Potentially stupid cat question

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A

Alone

Diamond Member
Nov 19, 2006
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My cat loves being outside but I live in an apartment so it's a difficult option. I can literally open my window and let him wander out on the roof of the back of the building. The area itself is safe, no small places for him to get into, nothing there that can directly hurt him. My question is...are cats smart enough not to jump off the fucking roof?

He's never been able to roam freely, so I don't know if he's likely to return (though I think he is).

I looked into getting him a harness and a long leash but I figure he's likely to get caught up on something.

Any suggestions?
 
HAL9000

HAL9000

Lifer
Oct 17, 2010
22,021
3
76
Damn, when I read the title, I thought this was a potentially stupid cat with a question... :(

Or a question about a potentially stupid cat.

I'm disappointed.
 
Last edited:
blurredvision

blurredvision

Lifer
Oct 19, 2000
17,860
4
81
"If you don't already know the answer to your pet questions, you shouldn't already own a pet." ~ ATOT
 
Y

yinan

Golden Member
Jan 12, 2007
1,801
2
71
Dont do it. It is very dangerous for an indoor cat to be allowed outside. They are not used to having to fend for themselves. And trust me cats can always get into something.
 
JulesMaximus

JulesMaximus

No Lifer
Jul 3, 2003
74,598
998
126
Cats can fall a fairly long way without hurting themselves. Plus they can jump onto trees and scale buildings made of wood and stucco pretty easily. You'd be surprised where a cat can get to if he wants to. My cat used to climb the side of the house to get onto the top of the patio cover which is 10' off the ground.

I'd keep him inside.
 
A

Alone

Diamond Member
Nov 19, 2006
7,490
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yinan said:
Dont do it. It is very dangerous for an indoor cat to be allowed outside. They are not used to having to fend for themselves. And trust me cats can always get into something.
Click to expand...

I wasn't clear when I wrote the thread. I found him out in the while (though, based on his condition I doubt he was out for more than a week). He wouldn't need to fend for himself as he's on top of a building and has easy access to come back inside whenever he needs.
 
dank69

dank69

Lifer
Oct 6, 2009
37,610
33,330
136
When I lived on a third floor apartment of a 3 family home I let my cats out on the roof all the time. They never jumped. All cats are different though. Although I seriously doubt it would jump, if yours does, don't blame me.
 
Brigandier

Brigandier

Diamond Member
Feb 12, 2008
4,394
2
81
Alone said:
My cat loves being outside but I live in an apartment so it's a difficult option. I can literally open my window and let him wander out on the roof of the back of the building. The area itself is safe, no small places for him to get into, nothing there that can directly hurt him. My question is...are cats smart enough not to jump off the fucking roof?

He's never been able to roam freely, so I don't know if he's likely to return (though I think he is).

I looked into getting him a harness and a long leash but I figure he's likely to get caught up on something.

Any suggestions?
Click to expand...

I doubt the cat will jump, I put my cat on top of the fridge and it takes him quite a few minutes to get the courage to jump off that.

If your cat likes it, let him enjoy himself, I don't really see many risks of letting your cat on a roof.
 
lxskllr

lxskllr

No Lifer
Nov 30, 2004
60,715
11,089
126
My 1st cat I used to let out on the porch roof. She enjoyed watching the people, and never went anywhere. Twice, she knocked the prop out of the kitchen window, and jumped the wrong way. I found her hiding behind the rear fence gate. She was afraid of outside, if she wasn't in control, which was perfect. Outdoors isn't a good place for cats when cars are around.
 
PieIsAwesome

PieIsAwesome

Diamond Member
Feb 11, 2007
4,054
1
0
Alone said:
My cat loves being outside but I live in an apartment so it's a difficult option. I can literally open my window and let him wander out on the roof of the back of the building. The area itself is safe, no small places for him to get into, nothing there that can directly hurt him. My question is...are cats smart enough not to jump off the fucking roof?

He's never been able to roam freely, so I don't know if he's likely to return (though I think he is).

I looked into getting him a harness and a long leash but I figure he's likely to get caught up on something.

Any suggestions?
Click to expand...

No. An outdoor cat will probably have the experience to know not to do something like that. An indoor cat probably won't. I've had cats fall off the top of a staircase while walking on the railing. They learned after that.
 
N

Numenorean

Diamond Member
Oct 26, 2008
4,442
1
0
Depends on what is around. Let my cat out on our upper deck area all the time and she gets up on the railing and looks over and looks into the trees at the birds, but doesn't jump. Well she jumped once when she was smaller and I think that experience cured her of that.
 
MarkXIX

MarkXIX

Platinum Member
Jan 3, 2010
2,642
1
71
When we were leaving Germany, the Army put us in a 7th story room in a hotel. Our cat jumped out the window and was found safe and sound roaming the bushes in the area below the window. One of my brothers opened the room window before we went out for dinner that night.
 
R

Rifter

Lifer
Oct 9, 1999
11,522
751
126
Mike Gayner said:
Why do people who live in apartments own cats? It's cruel TBH.
Click to expand...

Not always the case. I live in a apartment on the first floor that has a large courtyard. Our patio goes into the courtyard and the courtyard has a brick wall sourrounding it and the cats roam around the courtyard and the wall but dont leave it. It works out great, they even come when i call them because they dont like being locked outside and know if im calling them that im leaving and locking up the apartment.
 
Pliablemoose

Pliablemoose

Lifer
Oct 11, 1999
25,195
0
56
Cats are very adaptable, my Sphynx has spent less than 24 hours "outside" his whole life. I do let him out on the balcony, he's never jumped.

Of course the hairless thing is a non adaptive mutation, he'd die if he lived outside, exposure & or sunburn...
 
Drako

Drako

Lifer
Jun 9, 2007
10,697
161
106
Domestic cats can do very well in small spaces. My wife lived with two cats in a 600 square foot apartment for 8+ years. Both cats were very well adjusted.
 
Perknose

Perknose

Forum Director & Omnipotent Overlord
Forum Director
Oct 9, 1999
46,926
10,789
147
Alone said:
My cat loves being outside but I live in an apartment so it's a difficult option. I can literally open my window and let him wander out on the roof of the back of the building. The area itself is safe, no small places for him to get into, nothing there that can directly hurt him. My question is...are cats smart enough not to jump off the fucking roof?

He's never been able to roam freely, so I don't know if he's likely to return (though I think he is).

I looked into getting him a harness and a long leash but I figure he's likely to get caught up on something.

Any suggestions?
Click to expand...

Despite what any of us say, there's no absolute right or wrong answer, just a trade off of safety vs. pleasure.

Cats are adaptable, but like you said, your cat does love being outside. Animals come most fully alive in the outdoors, they're built for it and the sights and smells activate ancient ingrained parts of them in ways we humans have distanced ourselves from with things like language, the internet, and the fleshlight.

I hold that the quality of any being's life is a good to be considered right along with the length of its life -- yours, mine, and your cat's.

Fear is debilitating. Over-protectiveness is an ugly, depressing prison.

It's good to get out and experience all that the wondrous "blooming, buzzing confusion" that our amazing physical world has to offer, and its worth sacrificing a prudent portion of absolute safety to do so, imho.

Despite recent advances in video technology, real life still has the best graphics, hands down.

We are all only here a short time. Get out, experience and enjoy. After that, we're a long time dead.

I treat my pets with the same philosophy.

Fear is for bigots, religious fundamentalists, and other assorted cranks and hothouse flowers.
 
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