stair gates and cats?

[Elphaba]

At some point I want to buy some stair gates ready for when Xavier is crawling.

However, we have two cats and was wondering how they would get through? The gaps in the gates don't look wide enough (our female cat is quite small so might get through but doubt our male cat would? Are they wide enough - if not what do you do?

I don't want the cats trapped down stairs all the time - especially not at night. So how do you keep free access for them whilst ensuring baby can't get to the stairs?

 

[kirstylm]

I have the same problem hun, our female cat is very small, agile and slender. Our male cat - the complete opposite lol!
I am prob going to be getting a stair gate with a cat flap attached, Ive attached a link for you:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_s...flap&rh=i:aps,k:baby+gate+with+cat+flap&ajr=3

 

[Tegans Mama]

They are cats.. they jump over them...

 

[Gingerspice]

Yep they jump over them

 

[BunnyFace]

Our 5 month old kittens can just about get through them (they have big heads ) They jump them mostly though

 

[Nibblenic]

Mine jump over them. And they are lazy fat house cats

 

[kirstylm]

They are cats.. they jump over them...

If ur big cat is healthy yeah they should be fine but my big cat has spondylosis and stiff hips so he wont as he cant even jump up on the windowsill.

 

[A3my]

We have stairgates and the cats jump over them no problem

 

[Elphaba]

Ah ok. I just don't see Oz jumping much (he's quite a lazy cat) so wonder if he'd figure it! Mind you I don't see them doing an awful lot as they are very nervous rescue cats who hide a lot. Hence I wouldn't want to restrict them at night when they come out to play.

Great to know even fat lazy house cats could jump them though, nibblenic - this describes Oz perfectly.

Thansk for the link to the cat flap ones, kirsty! Wonder if the baby could get through the gap though?

 

[Wriggley]

my cat tried to go through one of the gaps and got her head stuck

she has not worked out how to jump over them without jumping onto something else first either side

 

[Tegans Mama]

Ah ok. I just don't see Oz jumping much (he's quite a lazy cat) so wonder if he'd figure it! Mind you I don't see them doing an awful lot as they are very nervous rescue cats who hide a lot. Hence I wouldn't want to restrict them at night when they come out to play.

Great to know even fat lazy house cats could jump them though, nibblenic - this describes Oz perfectly.

Thansk for the link to the cat flap ones, kirsty! Wonder if the baby could get through the gap though?

My cat is also a lazy house cat (not fat though, has problems gaining weight) who never jumps up anything, ever. She stood by the gate mewing for 15 minutes until I got her treats out and she zipped straight over. Sometimes you have to teach them how to jump over but they are generally fine, our gate downstairs is on the kitchen door where there is a step down from dining room to kitchen so to get from kitchen over gate she has to jump the step height & gate height. She's mastered it now, we've been here 3 months

 

[kirstylm]

Thansk for the link to the cat flap ones, kirsty! Wonder if the baby could get through the gap though?[/QUOTE]

i did wonder that myself, guess I will soon find out lol!

 

[Kalah]

Every cat I've seen that comes to a gate obstacle jumps on top of it and over it.

 

[RJsMum]

We've had ours just over a week and our cat sussed he could jump them just a couple days ago. He's quite funny to watch because the door gate he gets some sweet air-time and looks like a rabbit...makes DS giggle. Then, when he jumps the one over the stairs, he jumps and does some ninja leap into the wall and pushes pff and up over the gate. Also hilarious.And that gate is on the SECOND step up...so two steps plus the gate.

He's digging claw marks into the wallpaper though.

 

[Mrs RC]

We've had ours up a week and so far the cat hasn't worked out he could jump over them! He just doesn't go upstairs anymore - but then we shut him in the dining room and kitchen of a night anyway!

 

[msfoxymax]

One of my boys just jumps over (i had to lift him over a few times to show him how to do it) buy my other erm how can i put it 'special' (lol) cat just sits there until i open it for him hehehehehehe

 

[Aidan's Mummy]

My cats jump over them x