Why does my cat do this?!

[Contraceptionismyfriend]

My lovely 5yo rescue is obsessed with open windows.
It goes back to when we got him in September. We had to keep him in for a 5 weeks to settle in. However had to cut it short after he continuously went to extreme lengths to try to get out and we were worried he'd hurt himself.

He was very happy to be out and has since learnt to open the back door 🙄 to let himself out if we're out.

However. He's once again become very interested in the upstairs windows. Obviously with the recent heat we've had all windows open.

AND HE TRIES TO JUMP OUT!!

We kept thinking he's just curious. He'll get so far have a look and come back. No!!

The other night DH had to launch after him and managed to catch him by the waist and I then had to unclip his claws from the window that he was holding onto for dear life.
He wants to jump out of the upstairs window!
We always let him out when he wants. The above incidence was 15 mins after being let back in after hours out so it's not like he needs to escape!

Sorry for the rant but we don't know what to do with the muppet. I know they say cats land on their feet but I can't see this ending well!

Cats aren't bright sometimes. Mine wants to jump out of my velux window which is on the third floor!

Can you put anything under the window he could land on? My cat goes out of the upstairs window as there is a porch below, he (and his neighbourhood friends) have no trouble getting back in again.

My cat also climbed up a tree much higher than the upstairs window and ran back down it fairly easily.

@QuestionableMouse I think I just have to accept that this is the case  we love him. He is perfect. But he was not blessed with brains.....now I think about it he lost a fight with his reflection 😭

@Singleandproud Unfortunately not. It's directly above our front door and it's just a straight drop down (new build) to the concrete steps. We've made sure the blinds are closed but he then tries to get through the gap.

I was told (I can't remember where so it might be rubbish) that cats don't immediately recognise that the outside they can get to from the back door is the same outside they can get to from the window, hence the obsession with different ways of getting out of the house.

It it makes you feel any better my cat had this curiosity, I thought it was just a passing interest until she actually jumped from the upstairs window. After that her curiosity was satisfied and stuck to the back door

You can get nets that fit over the window, specifically to stop cats escaping, have a google I think they are called Flat Cats.

@thecompanyplonker OMG this makes so much sense!!
When he wants to go out he'll be shouting at us to go out so I'll open the back door. But he will sometimes demand to go out the front.
He thinks we're hiding some awesome new outisde 😂 what a drip. Thank you!

Thank you @UnderPompeii we'll have a look. I hope it's sturdy as he will probably try to jump into it.

As a previous cat owner (my last cat was pts, sadly, due to old age and a declining quality of life), if he's that insistent, get a cat flap.
While he's getting used to it, keep all windows closed, or open a crack but locked if that's possible - with mine, I can. He'll soon learn that the easiest way outside is the flap.
Don't bother closing blinds - cats are smart enough to realise that if there's a whisper of a draught, they may be able to get outside anyway.

One of my cats has form for coming in and out my bedroom window. We just let him get on with it, but it was annoying as hell getting woken up in the middle of the night to a cat scratching to get in the window 🙄 luckily since we moved last year he hasn’t found a way up. I never did determine how he did it either,
My dog (big staffie/lab x) has jumped out our upstairs window. Luckily the conservatory broke the fall and he escaped with a broken tooth!

Mine do this and have fallen out on occaision. So either the bedroom windows have to be on the catch or the doors shut so the cats can't get in.

We keep our cat in at night so we have Flat Cat window screens on the windows we open.
They work pretty well.
Daft cat used to try and climb up them at first but now she is a bit older she is a bit more sensible. The Flat Cat screen held in place though even whilst she was dangling off them so they are pretty sturdy. Daft cat likes her food so has a bit of weight on her too.

@Contraceptionismyfriend I know they're such fabulous idiots! Mine used to run rings from the front door to the back when she discovered there was an outside past the front door too

Thanks for the suggestions everyone. I'm going to look into a net. We can't have a cat flap due to the glass door.
And with recent awareness he doesn't want back door outside. He wants upstairs window outside 😭

However... in the short term I have discovered that although he seems to lack brain cells he understands "don't you dare you twat" being growled at him by a 39 week pregnant woman who's comfy and has instead decided that he will be happier With his head in my shoulder and me scratching his back.