kitten help- with doors.?

Question

our kitten is a feral cat who was domesticated and then adopted by my family. he now has the urge to go back outdoors and likes to try to get out the door when we put the dogs out. we want him to be a indoor cat as this is safer and better for his health. we need tips on how to train him to stay away from the doors so he won't try to go out them. can anyone help?

he is only 12 weeks old and is not trained yet. he barely knows his name and definitely doesn't come when called.

Answer 1

Pick him up when you open the door. Let the dogs out, shut the door, put him down. I do this with my sneaky Persian and he seems content to get a good look around outdoors from the safety of my arms while my dog goes potty.

Good for you for wanting to make this kitty an indoor cat - bravo! :)

Answer 2

have someone stand outside, and when the cat approaches, have them make a very loud noise. (or you could use water)

When I moved into a house with a garage, my cats wanted to explore the garage. I was in there one day and the cats tried to come in, so I shook a piece of metal, and the noise freaked the cats right out and they ran. I only had to do it twice, and now I can leave the door open when I bring groceries in and out and not worry about locking a cat in the garage when I'm done.

making an off limits area unattractive to a cat, makes it the cat's idea not to go there, and you'll have more luck ensuring that it happens.

Answer 3

Some kitties try all their lives to go outside. But since your kitten is so young, you just have to keep trying to keep him indoors. The chances are good he'll get used to it in time.

I do have one suggestion: Have him neutered when he's about 6 months old. That will, among other things, curb his urge to roam.

Good luck!