Indoor cat wants to go outside and is driving me crazy! What do I do?

Question

My cat is an indoor cat but lately he is trying to become an outdoor cat. He sits by the door and howls VERY loudly or will wait until someone opens the door and he'll dash outside. When I call him he won't come back until 5 am and he's outside howling again and meowing like crazy until we let him in to feed him. It's driving me and probably our neighbors nuts!! How can I stop this behavior? He is not allowed in certain rooms of the house and will also sit outside those rooms and claw up the carpet! Do you think he could have some type of mental disorder? This is a serious question!

Oops I forgot to add that he is neutered. He's almost 4 years old and has been neutered since I got him. This was never a problem before but in the last few months he's become intolerable and gets out every chance he gets, then demands to be let in whenever he feels like it...usually at some ungodly hour of the morning.

Also, it's not really an area where I would feel comfortable letting him roam around and be an "outside cat". It's a gated community and I have a pretty strong feeling that our association would not complain and then probably call animal rescue, I am not trying to be cruel by keeping him inside. I just don't want to risk him getting sent back to the pound!

Answer 1

My cats all do the same thing. Once they get a taste of the outdoors they don't want to be inside. I live in an area where things like wolves and fox will eat them, so I insist they be inside cats. Here are some things you can do.

Walk your cat on a leash once a day. It doesn't take them long to learn, and then they will only meow at the door at leash time.

Screen in a porch area. Mine sit on the porch all day and watch the bird feeders.

I've seen cat tunnels for sale, which are just screened in tubes like a baby playpen that you put in the yard.

You could also build a slide-out box (like a window air conditioner) that sits in the widow and has screens on it.

Sunlight and fresh air are important to cat health, but running loose is not a good option. I hope that helps.

Answer 2

It's normal - your cat has learned that howling/dashing works, so he keeps doing it.

Patience is the key to making him stop - you and your whole family must be 100% consistent in ignoring him and making sure that he doesn't get out by dashing. Each time he succeeds in getting out, it will probably encourage him to keep doing it for a few more months.

You can put down carpet runners topped with double sided tape to protect the carpet. The sticky tape is unpleasant to him and he will eventually stop doing it because the reward (getting into the room) is now replaced with something yucky (sticky paws). After he stops doing it for a few months, and has had time to forget the habit of clawing at doors, you can remove the runner/tape setup.

Cats are also very situational - chances are if you shut him in a different room, or deny him access to the front door, he will not think to howl.

You could designate a 'quiet room' in which to shut him when he misbehaves. The first few times he is shut in there, you MUST NOT let him out if he is misbehaving in any manner (howling, scratching, etc.) so that he learns that none of these things work.

The first time is the most important - this is why most cats, including some very vocal ones - don't make any sound when they're shut in closets/drawers. The first time cats get shut in closets/drawers, they generally get stuck in there for a few hours, and by the time they are discovered, they've stopped meowing/clawing. So they learn that meowing and clawing don't work, but waiting quietly does, and that's what they do...

Answer 3

I am a new owner of a cat he is doing the same thing, weather is changing and he is hearing some birds outside, the only thing I do is keep a spray water handy in hopes that he will think twice about getting past my feet. My best answer is talking to a Cat Clinic and explain this situation, if you want your cat to be an indoor cat , declawing the front paws will help for exploring the house instead of being tied down to an area which cats do not like at all but if the cat goes out being declawed they are in extreme danger!

Answer 4

Ohhhh nooo... beleive me, I completely understand and sympathize with what you are going through with your kitty right now. I had the same problem a few months ago after we moved to a new place. I tried to discipline my cat with time outs in the carrier, squirted, etc.... some methods worked for a day, but then the cat will be back at the door several days later. This is what worked: arrange for a freind of yours to come to your front door (or whichever door the cat tend to want to dash out from) with something that wil make a horrific noise. Tell him that as soon as you open the door just a bit, to immediately make as much horrific noise as he can manage (the cat must not see him!). It will be great if you can manage it so that your cat actually follows you to the door waiting for you to open it. Of course, when you do (open just a bit), your freind should immediately get to business. The noise will starte and offend your cat (but not hurt him) and he'll dash to his neares "safe place." Do this a few times with the same noise results. After a while, your cat will associate that door with a "TERRIBLE EXPERIENCE" and hence avoid it. ----- worked for my cat like a dream.

Answer 5

My cats are doing the same thing. I don't know what the deal is. I have a female cat & a male cat and they aren't allowed outside. But ever since we moved in this house about a week ago. They sit at the door and meow and cry. And the minute you open the door they jet outside. I think it has to do with it being nicer outside and maybe some other cats are in heat or whatever in the neighborhood. And some cats are really attention wanters. If they aren't allowed in a room, they will try to get "back" at you or whatever. So they will sit outside of the rooms. What I do with mine is just swat them once, not hard. Just enough to get their attention and they will learn sooner or later to quit it.

Answer 6

This may sound mean but has worked on all of my cats. I will leave the door open a crack and sit outside out of site with a spray bottle filled with water. As soon as my cat looks out the door or steps out the door I spray them with water until they turn around and run inside. I know it sounds heartless but it is better than never seeing them again, killed by car, attacked by other animals, etc etc...... Now my cats will stand near the door when open but not go out.


P.S. For all you who let your cats roam the neighborhood, I hope you follow along and pick up all the crap. My neighbor's cat constantly goes in my yard and I'm stick of stepping in it while I mow the lawn.

Answer 7

what do you mean mental disorder? hes a CAT. not only do all cats want to go out they prefer to go out at night and prowl. you say hes an indoor cat yet there is rooms hes not allowed in. if you keep him in at all times and hes not allowed in some of the rooms then you are forcing him to live in a very small world. cats do not do well under those conditions. if you cant make his life better then that maybe you should think about let him go to a better home. some people just are not cat people maybe your one of those people.

Answer 8

No mental disorder, it's natural for him to want to go outside, even if he is neutered. My 7 year old spayed female likes to go outside, my same aged neutered male hates it. I don't agree with letting cats out on their own, there are too many dangers, not only other animals or cars, but someone might mistake him for a stray and do something about it (whether it be SPCA or something far worse). Especially with a cat who trusts humans...

As I said, my female likes to go outside. Where we live right now she can go on the balcony and be safe. All she needs is a few minutes and she's satisfied. When we lived in a house I would take her for walks in the backyard on a leash, they have harnesses for cats. She would sniff the grass, enjoy the breeze and roll around in the dirt, it had nothing to do with wanting to aquaint herself with other cats, lol. It takes some getting used to for them, but they soon realize, like dogs, that the harness means they get to go outside so they're much more agreeable. My cousin's cat likes to spend hours outside on her harness tied like a dog.

If you do decide to take your little guy out, remember to give him a flea treatment like Advantage first.

Answer 9

You could leash train your cat, and take him for a "walk" every day. There are websites on how to do this, and it basically just involves slowly getting your cat used to a harness and leash. This may satisfy his need to go outside and keep him protected at the same time. I asked a question about leash training a cat on here, and got many positive responses from people who's cats love it!

Answer 10

Get a VERY LARGE dog pin,the wire kind. Take out the bottom pan. Put it in the yard somewhere in a nice place with water bottle attached.Put your cat out there every day for a few hours. If its big enough,he will have a blast...and it will solve your problem...