Cats & Retractable Screens

What we have found with cats is that they are all different in both physical and mental abilities so I always hesitate to say that our system will work for any cat.  That said, we have never had anyone who worked with us on the issue who we could not help keep their cats in with our Plissé retractable screens.  I cannot speak for any of the folks who never contacted us after the sale but know that we have a few tricks, beyond the standard stuff that we send with every unit, up our sleeves.

The Cat vs. Retractable Screen Door Problem

As you know the problem with most retractable screens is that the fabric is not actually connected to the bottom rail.  This allows the most cats to easily push under the fabric and slip right out.  Additionally, most traditional retractable screens pop open with minimal pressure or need to be latched shut to keep them in place.

Finally a Reasonable Retractable Screen Solution for Your Precious Feline

Our system has tension lines running horizontally thru the fabric.  One of these is about one inch from the bottom rail.  We have tension line hooks that hook on to the bottom tension line and into the bottom rail making a connection between the fabric and the rail that moves with the screen.  We normally ship four of these hooks with a unit but we have had good results adding more of them for particularly troublesome cats.

There is also an adjustment on the tension of the lines which can be changed to make it harder to push under.  We even went so far as to design a different hook for one person who’s cat had figured out how to work the hooks up out of the bottom rail.

And because our Plissé retractable screens are not spring-loaded there is no pressure from a spring trying to open them.  They stay put where ever you put them and can also be adjusted so they are harder for cats to paw open.  Of course, we offer latches as well.  But they are an optional adapter because our screens truly won’t pop open – making latches only necessary for keeping small children, or very strong felines, in or out.

Cats Will Be Cats

What we have found is that it is not so much about the size of the cat but rather about their persistence.  If after not finding any simple way out they leave it alone then there is never an issue.  If they spend their days trying to defeat it then there may be a problem.

Here is a short video showing the quick process of installing the tension line hooks in the bottom rail of our Plissé retractable screen and how they secure the bottom of the fabric to the bottom rail.