Yes, he is neutered. He is very happy in our home - he has a brother that he romps and plays with, and plenty of people who love him. He has lots of windows to look out. But if we're not paying close enough attention, he bolts out the door! He stays close...he doesn't usually go more than a house or two away. But he's a dark gray cat, and I'm afraid he'll get hit when he bolts out at night!
2007-01-23 07:16:09 · 12 answers · asked by Meg M 5 in Pets ➔ Cats
Oh, I can't keep a collar on him to save my life. So he's out there without his name tag, without MY name and address, and without proof of his rabies vaccination.
2007-01-23 07:18:00 · update #1
I have tried putting him in a harness to walk him. (I had a foster cat that we had to do this with.) He wouldn't have it. :(
I've tried both regular and break-away collars. I can't manage to keep EITHER on him. :(
2007-01-23 13:32:48 · update #2
First, I'd suggest that you get your cat injected with one of those ID implants if you are afraid that he is going to run off. Better safe than sorry.
Do you have a yard? If so, you might try creating an enclosure so that the can't get out of the yard.
2007-01-23 07:20:22 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
I have had this problem. First of all, NEVER hit your cat the way someone above me said :( . Cats do not respond to physical punishment the way dogs do, and will only learn to distrust anyone that hits them. You and all your household members need to get into the habit of looking out for the cat when you want to go through the door, maybe make a little "Look out for Cat" sign to put by the doorknob to remind everyone. Only open the door a little bit (the cat most definitely knows the sound of the door opening), and if the cat comes, hold out your foot or some other object to block him. This may take a little practice to get into the habit of, but over time you will get better at it, your reflexes will get faster, and it DOES work.
If you are having trouble keeping a collar on him, is it because the collar is one of those "safety" break-away kind? I do not buy those anymore because my cats kept losing them and I was spending a small fortune on collars and ID tags! I only buy the "old fashioned" buckle-style collars now, and have never had a cat lose one, nor have I ever had a cat strangle to death from getting it caught on something. While I'm sure that risk does exist, I'm convinced it is much smaller than the pet-care industry blows it up to be, and a large part of the "safety collar" hype is just a big gimmick to sell more collars! That is honestly what I think after buying them for years! Never again!
Anyway, try the foot-block-thing with opening up the door, eventually your cat should get used to losing the battle and will be easier to keep inside. I hope this has been helpful to you in some way.
2007-01-23 15:30:15 · answer #2 · answered by Nelly Wetmore 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
We have this problem with one of our cats he is fascinated with the outdoors we have taken him out on a cat harness, and he loved it but only made his escape attempts happen more. You could try getting a spray bottle and spray him with water when he tries this works best if you can get him when your coming in the door so he gets it in the face I know that sounds mean but if it comes from the door the he will come to associate the door with bad consequences. I put a collar on our escape artist with a tag with our address and Phone number on it, it's one of those ones that break-away if they get hooked or caught on something but if he won't wear a collar then I suggest that you get him micro chipped by your vet it's relatively painless for him and not really very expensive. And all animal shelters scan incoming animals and most people will take a found animal to a vet clinic or an animal shelter. Good-luck
P.S. His collar also has a bell on it that warns us if he is coming when we are going in or out of the door
2007-01-23 15:31:35 · answer #3 · answered by Katprsn 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
It is a natural instinct for a cat - I would get a collar with info on it just in case the cat gets out. We have had our cat for several years and at first also bolted outside but doesn't anymore. Watch closely when you open doors and if the cat is close move it somewhere else and it will learn not to be close to the door when it opens.
2007-01-23 15:21:24 · answer #4 · answered by mellen1978 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I had this same problem with my 4 month old kitten and I asked the same question on here. I got lots of responses, most of which were not real helpful or realistic. The best one, and the one that worked for me, was to leave a window open for him during the day. So I opened up my blinds, opened the window a little and he just loves to sit on the sill and look outside. When it's a little too cold, I turn the heater on auto while I'm at work, but he has completely stopped trying to run outside everytime the door gets opened!
2007-01-23 15:38:41 · answer #5 · answered by BimboBaggins 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I have chased my cat so many times. She tries to run out too. We got her a harness and a leash and we take her out on it and let her walk around the yard. (our yard has no fence and we are afraid a car will hit her) Yes we actully walk our cat on a leash like people walk dogs. The leash is for cats, so I guess we are not the only ones who do this.
2007-01-23 15:32:32 · answer #6 · answered by ? 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
I have the same problem with my pussy running amok in the neighborhood. Here is what I did, I put a little bell on her collar and also have a storm door installed.
My pussy never gets out anymore.
2007-01-23 15:29:41 · answer #7 · answered by chad_zortman 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
smack him when he tries to go out. not too hard, but he'll get the idea eventually. short of that, he'll do it anyways. my cats do the same thing all the time and they're always fine. they know where home is, just like your cat. i don't think you need to worry about the spca, have you ever tried to catch a cat? it's much harder than catching a dog.
and cats DO respond the way dogs to a smack. if your cat scratches you or bites you for no reason aren't you gonna smack it? eventually it'll learn not to, same as anything else. i'm not saying to do it hard, only hard enough to get the message across.
2007-01-23 15:26:47 · answer #8 · answered by c4n7_b3_ur_5up3rm4n 2 · 0⤊ 2⤋
As horrible as this sounds, I dont think there is anything you can do to keep him in. You have just got to trust his insticts on the roads and keep his homelife happy. I have 4 cats of my own, and one of them is out for about 22 hours a day!!!! He only comes back to have food and a cuddle, then off he goes again.
2007-01-23 15:20:28 · answer #9 · answered by littlekitty 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
take him to the vet and get him an chip or and ID implant...they only cost like 10 dls i think
2007-01-23 15:26:08 · answer #10 · answered by OutlawLady 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋