Recently, I got worried about my cutie kitten who had started escaping from the door. She would follow me whenever I plan to go out and would run out of the door as soon as I would open it. However, she never strayed too far. She would observe the surroundings and return home in a while. Maybe she hesitated as she wasn’t familiar with the outdoors, but I was bothered.
I knew, cats who flee from home, many times meet a car accident on the road or get lost and couldn’t return back home. A few get injured in a fight with street animals and sometimes get infected by serious health diseases from other infected animals. So to avoid the situation, I tried and followed a few methods.
What If Cats Keep Trying to Escape from the Door?
You can avoid your cats escaping, by entertaining them, giving them rewards and treats, making the home more exciting for them and retraining them to stay at home. You also need to get your cats spayed or neutered.
Our little darting devils always try to escape outside, as soon as we open the house’s door. Door darting is a dangerous behavior, which can have extremely bad endings for our cats. We are all concerned about the well being of our cute feline friends and we definitely do not want her to face any deadly harm. Few tips I would recommend to stop cats running outside.
READ: The Best Cat Doors
Keep your Cats Entertained
Cats get the urge to go outside because they probably are getting bored at home. I was hardly able to spend any time with my kitty and so I am sure she was willing to go out often. To overcome this problem I found a few ways to keep her engaged.
- Make your home a pet’s paradise by adding things your cats like. For instance, I got a cat tree for my kitty to climb and placed the cat tree near a closed window, from where she could watch outside and enjoy the beauty of nature.
- I also got a scratch post as cats love scratching. She spends a lot of time grooming her nails and scratching onto the post.
- Before going to bed I take out time to play with my kitty so she doesn’t get bored. I pat her, give her toys to play with and feed her. This not just rejoices her but also makes her tired, so she needs to take a nap.
- I sometimes just switch on the TV for her to watch, she would calmly sit on my lap and enjoy watching. However, DVD’s are also available that are specially meant for pets.
Distract Cats from the Door
To distract my cute darting demon from the door, every time before going out, I started giving a tasty treat to her. I bought a puzzle feeder which would make her busy eating while I opened the door to go out. It took time for the habit to develop until I found her favorite snack, which was more enticing to her then going outdoor.
I would suggest, you place the puzzle feeder far from the exit door and keep a watch on her if she is following you while you exit the house. Try giving her treats at a fixed place daily before leaving home which would assure her that every time before you leave the house she will get rewarded.
My furball would run to her cat tree, where I give her the treats every time before leaving home.
Let Your Cats Explore Outdoors
House cats can hardly stay at home as they have the same genetics as those of the outdoor ones. They like exploring outdoors and mark areas. Their territory might not be limited to just a house. That is why you must take your cats out daily for a few minutes to let them enjoy a natural breeze and a beautiful environment.
You will need a harness tied onto them or else they would escape from your hold. My kitty didn’t like wearing a harness but to get her used to it I made her wear it sometimes even at home.
I take my kitten un-tied in my backyard which has a 10 feet fencing and no roof. This minimizes her urge to go out from the front door. She rather wants to go in the backyard more often.
If you have an enclosed porch, then you can let your cat go into the porch area too. She could see other animals, plants, roads or people from there.
Other Methods to Stop Your Cats from Door Darting
If none of the above methods work for you then these might work.
Spay or Neuter Your Cats
Looking to date is one of the reasons for cats to sneak out. In their adulthood, their increased desire to mate urges them to run out of the house in search of a partner. My kitten is too young to mate but if your cat is an adult one(around 4 years of age or above) then you will need to get the cat spayed or neutered.
Take your cat to a veterinarian who would neutralize your cat’s urges by spaying a female cat and neutering a male cat. This will dampen the feeling of your cat to go out and mate.
Scare Her Away from the Door
Use a spray that senses your cat when she appears near the door. This device would throw a burst of harmless water towards the cat which would scare her away from the door.
There are devices that make loud sounds by sensing the cat near. This too shall help to scare her away and in a few days, the cat should stop going towards the door.
Help Your Door Darting Felines
Try practicing these methods on your cats and I am certain that you will notice a difference soon. Make your house cat-friendly by including toys, mats, cat beds, scratch posts, and puzzle feeders. Spend more time with your cats and make their day more enjoyable which will make them love the homely environment.
Do not scold her, however, you can firmly talk to her while instructing to sit or eat. In general, help your cats get rid of their dangerous habit of door darting with utmost care and training.