How bad do cats want to get outside?

I'm currently freaking out haha.

I have been living in an apartment building with my 2 cats. If they were to ever get out the door, it would only be to the hallway, which was never a big deal, however they always seemed curious about what was out there when I walked in.

Now, I'm moving to a house, and outside the door is an alley. I'm also going to have a roomate who will be entering the door with a bicycle every night. I trust that when I come in I can keep the cats inside. They generally dont try and get out anyway, but I always push them back with my foot just in case.

My current worry is that my friend upon entering with his bike will have the door open too long and that they'll try and sneak out. He knows I'll flip out if they get out, and says it'll be fine...but I can't help but think that they really want out due to curiosity...

I'm getting them microchipped this weekend just in case, but otherwise I'm still a nervous wreck. I know every cat is different, but should I be as worried as I am? Do cats really long to be outdoors?

thanks.

Well kind of depends on the cats also have they ever been outside before? My cats havent so even though they stick there heads out to check it out never had one try to run out the door. But once we had a cat we got from a farm and it would run out the door any chance he had. Also I dont know if your have been fixed or not but if not you should do that right away.

My two have been indoors from being kittens, but if i have to go outside for something my eyes are everywhere to see where they are because they will follow me, but i think it's just curiosity with them because i've had them in a harness a couple of times, and the slightest noise they go running back inside and were only about 2' from the door.

My two are chipped also, but i'd be a basketcase if they ever got out

It really depends on the cat. I've known escape artists that can slip out through a tiny crack in the blink of an eye... and then there are cats that aren't that interested. My current cat will sit in the doorway for a half hour before getting up the courage to venture farther... he's not going anywhere at high speed.

My cats don't know that there's anything outside for them to want to get too. They also know they get shooed away if they come near the door while we're going through it. So they don't go near.

I do recommend getting collars and tags for them as well as the microchips you're already doing. The average citizen doesn't have a reader and won't always think to have someone check if they want to keep that cute stray they found.

Luckily my cats have a whole entire enclosed yard that is 1 acre to roam on. And they have access to inside the house (Any room but the living room, which is a no pet zone) and their room (the largest room in the house). But our cat Manson RAN out the front door, infront of a car where she was instantly killed. That was about 4 months ago, and Its still hard to deal with. It was so fast..

some want out, some don't.
I've known many kitties that have been indoor only from day one, and they dont have a desire to get out there...although they enjoy dilly dallying on the sill and watching the action out there.

my rescue had "been there, done that" from her abandonment and stray days...she has zero desire to return out there again.

In your situation, I would definately explain to your roommate firmly why they cannot get out. If you have a possible darter - I leave a flattened cardboard box by the door, and use it to "block" when I open the door. I pet sit, and some are quite slippery in their wants to get out. As a precaution, I plan on their possible escape with the box, even if they generally dont try to make a run for it.

Mine like to sit at the door and will look outside, but the few occasions that they have got out they have froze in fright and just stayed by the door - we live in an apartment now and Magnum is obsessed with going into the hallway (a woman down the hall lets her cute furbaby wonder the halls and Mags seems quite interested in her ) but he is scared of the outside world still.

If you are worried, is there any way you can keep the cats out of that area, is it like a common hallway type area or directly into a room you can keep them out of? A friend of mine enters through her kitchen and just keeps a babygate at the kitchen door into the rest of the house because her's always try to get out

Of course do everything you can to keep them inside. But as long as they are spayed or neutered you can always just go get them when they run out. Of course if they catch on or have never been out before, they might take off. But we can't really say how badly cats want out. It is completely, entirely, 100% different for each individual cat.

My 2 cats have no desire to be outside- Viola has never been outside except in her carrier. She sits on the windowsill and watches the birds but is scared in the hallway of my apt. bldg. Natasha accidently got outside when her carrier fell apart (long story- a nightmare) and was just terrified. She was an outdoor rescue, she knows she has it good.