Cat net on the apartment balcony

Installation Tips for Cat-Proofing an Apartment Balcony

There are various ways to cat-proof an apartment balcony with netting. Our ideas below are merely suggestions, not strict requirements. They can be combined and modified according to your preferences.

New: We have summarized all installation methods in a video. Watch installation videos on boy-katzennetze.de and in our installation video library.

 

If drilling is permitted:

1 – Our plastic-coated hooks are screwed into the underside of the balcony above, spaced approximately 30 cm apart. The BOY cat net will later be hung from these hooks. To ensure a neat finish at the top of the cat net and prevent excessive sagging between the hooks, thread our 3 mm thick braided line (tension line) through the first row of mesh in the cat net. This line is then hung into the hooks along with the cat net, tightened, and knotted at the hooks.

Alternatively, instead of the braided line, we can attach an overlock edge to the top long side of the net (please note the minimum net size – see custom-made products).

2 – Another option would be to attach the BOY cat net to the underside of the balcony above using a strip (e.g., made of wood or aluminum – from a hardware store), which has been threaded through the top mesh row of the cat net, with a few screws to the ceiling (you should obtain permission from your neighbor or landlord for this).

To guide the cat net properly around the "balcony corners," you can use our extendable telescopic poles, which are fastened in the balcony corners with the corner wall brackets.

Remember not to over-tighten the net. Depending on the weather, it will contract or expand.

3 – For a brick balcony railing, our extendable telescopic poles can be used. They are attached (screwed) to the masonry railing with wall brackets and corner wall brackets, at intervals of approximately 2 meters. The wall brackets can be mounted on the inside or outside of the balcony (to allow easier access to flower boxes).

The cat net is attached to the telescopic poles with net ties. A braided line must be threaded through the top mesh row to prevent it from sagging/collapsing between the telescopic poles.

As an alternative to the braided line, you can connect the extendable telescopic poles with our frame system. This gives the entire net construction even greater stability, and the net does not sag between the poles.

 

Recommended Installation Accessories (with drilling)

• Telescopic poles for extension
• Telescopic pole brackets for walls/corners
• Screw hooks
• Screws
• Braided line
• Net ties
• Cat net
• Strips (from a hardware store)
• Frame system

 

Installation WITHOUT drilling:

1 – If drilling is not allowed, which is often the case, there are fortunately several ways to securely attach a cat net. A good option, for example, is the use of tension telescopic poles. However, a prerequisite for this type of attachment is that the balcony floor and ceiling are made of concrete. Balconies made of soft materials (e.g., wood or old buildings) are not suitable, as they cannot withstand the pressure of the telescopic poles, and the tension poles would then fall over.

The tension telescopic poles must also be placed at intervals of approx. 2 m so that the net does not sag too much between the poles. To prevent the cat net from collapsing between the poles, a braided line must be threaded through the top mesh row.

The telescopic poles are perforated at the top to attach the net along with the braided line. However, please do not thread the braided line through the holes, as the braided line will chafe through very quickly. Use a net knot, thread it through the hole, and then attach the net along with the braided line.

The cat net is attached to the tension poles with the approx. 140 mm long net ties. For a large mesh size, the telescopic pole can also be threaded through the mesh. However, this is not easy and quite time-consuming.

To prevent the cat from escaping under the net, a strip should be threaded through the mesh row resting on the floor and attached to the tension pole feet with net ties.

 

2 – For a balcony railing with a handrail, our extendable telescopic poles are used together with the telescopic pole brackets for angular or round handrails. The telescopic pole brackets are attached to the balcony handrail with 2 screws. A very stable and durable attachment.

The telescopic poles should be mounted at intervals of approx. 2 meters. To achieve higher stability, the telescopic poles can additionally be connected at the top with our frame system.

In this construction, instead of the braided line, you thread the connecting rods of the frame system through the top mesh row of the cat net.

At the bottom, the cat net is also attached to the railing with net ties. If there is still a gap below the railing, let the net hang down to the floor. Thread a strip (made of wood or metal) through the mesh row resting on the floor. Then attach the strip to the railing bases with net ties.

 

Required Installation Accessories (without drilling)

• Telescopic poles
• Telescopic pole brackets
• Net ties
• Plastic-coated hooks (with plugs)
• Braided line
• Cat net
• Strips (from a hardware store)
• Frame system