never thought russian blues would really be this annoying

renovia

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oh my gosh, can anyone offer some insight:

I knew when I read about RBs that they could teach themselves to open doors......I figured, sure whatever, not for every cat....

Well, Stoli has taught himself to open every, I mean EVERY cabinet door. We've tried regular tape. Electrical tape, multiple PIECES of electrical tape. The child locks on the inside, magnets holding the doors closed, AND chairs against the doors.

He can open anything. And when he slides the OAK chairs away - he opens the cabinets just a little then BANGS the dang door until someone comes and gets him. I can't think of ANYTHING else to keep him out of my cabinets. He only does it to get attention - and believe me he gets PLENTY. Ask anyone, he's my baby and I pay a lot of attention to him.

Here's my kitchen........


notice the tape AND the chairs. i have to do this every night or i'll get no sleep.



and here they are, acting all innocent before i go to bed.
 

coaster

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So even the magnetic latches and the child locks didn't work? Wow!!
the magnetic latches worked quite well for me. I guess you just have to be sorta proud of such a smart and resourceful cat, don't you?


Here's something you might try since you say he's just doing it to get attention: just totally ignore him when he does it. It's been a reinforced behavior for quite a while now, so you won't see any results for a while, if it works at all. He's probably smart enough to figure that out, too. But sometimes when cats do something just for attention, and if they don't get that attention, they'll stop doing it.

Combination locks next?


BTW, they're both gorgeous cats!!
 

taterbug

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Pfffft!!!! Innocent my foot!!
Just look at those eyes and those little faces....you can almost hear them saying "just wait till she gets to sleep!"
You know you would be bored to death without their antics!!
 

pami

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Awwwww my Kiko does this for himself and the rest of the gang to go through the cabinets. I just make sure there is nothing in the cabinets that could hurt them and let them have at it.

At first he would do it nightly, now it happens once every 6 months. You walk into the kitchen and all the doors are open bottom and top


Either child safety locks or let them.
 

carolpetunia

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Oh my gosh, what gorgeous kitties! And yes, there's a sense in which you have to admire the little fella, isn't there?


If magnets didn't work, this probably won't either -- but we use a patch of velcro to create enough resistance that our kitties, at least, are stymied. Yours maybe, not so much...
 

laureen227

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i have the child locks that go on the inside of the cabinets - mine haven't figured them out yet. i installed them at the top edge, as well.
 
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renovia

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Originally Posted by coaster

So even the magnetic latches and the child locks didn't work? Wow!!
the magnetic latches worked quite well for me. I guess you just have to be sorta proud of such a smart and resourceful cat, don't you?


Here's something you might try since you say he's just doing it to get attention: just totally ignore him when he does it. It's been a reinforced behavior for quite a while now, so you won't see any results for a while, if it works at all. He's probably smart enough to figure that out, too. But sometimes when cats do something just for attention, and if they don't get that attention, they'll stop doing it.

Combination locks next?


BTW, they're both gorgeous cats!!
i know i should totally ignore him, it's SO hard though. The banging is like this:

B-B-Bang BBang Bang Bang Bang Bang? Bang?

And once he's in the cabinets he tries to munch on carbs and get behind glasses. I'm outta room so I don't know where else to put stuff.

Originally Posted by CarolPetunia

Oh my gosh, what gorgeous kitties! And yes, there's a sense in which you have to admire the little fella, isn't there?


If magnets didn't work, this probably won't either -- but we use a patch of velcro to create enough resistance that our kitties, at least, are stymied. Yours maybe, not so much...
hmmm, maybe there is a place to put some velcro that will provide him with the most resistance? But won't I have to replace it after all the opening and closing on a daily basis?
 

epona

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Radar's the same, he only goes in them if he thinks he can get plastic bags to shred though. Thought once that we'd managed to put the roll of bin-liners somewhere he couldn't get to and still found him an hour later lying on the opened out roll with bits of black plastic all over his face and whiskers. Then comes the 'bin liner jigsaw' where we have to put all the bits back together to check that he hasn't eaten any. That cat is a menace
 

goldenkitty45

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Charlie figured out how to open (by standing up and accidently having his paws on the top of the door) the one we keep our pots/pans in.

The double doors - can you tie some string between them? Not sure what to suggest on the single doors.
 

coaster

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I laughed at your description of the door banging.
Yes, I know it's frustrating; I know because Rocket does that, too, and when he doesn't get any attention he gets bored with it and stops after a while. Felt pads on the inside lip muffle the banging somewhat, and doors with properly-adjusted magnetic latches can't be bounce-banged. I haven't tried the velcro--that sounds like a really good idea--that should prevent or cut down on the banging, too.
 

littleraven7726

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Originally Posted by Renovia

B-B-Bang BBang Bang Bang Bang Bang? Bang?
I'm sorry I can't help it. At least I'm not alone...

Nabu is a notorious cupboard opener and banger.

Here's what we've tried:
The kiddy locks that go inside the cabinet. Nabu figured out how to open them and get locked in.

We also tried the Gerber Drawer latch but for cabinets. Same problem.
We ended up getting loop latches and the ones we have now are Safety First brand, that look like a figure eight. Here is what they look like. These work the best. We have also used this style with some success.

I have also put those little felt things you can buy for the bottom of chairs and tables on both sides of the cabinet door (just in one spot), and that has helped muffle the banging. Since we live in an apartment I didn't want the neighbor's complaining about my cat who is absolutely crazy.


Also, we have to make sure the cabinets are ALWAYS locked. He checks them every day. Yep, goes around and pulls on them to see if they are locked.
He's nuts.
 
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renovia

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gosh, i may have to resort to this anti-aesthetic approach huh???? grrrrrrrrrr
 

jcat

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This only works with double cabinets, and is inconvenient for you, too, but it helps. Try letting the doors to the cabinets hang crookedly, so that they actually stick/scrape when you open them. We've been told by a number of guests that we can align our cabinet doors by adjusting the tiny screws inside, and they think we're nuts when we say they're deliberately unaligned to discourage the cat from rummaging.

Wait till he starts opening the fridge or freezer.
 
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renovia

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Originally Posted by jcat

This only works with double cabinets, and is inconvenient for you, too, but it helps. Try letting the doors to the cabinets hang crookedly, so that they actually stick/scrape when you open them. We've been told by a number of guests that we can align our cabinet doors by adjusting the tiny screws inside, and they think we're nuts when we say they're deliberately unaligned to discourage the cat from rummaging.

Wait till he starts opening the fridge or freezer.
i'll talk to hubby about that one......
oh boy. not looking forward to checking the fridge/freezer everyday
 

coaster

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Originally Posted by Renovia

gosh, i may have to resort to this anti-aesthetic approach huh????
But that's life with cats, isn't it?


Feline aesthetics more than makes up for cabinet work.
 
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