Fly Screens and Pets: Cats, Dogs, Claws, What Really Holds Up

A fly screen with E-glass fibreglass mesh gets along very well with pets: the mesh, noticeably more resistant than standard nylon, takes everyday rubbing and leaning in its stride, and the magnetic door lets dogs and cats through without anything ever being forced. Two limits worth knowing: claws dug in deliberately can damage any soft mesh, and a fly screen is never a fall-protection device for a balcony. That is the essentials. The details are what change daily life for every furry member of the household.

Meow. Woof. At Moskera we love them both, and here we answer the real question their humans ask in front of a brand-new mesh: is it going to hold?

What the mesh really puts up with (and what not to ask of it)

The mesh of our fly screens is an E-glass fibreglass weave, woven at 18×16 threads per inch. Unlike entry-level nylon, which snags at the first strain and slackens as the seasons go by, fibreglass keeps its tension and takes ordinary contact in its stride: a curious nose, a resting paw, a flank brushing past, the routine of a lively home. It is the same mesh that, well cared for, lasts 8 to 20 years: it is not sized for one summer, but for the life of the house.

What not to ask of it: doubling as climbing equipment. A cat that digs in its claws and pulls itself up can mark or pierce any soft mesh, ours included. The good news is that this behaviour is very easy to prevent, and we get to that below.

The magnetic door, a pet's best friend

On a door, the magnetic closure changes everything: the mesh opens in the middle at the slightest push and closes again on its own. Your dog heads out to the garden without calling on you, your cat comes back in without meowing at the door, the kids walk through with their hands full, and nobody ever forces the mesh.

It is also the number one anti-claw argument: an animal only attacks a barrier that resists it. A mesh that parts to let it through, then closes again, is not an obstacle, so it is not a target. Claw incidents almost always involve fixed screens, not magnetic walk-through openings.

Cats: why they climb, and how to prevent it

A cat climbs a mesh for three reasons: to play with something fluttering, to reach what it is watching outside, or to test what is new. The counter-moves are simple. A well-tensioned mesh first: a screen cut to measure, adjusted to the millimetre, does not flutter and does not invite play. Then, no toys hanging nearby. And finally, a scratching post more interesting than a window.

The first days count double: if the fly screen has just arrived, keep an eye on the first explorations and redirect attention at every clawed approach. Once the novelty has worn off, the mesh becomes just another part of the scenery, and the vast majority of cats lose interest in it. With a kitten, allow a little more vigilance: everything is a game at that age, including your curtains, your shoelaces and, yes, a mesh moving in the draught. Here again, the tension of the mesh makes the difference.

Magnets or velcro: the right choice with pets

On doors and walk-through openings, magnets are the reference: they let pets move around and close again on their own. On a window a perching cat can reach, velcro all the way round gives continuous hold, with no free edge for a playful paw to slip behind.

The made-to-measure configurator offers both fixings and automatically applies the product rules for the shape and type of your opening. And if your window has an unusual shape (arched, round, triangular), made-to-measure covers it too: pets show no particular respect for period joinery.

Balcony and cat: a fly screen is not a fall-protection net

Let's say it plainly, because it is a matter of safety: a fly screen protects against insects, not against a fall. To close off the drop from a balcony, the only serious answer is a protection net designed for exactly that, with resistance tested to hold an animal. The two products are not in the same league: one is a fine textile designed to stop insects, the other is restraint equipment. Confusing them means taking a real risk with your companion.

A fly screen plays a different role on a balcony: that of an airlock. With the door closed, air circulates, mosquitoes stay outside and your cat stays inside, until you can keep an eye on the comings and goings. Our guide on making a balcony safe for a cat explains how to combine the two intelligently.

And if a snag happens anyway?

A pulled thread or a small snag does not condemn the mesh. Our guide on maintaining and repairing your fly screen shows how to step in cleanly before the snag spreads, and extend the life of the mesh, which is counted in years.

And if a fixing element wears out before the mesh does, spare parts and replacement adhesive strips can be ordered individually, without buying the whole screen again. That is the advantage of a product designed as separate elements: life with pets leaves its marks, your wallet does not have to follow.

See the magnetic door fly screen

Frequently asked questions