Help, he keeps escaping!!

Comments

• Kimberly Boyd ErieMember Posts: 58

  9 February, 2012 edited 9 February, 2012

  I'm actually having a similar problem. My one-year old, Wallace always wants to get out. He will scratch and paw at the door, sometimes meowing, as well. My 7 month old, Newton, only seems to want to when Wallace does. I try to distract them and give them their own kitty space here. I've got scratching pads, toys, beds, a cat tree, etc, thinking that if I made their environment in here more pleasing, they would be content and entertained. Most of the time they are fine but if someone leaves, they want out, too, and they are relentless. Sorry this wasn't an actual "response" but since we have similar concerns, I thought I'd share.

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• Debra Hoffmann RidgewoodMember Posts: 1,174

  9 February, 2012 edited 9 February, 2012

  When we lived at my moms, my sisters cat Blackie was the great escape artist. What she did was take a coffeecan filled with coins and place it by the door. When anyone was leaving, they had to 'shake' the can, whether he was there or not (he was fast, and my aunt was also afraid he'd trip my elderly mom). It did work somewhat. In the last 2 years a sunporch we had acted as Blackies private gatway to the outdoors.....except when Ruffy was there. Because it was glassed in, it gave him his 'outdoor' fix somewhat, but he still tried to escape. We're trying to do some leash training of some of our guys.... Good luck!

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• Kelly M- Member Posts: 779 ✭

  9 February, 2012 edited 9 February, 2012

  Thanks for the responses. Honestly, I don't know what I'm going to do. I found a baby gate thats 41 inches tall. I know he can jump over it. But I'm thinking by the time he does that, my parents would be out the door. I think. Then I saw to clicker train him. I don't know how well that would work out. I might do the Ssscat deterrant spray for a bit, and see how that works. It only took 3 sprays for him not to touch the Christmas tree. If that doesn't work, then I'll try the gate and the spray. I have no problem with him being by the door. I just scoot out. Its my parents. They're slower and by the time they have the door open, Hunter goes out. :m:m:m:m:m

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• ZACKandZOEY Cave Creek, AZMember Posts: 12,043 ✭✭

  10 February, 2012 edited 10 February, 2012

  Hunter, good idea about trying the spray esp. he didn't like that by the xmas tree. Mom thinks the gate will at least slow a cat down because usually they try to dash out. Maybe a combo - spray/gate would work for Hunter. We also have one of those retractable screen doors outside the front door. Pets can just push on those and get outside but again would slow them down. That would be a pain for your elderly parents though to open and close. When my pawrents had Angel RA when she was young they would let her out a few times in the backyard with them. Big mistake. She meowed then all the time to go outside. So they had to be patient with her meows at the door when they decided not to let her outside anymore. Soon that begging stopped. Then when she was older and they took her strolling, she would go to the door and meow because she wanted to go out strolling. Sometimes around midnight! MOL! So beware that could happen if you start taking him outside. But some pawrents don't have that problem so it might be ok for you to take him outside on a harness to get rid of some energy.

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• Lisa Dausman Member Posts: 5,216

  11 February, 2012 edited 11 February, 2012

  I was going to post, how I taught mine, but I am thinking, you might not want to go that route, and, I am likely to get jumped on, but it absolutly does work. I could stand there, with the door wide open, and they would not cross that threshold, because they were taught not to, and on occassion, as I have 2 doors, its sometimes a struggle to get laundry and grocerys in, and the door is wide open. Granted too, mine were taught as kittens. People look at the various bad behaviors cats do, as different instances, so to them, it is overwhelming, they escape, they jump on the counter, they bite, etc, etc, etc. Its really not, its really just one. Its just bad behavior, that they were never taught, is not allowed, either because the pet parents just let them get away with it, or, the pet parents didn't know how to correct it. You have to teach them, what is acceptable and what is not acceptable, using the same principal. Mine were taught the basics, they know what NO means, and they know what BADDY BOY STUFF means. They also know, mommy is the head lion, that instinct is in them, and they know, mommy always wins. My best suggestion, is to watch My Cat From Hell, its on Animal Planet. You will see what I mean, after you watch a few episodes. Jackson applies the same principals, for pretty much every situation, he just adjusts to the individual cat, and what the issue is. In my opinion, his biggest obstical, is the pet parents. I think he would rather just shoot them, mol. In most cases, they are the ones that created the issue, weather intentional or not, and they don't want to do, what it takes, to correct it. They want an instant overnight cure. It doesn't work like that. It takes longer to un do bad behavior, than to teach it right, the first time. Just like for an alcoholic or drug user. It takes longer to do the rehab, per say, and un do it, than it would have been, to just not do it in the first place. Some parents are not aware, they created the bad boy behavior, and/or don't know how to correct it. Jackson likes helping them, they want to fix the prob, and learn, so it doesn't happen again. Just watched one, the man, created the bad situation, sounds like from ignorance, Jackson recommended rehoming the cat, wife said no, so he said, well OK, lets see what we can do. First suggestion was, take off the solid bedroom door, and put in a screen door. Man balked, Jackson wanted to shoot him, I had to stop watching. If you don't get Animal Planet, you can watch episods on line. Or, you can send Hunter here, and Bump will teach him, what happens, if you try and go thru that door, mol, mol, mol. ) Mommy is head lion, Bump is the MP. )!:-h=;|:|

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• Valerie McMullen PhoenixMember Posts: 35,203 ✭✭✭

  11 February, 2012 edited 11 February, 2012

  I was just given a suggestion to help a cat that might be a door dasher. I believe she saw it on one of those Animal Planet shows. It was suggested to use a laser light toy to distract the cat when you are trying to leave or came back inside thru the door. I would keep the laser light handy in your purse and when you are getting ready to go inside slowly open the door and point it away to take his attention elsewhere. Have you thought of putting bird feeders outside windows to keep him stimulated? It's like a bit of TV for them.

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