Someone please help me to find a way to keep my kitten out of the refrigerator?

Question

My kitten is 5 months old. Everytime he is in the kitchen and I open the refrigerator door, he jumps in and runs to the back so that I can't get him out easily. I tell him NO, take him out and sometimes tap him on the nose. He seems unaffected. Well, my worst fear almost happened tonight. I got myself a snack and a glass of milk and I was going to take my pill, but I forgot it. I did some household tasks and in about an hour, I went to get a little more milk to take my pill and the kitten was in the refrigerator. He seemed a little lethargic. I warmed him and he seems better, but I am a wreck. I can't stop crying. If I hadn't needed to take my pill, with more milk he would have been in there all night and would most certainly have succumbed to the cold and lack of oxygen. How can I keep him out of the refrigerator? Somebody please help.

Answer 1

Try distracting your rambunctious little one with cat nip or cat nip treats and toys before you open the fridge. Or if your kitten will play with those dangling toys, attach one to the fridge and every time before you go into the fridge, take the toy down and play with the cat while you are opening the fridge. That way, even if the cat does get in the fridge, you will have the toy in hand to help remind you to get the little guy out. I kind of know what you are going through with the extreme guilt. I locked my cat in the closet by accident one day before work. I left and came back, but since she never comes out to say hello until I am going to bed, I didn't even begin to wonder until then. She was okay when I finally got to her, but I felt horrible. To say that I spoiled her for the next few days is putting it rather mildly.

Answer 2

You have a problem alright. Sometimes some cats think that you are playing with them when you go "shooo," tap them on the nose, pick them up, etc. when you try to dissuade them from certain behaviors. One of cats used to play a game with me - dashing outside as soon as the sliding door to the patio opens, then stopping to look back at me, then dash away when I make a move towards him. There was no other way I could solve the exasperating and dangerous "game" other than make sure the cat is closed in the bedroom, or bathroom or someother place when I or someone in the family was going to open the sliding door. After a while (I think it was 3 months) my cat forgot his dangerous game, preoccupied with other games we play indoors. Sorry. But maybe if you do not open the fridge when the cat is inclose proximity to it, he may forget his dangerous game too.

Answer 3

You need some sort of negative reinforcement to get him out of this habit. The spray bottle is a fantastic suggestion. You could also try rolling up a piece of newspaper and banging it on the fridge (NOT hitting the kitten) as the noise will scare him and hopefully convince him that getting in there is a bad idea. If you have it handy you can do this whenever he gets in there. It's important to be consistent so that he learns that hopping in the fridge can have unpleasant consequences.

Answer 4

Oh my, that is so scary. My little kitten that I have had 2 weeks jumps into the refrigerator everytime I open the door. I don't know what to do and I am afraid he too is going to be shut up in there and something happen to him.

Answer 5

Anytime he jumps in, bang on the side of the fridge a few times hard and fast with the heel of your hand, as loud as you can make it. It should scare him and he'll run out, if it does, keep doing it everytime he jumps in. After a few times, since he doesn't know it's you, doing it, he'll think the fridge is a noisy place and won't even want to go in it anymore. Good luck!

Answer 6

You need to buy a empty spray bottle, fill it with water and every time the kitten tries to get in the Refrigerator, say NO with a loud voice and soak him, he will learn real quickly to stay away from the refrigerator. You need to watch your washer and dryer too, they like getting into the Dishwasher too. The water remedy works since cats hate water. Hope it works for you, it did for me.

Answer 7

Try getting a plastic storage box that you can place on the bottom shelf of the frig to fill it in so he can't get in. Hopefully, if you can break the habit, he'll stop doing it. But this is really strange behavior for a kitten - is there something in the frig that he finds attractive? Meat, fish, cheese, or something of that sort that he might be trying to get? Check the back of the frig and see what's there that might be attracting him.

Answer 8

Theres something about the refrigerator that your cat is very captivated with... my kitten used to do that... everytime she does it, i carry her and put her paws in the freezer. of course, she doesnt like that cold feling, eventually, she never did jumped inside the refrigerator anymore... now all she does is stare at the ref door everytime it opens and closes...

Answer 9

every time he goes near the fridge, spray him with water (in a spray bottle). If he jumps inside the fridge, keep spraying him until he comes out. If you do this enough times & be consistent, he will learn that it is wrong.

And don't worry, you haven't done him any permanent damage. It's just as if he spend an hour out in the cold weather. He's wearing a fur coat, remember?

Answer 10

Everyone is answering the same way I would, I was told by my Vet to spray the cat with a water bottle it doesnt hurt them but they dont like it, My cat would try to climb out christmas tree and its very bad because of the electrial wires he would chew!! It worked well!

good luck