must be tightly wedged into the frame. This guide cannot inspect fit, fixings, material or installation. Do not mark a window safe merely because something described as a screen is present.
Childproof is not catproof
The same source warns that cats can slip through childproof window guards. A product label aimed at another kind of safety is not a feline fall-protection guarantee. Ask an appropriate installer or building professional about unresolved protection rather than improvising a fix from this page.
No cat-assisted check
The window note uses existing information only. It does not ask you to open a window, press a cat against a screen or see whether the animal fits through a gap. Keep access prevented while a competent person assesses any unknowns.