Will he become a door diver if we take him out on a leash?

We have an indoor cat and we'd like to be able to take him out in a harness on a leash so he can sit outside with us when we're hanging out outside but we're concerned that once he gets a flavor of what it's like to be outside that he'll try to get out when we don't want him to. We don't want to regret taking him outside with us. He's not a door diver at all now. We do realize that if we take him outside that we'll have to start using Frontline on him so he doesn't pick up ticks or flees.

Its a 50/50 chance - not one that I want. Took us awhile to keep Ling from trying to door dive. She still does once in a while and we have to grab her quick. She was kept inside the house from 5 weeks old - but she was a barn kitten.

Charlie got curious a few times, but we now keep an eye on both of them just in case. If we have to bring in a lot of food at one time, we lock the cats up in the library till its all in.

I used to take my Shinobi for walks outside, since she was once a stray and she loved to eat the grass. Especially in spring she's dying to go outside. And when I moved to an apartment sometimes I'd let her out in the hall. Now I live in a house, and I am NOT taking her out, because I'm nto sure if I could catch her once she got out.

I kindof think she was always a bit of a door diver (she always wants to explore everything) but it would get worse after I took her out. I always tried to be extra sure that I carried her in and out, so she got the idea that this was a "when I said so" type of activity. (It didn't really sink in, not gonna lie.)

One time my boyfriend was staying with them while I was out of town, he signed for a delivery, went to eat his dinner and 10 minutes later someone knocked on the door, Shinobi in hand. Sigh.

I used to take Leopold out on a harness and leash. It went pretty well the first few times, but then he started trying very hard to get away from me...my patience for the "training" process was low. I gave up the idea, but to this day he is still a door diver. I can't recall how he acted before the harness trials, though.

Sounds like we shouldn't screw up a good thing. He's not a door diver now and I sure don't want to give him reason to become one. I'm very careful not to let anyone hold the door open more than just to step in and out. I put him in the bedroom if we're doing anything that needs the door open for more than that. He was really intrigued with outside yesterday when we finally were able to open our windows to air out the house. He went from window to window sitting in all of them.

I take Nikita out on a leash and don't have problems with her door diving. What does the trick is to take her outside in a cat carrier.

So basically in her head going outside means having a harness put on and going into her cat carrier. She's figured out that the door leads outside though but she's more likely to dash madly into her carrier whenever I walk past it when she wants to go out. This also makes trips to the vet easier because she's used to her carrier and goes willingly into it.

If you really want to take your cat out why don't you try putting the harness on and then putting the cat in the carrier, covering the carrier and then when you are side where you want to walk him open up the carrier and leash him. I haven't done this just for the simple fact that I have two cats so two carriers and leashes would be a bit much (I don't dare take either one out without the other, the fighting/competition in my home would be unbearable). Maybe that would prevent them from associating the door with outside (and hopefully make it easier to get him in his carrier, mine sleep in theirs so they have no problem going into the carrier).

I was worried about this too before I took my cats out, wold wonder if they would become "addicted" to the outdoors. Here is what I did, and it works for me. I make the leash the sign they can go out, I shake it, and it jingles and then put it on them and take them out.

If I grab the leash now, they go crazy and know they are going out but they do not sit by the door and whine all the time. If I open the screen door they might meow to go out but they won't whine a long time. If I grab the leash by mistake, look out!! LOL I find that they can associate that sound to being able to go outside.

Originally Posted by Siggav

I take Nikita out on a leash and don't have problems with her door diving. What does the trick is to take her outside in a cat carrier.

So basically in her head going outside means having a harness put on and going into her cat carrier. She's figured out that the door leads outside though but she's more likely to dash madly into her carrier whenever I walk past it when she wants to go out. This also makes trips to the vet easier because she's used to her carrier and goes willingly into it.

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What a great idea

Originally Posted by Siggav

I take Nikita out on a leash and don't have problems with her door diving. What does the trick is to take her outside in a cat carrier.

So basically in her head going outside means having a harness put on and going into her cat carrier. She's figured out that the door leads outside though but she's more likely to dash madly into her carrier whenever I walk past it when she wants to go out. This also makes trips to the vet easier because she's used to her carrier and goes willingly into it.

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That's a great idea! I wouldn't have thought to do that.

Do any of you that take your cats outside on a leash use Frontline for ticks and fleas or don't you have a problem with that?

I did the same thing with my cat who was an indoor cat. Be careful!

When we forst took her out, she was on a leash. We live in a small condo complex. Now, especially this time of year she wants out. She is always at the door when i am coming in, trying to sneak out. Thankfully she does not wander far when i do let her out. She just likes to smell the plants and what not. I think once they have a taste of it, they want it. She was very scared at first but seems to be ok with it.

Only 2 of mine like going out on harness. I keep them by the door, and take them off as soon as we come inside.

They run away from the open door when they don't have harnesses on.