Keeping indoor cat from sneaking out
It's quite panicky opening the front door and feeling your furry pet on its way out pass between your feet. It has happened to me a few times. By the time I looked down the cat had gotten away, way ahead. One time I didn't even know he sneaked out until the place seemed too quiet. When he was nowhere to be found the search moved to the outside.
It wouldn't be such a nuisance if he just went out for the fresh air and came back inside on command, like dogs do. Once they are out, the closer you get trying to grab them, the further they keep getting away.
To make matters worse, in our case, we have an outdoor male cat who is always ready by the door for when his food comes.
The reason for our indoor one wanting to go out is more than just the desire to explore. On his latest escapes he physically fought and chased the other one away. It was time to find a solution; this had become too dangerous.
Here's some things I have tried to keep our cats from leaving; what failed and what finally have worked.
You may want to read
On your way in always look down to the corner of the your door opening. Your cat could be right there anxiously waiting, not to happily greet you but to break out instead. Be prepared to block them with your shopping bags, or get your hands ready to grab them before they run for their freedom.
What I did next was to I built twice the height. This time it was more of a full size door from wall to wall, made of 1x2 wood boards and frp (plastic panel) from Home Depot. The idea is to have a section like an airlock chamber in a space ship, where you only open one door at a time, not simultaneously. You walk through one door and close it behind you before opening the second one.
Another thing to consider is building a fence or an enclosure where they can spend time without wandering off. This wa you both win. They get to go explore outside and breathe fresh air while you have peace of mind knowing they'll be OK.
When planning what to build keep in mind that cats can jump pretty high, are very flexible being able to squeeze between openings larger than 2 inches, and they can climb anything vertical they can get a grip or sink their claws into.
It wouldn't be such a nuisance if he just went out for the fresh air and came back inside on command, like dogs do. Once they are out, the closer you get trying to grab them, the further they keep getting away.
To make matters worse, in our case, we have an outdoor male cat who is always ready by the door for when his food comes.
The reason for our indoor one wanting to go out is more than just the desire to explore. On his latest escapes he physically fought and chased the other one away. It was time to find a solution; this had become too dangerous.
Here's some things I have tried to keep our cats from leaving; what failed and what finally have worked.
You may want to read
- why a cat may want to go outdoor (even when they have everything they need indoor)
- reasons to not let you cat go out (without your supervision)
Look down and around before opening any door
Make sure your cat is not near by or following you before opening any door leading to the exterior. Fail to do this simple thing and you could see your cat leaving ahead of you, leading the way.On your way in always look down to the corner of the your door opening. Your cat could be right there anxiously waiting, not to happily greet you but to break out instead. Be prepared to block them with your shopping bags, or get your hands ready to grab them before they run for their freedom.
Build an additional door to keep cats from leaving
Initially I built a a gate, about 3 1/2 feet high, baby-safety-gate style. This may work for dogs but for cats I soon found out that it's barely an obstacle for them. They could easily jump from the ground to the top, and then over.What I did next was to I built twice the height. This time it was more of a full size door from wall to wall, made of 1x2 wood boards and frp (plastic panel) from Home Depot. The idea is to have a section like an airlock chamber in a space ship, where you only open one door at a time, not simultaneously. You walk through one door and close it behind you before opening the second one.
Build an exterior cat house
Make it possible for your cats to go outside in a safer way. You can do this by making an outdor house. I built a simple one with window access; they can go out right through the window.Another thing to consider is building a fence or an enclosure where they can spend time without wandering off. This wa you both win. They get to go explore outside and breathe fresh air while you have peace of mind knowing they'll be OK.
When planning what to build keep in mind that cats can jump pretty high, are very flexible being able to squeeze between openings larger than 2 inches, and they can climb anything vertical they can get a grip or sink their claws into.