With their love for heights and adventure, cats love nothing more than sitting precariously on a window sill. They may have a knack to land on their feet but that doesn’t protect them from injury. Installing a simple window guard can give you piece of mind to keep your cats indoors, whilst allowing you to keep your windows open for fresh air.
In this guide, we explore the different options available to you, what you should consider, and review the best cat window screens on the market.
Our Best Cat Window Guards & Screens
We've compiled the top rated cat window guards from this guide for easy viewing. Some of the products reviewed were intended to be insect screens, but actually create the best option for cat window guards. You can view a full breakdown of our window screens here.
Initially designed as an insect window screen, we have found it to be the perfect protection for keeping our cats indoors whilst our windows are open. With a fine mesh, the product is extremely effective when taut, and attaches to a velcro that you stick to the edge of your window. With 2 in a pack, its great value for money.
We loved the quality of this product. You attach magnetic strips to the edge of your window, and fit the screen to your exact measurements. It comes with corner fittings to ensure the screen stays in place even if your cat begins pawing at it. We found the hold strong and the easiest to use when opening or closing your window.
This insect protection screen is the cheapest we reviewed, but was effective and easy to setup. The mesh is permeable, leaving a free flow of air, whilst being strong enough to stop cats. Setup was quick, and it was easy to cut to size.
As cat owners we've had to use a number of window guards to protect our kittens from escaping! We have based our reviews on a combination of price, quality, durability and ease of fitting, but you should also consider the following:
How large is your window?
Will you be regularly opening and closing the window? (consider a magnetic fixing if so)
Are you looking for a window mesh or net?
Is your window double hung, sash or tilted?
Will you be fixing the guard to your window or a wall?
Cat Window Guard Reviews
Our cat window guard reviews are ordered by overall rating from highest to lowest.
This product was the easiest to fit by far and provided a strong enough grip to the window to prevent our cats from being able to pull it off. The product is easy to cut using the tool provided (both the self adhesive strips and the netting), and allows fresh air flow through your window whilst keeping your cats safe. The setup took us around 15 minutes to get it perfect, but we were a little picky! You simply clean your window, cut the self adhesive strips to size and stick down (wait an hour or two for them to stick), then attach the netting and trim to size. The netting has a wire texture making it difficult to tear, and the Velcro attachment makes it very easy to simply peel back to open or close a window.
Key Features:
Tear resistant window protection
Can be easily cut down to fit any window
Easy to install with adhesive tape
2 screens included within each pack
Comes in two sizes (150x180cm & 170x180cm)
Attaches using Velcro strips
White mesh means it doesn't block any sunlight coming into the window and is hard to notice from a distance
We loved this window screen because it attached cleverly using magnetic strips and held in place using corner fittings. We found this screen was a lot more sturdy than its Velcro competition when our cats got a little more adventurous, and the magnets made it very easy to quickly open or close the window. Compared to other Velcro products, this product was slightly more difficult to assemble (it took around 25 minutes) but once up, it was the highest quality and feels like it will outlast its competition. With quality, comes cost. This was the most expensive of the bunch dropping it down to 2nd place.
Key Features:
Attaches to your window using self adhesive magnetic strips
Easy access to open and close your window
Adjustable size to fit any window
Measures 180x110cm
Looks good when fitted
Much more durable than Velcro alternatives
More cat proof if you have an adventurous cat that will try to escape
The magnets are strong, making it difficult for a cat to pull them off
A quality cat window screen with pre attached self adhesive fixings making it easy to fix to any window. The product is excellent for smaller cats as they learn their limits! The window mesh allows a free flow of fresh air through the window and gives you piece of mind that your cats are safe inside.
Key Features:
Easy to install & held in place by self adhesive tape
Enjoy fresh air whilst protecting your cat
Strong pvc coated fibreglass mesh
Comes with fixings embedded into the product
Comes in four sizes (70x100cm, 100x120cm, 120x150cm, 150x150cm)
The quality of this product was very high, and reviews show that this screen is one of the best for stopping adventurous cats from breaking through. It only comes in one size and due to the pre-attached fixings, the product is not adaptable in size (you can contact the supplier directly for a custom size). For the size and adaptability, we found the cost high, and preferred other options.
Key Features:
Easy to install & held in place by self adhesive tape
A simple but effective plastic grill that fits to the top your tilting windows to prevent cats escaping or getting stuck. Simple to attach attach to the window frame to allow for fresh air through the window whilst keeping it safe for your cat.
This large cat net is perfect for covering large windows to keep cats safe from escaping. Coming with hooks, anchors & fastening rope, you can make the net very tight with little flexibility ensuring enough strength to hold any sized cat. We preferred the mesh screen alternatives as our cats quickly began clawing at the netting once setup.
Key Features:
Transparent window net
Comes with hooks, anchors & fastening rope
Can be used both internally & externally
Can be cut to the size you want
Comes in five sizes (2mx1.5m, 3mx2m, 4mx3m, 6mx3m and 8mx3m)
overall
4/5
Quality
Durability
Ease of Use
Price
Window restrictors to limit window openings
Although not foolproof on their own, window restrictors can add another layer of security to your windows to help restrict the chance of your cat getting out your window.
Complies with BS EN 14351-1:2006 British Standards – always buy British Standard tested products.
High quality cable restrictor for extra security, health and safety at home and baby / child safety.
Ideal for UPVC, Timber, Composite Doors and Windows!
Used in homes, residential accommodation, hospitals, schools, universities and offices.
Quick & easy to fit – supplied with fixing screws & 1 key.
Prices last updated on 2021-05-26
How to stop cats getting out of a window
Protecting your cat from falling out a window can be easier said than done as most cats will try their hardest to break through any window guards, but some ways that you can try are:
Install a window guard Window guards are the best way to prevent cats getting out a window. Whether you get mesh or net pet screens; installing a guard for both windows and balcony’s will allow you to enjoy fresh air whilst having peace of mind that your cat is safe.
Limit leaving windows open You can often lock windows to only open a certain distance. For most windows, this is enough to restrict a cat from going out, but where your cat is small enough to get through, make sure you limit leaving windows open on floors above ground level.
Limit time in areas that are high up If you have balcony’s or double doors above ground level you should limit the time that your cat is left alone in these areas and always try to dissuade your cat from sitting on any railings when they are young.
Do window screens work?
As owners of many cats over the years, we have had pet window screens installed on multiple windows. We have found guards to work very well when our cats were kittens, which in turn allowed them to learn when putting themselves in a dangerous situation. The effectiveness of window screens is often down to the fitting of the net or mesh and also how obstructive your cat is, sometimes more destructive cats will claw and climb window nets to break through, but from experience we found this only happened on the odd occasion.
Cat Protection for Balconies
Balcony’s are often larger than window openings, but there are a number of cat window protection options that are better suited to balcony’s. We have included our favourite balcony net below:
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