ᐅ Expensive Insect Screen Failed on the Cat – Is This Considered a Defect?
Created on: 13 May 2021 11:13
K
kati1337
Hello!
We finally invested in “proper” insect screens for our new house so we can open the windows in the evening without inviting bloodsuckers inside.
We had these professionally measured and installed. It cost about 500€ for one window and a swinging door on the porch.
What we didn’t consider was our cat. It saw “oh, window open! cool, I want in” — followed by “oh, what’s this?” — then standing upright on the insect screen with extended claws.
Now the screen has multiple damaged spots—one even has a hole. 🙁
I probably can’t blame the installer since the screen is probably not designed for a cat to stand on it. On the other hand, I’m a bit disappointed considering the price that the material feels so weak and thin. Is this normal / something we have to accept?
I assume the screens can be recovered or replaced, but they are only about 2 months old, and given the price we paid, I’m a bit concerned about how much it would cost to fix this if I ask now.
We finally invested in “proper” insect screens for our new house so we can open the windows in the evening without inviting bloodsuckers inside.
We had these professionally measured and installed. It cost about 500€ for one window and a swinging door on the porch.
What we didn’t consider was our cat. It saw “oh, window open! cool, I want in” — followed by “oh, what’s this?” — then standing upright on the insect screen with extended claws.
Now the screen has multiple damaged spots—one even has a hole. 🙁
I probably can’t blame the installer since the screen is probably not designed for a cat to stand on it. On the other hand, I’m a bit disappointed considering the price that the material feels so weak and thin. Is this normal / something we have to accept?
I assume the screens can be recovered or replaced, but they are only about 2 months old, and given the price we paid, I’m a bit concerned about how much it would cost to fix this if I ask now.
You can patch holes by gluing, which doesn’t look very neat but holds. I cut small pieces from other insect screens we had and glued them on. Replacing it would have cost almost as much as a new door from our window manufacturer. So for now, I’m living with this unsightly solution on our swing doors on the upper floor. For a swing door, you might consider attaching a kind of kick plate at the bottom edge where the cat tends to catch itself.
We had an insect screen roller blind on the lift-and-slide door on the ground floor for a long time. The neighbor’s cat destroyed it by pushing through at the bottom. A specialist advised me against getting a new roller blind or pleated blind, as it would break just as quickly as one from a hardware store. So we are still looking for a solution. Having flies and mosquitoes in the house is not an option for us.
We had an insect screen roller blind on the lift-and-slide door on the ground floor for a long time. The neighbor’s cat destroyed it by pushing through at the bottom. A specialist advised me against getting a new roller blind or pleated blind, as it would break just as quickly as one from a hardware store. So we are still looking for a solution. Having flies and mosquitoes in the house is not an option for us.
Nida35a schrieb:
At our place, the patio door doesn’t have a cat flap but is covered with a fine mesh fly screen, which has held up for years.
With friends who have cats, the door installer fitted stainless steel fly screen up to about one meter (3 feet) high, with the same fine mesh as the fly screen.
The cats have no chance of getting in with their claws there.
The door has pivot hinges, and the stainless steel part has dents and bumps because the cats push the door through. That’s a good idea. I’ll ask the guy about it. Maybe he can offer something like that. 😀
Be glad it was your cat. We regularly have a stray cat trying to break in. We have a pleated fly screen door. So far, the stray cat has only pushed it out of its track while "breaking in" and hasn’t damaged it yet. I urgently need to find the cat’s owner because as soon as the door is damaged, that person will get the bill. The door cost €700 (about $740).
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Nice-Nofret13 May 2021 14:21... You can show the cat owner an invoice, but according to several rulings, they are not obligated to pay it. Loosely based on the idea that 'cats cannot be supervised.'
My cats have gotten used to the grilles and now leave them alone.
My cats have gotten used to the grilles and now leave them alone.
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