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One of our (inside) cats has started escaping via the window used by the aircon. He quite literally pulled the board out of the window last night. Any ideas on how to prevent him from getting out there without losing use of the aircon? My housemate has an idea of using springs to pull the window closed if the board is removed, would that work? And not injure the cat in the process? Are there even stick on hooks (we can't drill into the window frame) strong enough to attach the springs to?
Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community @ElenaRoan. It's terrific to have you join us, and many thanks for your question about catproofing a window.
This is likely one of those situations where an image of the window in question would really help paint the picture for our members. Once they see what you're working with, I have no doubt they'd be able to come up with an excellent solution. Let me know if you need a hand uploading images.
The springs idea could work, but it sounds a little convoluted. I'm sure we could work out how to resolve the issue without their use. Can I ask about the not being able to drill into the window? Is it a rental property, and it's your aircon? I installed my window aircon in my rental and created a frame that fits into the window so tightly that it didn't need to be fixed. In my case, I did fix it into the frame, but that was purely for security purposes.
I'm keen to see that image and assist further. Please let me know if you have any questions.
Mitchell
Hello @ElenaRoan,
Let me also extend a warm welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community. We're delighted to have you join us.
As Mitchell has mentioned, it would be useful to see photos of your window and the surrounding areas. Please do let us know if you need any help uploading photos on the site. Happy to assist.
You might also be interested in reading our popular article 10 ways to make your home pet-friendly for related ideas and advice.
Akanksha
Is this good enough? It's also behind the TV, so a little awkward to get to. The window itself appears to be aluminium, with the actual building window frame as wood.
And a picture of the mischief maker as a bonus. (He, thankfully, didn't get out last night because the window was fully closed. He sounded so mournful about it, too.)
Oh, and thank you both for the welcome and taking the time to reply. Sorry I forgot to say so in my last reply, it's been a stressful few days *chuckle*
If the TV obscures the area, so you're not too worried about the repair's appearance, then you could use Norton Bear 50mm x 15m Silver Cloth Tape to seal the insert to the frame @ElenaRoan. This would be a great temporary or even permanent solution if you can't permanently fix it into the frame. Make sure to get the cloth tape and not duct tape, as it's significantly stickier and stronger. I think you'd find that if you tape around the perimeter of the insert on the inside and outside of the window, your cat won't be able to push it out; it's really quite robust tape and what I used on my window aircon.
Mitchell
Thank you. Picked it up today. Let you know how it survives contact with our little Houdini?
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