My gosh, last night I was trying to go to sleep and I hear this sound like someone jiggling the front door handle, and I walk out and there is my Sammy with his paws on the handle trying to TURN IT. I knew he was smart but this scared me. OF course he can't. But my gosh he knows that is what does it.
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He was trying to move the door handle!
- Thread starter marge
- Start Date
I have had cats who could open doors, either by turning a knob or jumping and hanging on a handle, especially if the fastenings were old and loose. Don't under-estimate him!
Pixie knows how to open doorknobs. I didn't realize this until I came home from work one day, probably about a week and a half after I got Milo, and saw Milo running to the door to greet me. Keep in mind I had closed him in the bathroom with the door closed securely as I did not trust them alone together. I guess she got sick of his whining and let him out.
She was also able to open up my old roommate's zip up soft cat carrier, get the other cat out of it, get herself in, and even zip it a little bit.
It's amazing what they can do when they want to!!
She was also able to open up my old roommate's zip up soft cat carrier, get the other cat out of it, get herself in, and even zip it a little bit.
It's amazing what they can do when they want to!!
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #4
I have a door-opening cat!!!! Hammie, the "monster" of my household.
He knows how to open doorknobs, kid you not. He learnt it a few months ago. Normally my boys follow me into the bathroom for the morning routine; well a few of those mornings Hammie won't be there and will bang at the door til I let him in. Once I didn't get to him in time and the booger opened the door on his own!
I watch him, he grabs the knob with his paws. I've seen him do it on other bathroom doors (I have to lock him up alone to eat, cuz he scarfs & then moves onto the other cat's plates).
ANYWAY; now he is staring intently at the FRONT door to my house. I always, always, always keep my front door locked anyway due to all the freaks in this world, but especially since I have a cat who knows how to open doors.
I also have a cat who turns off lightswitches. Snickers... he has done this forever... sits on the bathroom vanity, and if you touch the switch on the wall? He'll reach up with his furry paws and turn the light off!!!
He knows how to open doorknobs, kid you not. He learnt it a few months ago. Normally my boys follow me into the bathroom for the morning routine; well a few of those mornings Hammie won't be there and will bang at the door til I let him in. Once I didn't get to him in time and the booger opened the door on his own!
I watch him, he grabs the knob with his paws. I've seen him do it on other bathroom doors (I have to lock him up alone to eat, cuz he scarfs & then moves onto the other cat's plates).
ANYWAY; now he is staring intently at the FRONT door to my house. I always, always, always keep my front door locked anyway due to all the freaks in this world, but especially since I have a cat who knows how to open doors.
I also have a cat who turns off lightswitches. Snickers... he has done this forever... sits on the bathroom vanity, and if you touch the switch on the wall? He'll reach up with his furry paws and turn the light off!!!
Nano can open doors. She reaches up fully stretch, puts her front paws on the handle and then does a twisting fall to pull it ajar. Then she uses her paws and head to pull it all the way open.
Nano can also close doors. She nudges it with her head until it is only opened a crack, then stands up and leans on it to push it closed.
I have seen her do each at least three times so it isn't a fluke. But it only works on the two doors that are part of the bathroom-bedroom-hallway area. She can't manage to open the front door that goes outside...yet!
Nano doesn't bother with lightswitches, but she has been known to delete my answering machine messages.
Nano can also close doors. She nudges it with her head until it is only opened a crack, then stands up and leans on it to push it closed.
I have seen her do each at least three times so it isn't a fluke. But it only works on the two doors that are part of the bathroom-bedroom-hallway area. She can't manage to open the front door that goes outside...yet!
Nano doesn't bother with lightswitches, but she has been known to delete my answering machine messages.
Cats can learn how to turn door handles. It's pretty amazing when you think about it.
Limerick had learned if he runs and jumps at the door hard enough, he can open my bedroom door. The funny thing is he tried it at my house too. Well it didn't work. My mom and my sister found him spread eagle, standing on his hind legs with paws on the door, looking very confused.
Limerick had learned if he runs and jumps at the door hard enough, he can open my bedroom door. The funny thing is he tried it at my house too. Well it didn't work. My mom and my sister found him spread eagle, standing on his hind legs with paws on the door, looking very confused.
LOLing at Heidi...except now, when I think about it, Simon helps me steer the car. He likes to sit on my lap, harness looped through the seatbelt of course, and will put his paws on the steering wheel of the car as we're driving. He has been eye-ing the shift stick, too...
Hrm....
Best-
Michele
Hrm....
Best-
Michele
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #10
If I were either of you, I wouldn't leave the keys laying around.
My Sammy was scratching the bedroom door at night and trying to get the door open by bumping up hard against it. Then it sounded like he was jumping up for the knob trying to open it. At first, I didn't let him in there at night because of my houses plants.
He was so insistent and trying so hard to get in, I put my plants in the closet and shut the door, and started letting him sleep in there. Last night and this morning, he was trying to get the closeet dooe open, which is a wooden door on an overhead track. Cats are really smart. THey can figure out things by themselves.
He was so insistent and trying so hard to get in, I put my plants in the closet and shut the door, and started letting him sleep in there. Last night and this morning, he was trying to get the closeet dooe open, which is a wooden door on an overhead track. Cats are really smart. THey can figure out things by themselves.
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They are pretty smart! You'd better hide those car keys!
Mr Underfoot does that too - when I moved in and confined them to a 'cat room' while they adjusted to DH's cat, I had to choose the room with a super-stiff doorknob that was even hard for me to turn, to keep him from opening the door and getting out. He spent hours trying to turn that knob, and pulling on the door from the bottom.
When I was a kid we lived in an older house with really loose door latches, and we had to keep the doors that went outside locked to keep our cat Clarence in - he was a champion door-opener.
My Oliver is tall enough and smart enough to open doors, turn on faucets, and all other fun kinds of things...those little brains of theirs are always working overtime!
I wish I had better doorknobs where I live. My cats stand on their hind legs and push the doors open, but the knobs are too high and too hard to turn for my boy Elliot. He's declawed too, if he wasnt he could probably open doors. My kitten picked up the door pushing behavior from him but she isnt as smart has him and shows no wanting to turn handles. I think its a cute trick ^_^
If Tailer can get a grip on a door knob, he can turn it. He especially loves the lever-like handles. He's also quite adept at opening screen doors, and he's taught Harvey how to do it.
Forest's disability won't allow him to get up high enough to get at the door handle, so he stands at the door and knocks instead.
Forest's disability won't allow him to get up high enough to get at the door handle, so he stands at the door and knocks instead.
We have a cat with extra toes and I had to change the door knobs because of this issue. lol
Sammy! While I was reading this, I saw Jamie out of the corner of my eye, stretching upward to reach the handle on the door to the cellar (which was locked). Handles, switches, buttons, knobs, and levers are no match for a determined cat. It's fun to watch the DVD player open and close, etc.!
My theory: Kittens learn how to use the litter box and what foods to eat by watching their mothers, so cats learn how to open doors, etc., by watching their human parents.
If you don't already have one, a deadbolt, hook and eye, or a sliding bolt placed up high will help to keep him inside while you're home and don't have the door double-locked.
A lot of dogs do it, too. We had one dog that even managed to get the locked fire door in the cellar open - he'd throw himself against it until the lock mechanism "snapped open".
Watch your fridge & freezer. One of my sister's cats opens the fridge, and Jamie got our new freezer open a few times - we had to have a child-proof handle with a key put on it last week. The guy who came out to do it asked right away if we had a cat, too, so there are other "cat burglars" out there.
My theory: Kittens learn how to use the litter box and what foods to eat by watching their mothers, so cats learn how to open doors, etc., by watching their human parents.
If you don't already have one, a deadbolt, hook and eye, or a sliding bolt placed up high will help to keep him inside while you're home and don't have the door double-locked.
A lot of dogs do it, too. We had one dog that even managed to get the locked fire door in the cellar open - he'd throw himself against it until the lock mechanism "snapped open".
Watch your fridge & freezer. One of my sister's cats opens the fridge, and Jamie got our new freezer open a few times - we had to have a child-proof handle with a key put on it last week. The guy who came out to do it asked right away if we had a cat, too, so there are other "cat burglars" out there.
Both my cats open doors, thank goodness they can't turn the lock yet!
The thing that really cracks me up is when Max wants to play and we are asleep, he'll come into our room and turn on the light.
The first time he ever turned on the light was hilarious because it was 3am and I yelled at my husband "why did you turn on the light!" and he turned to me and said "I didn't turn on the light, I thought you did!" We both jumped out of bed thinking maybe someone broke into our house and all of a sudden the light goes off and we look over at the lightswitch just in time to see Max jumping up and down, trying to turn it back on.
Now whenever he does it we take turns getting up in the middle of the night to turn it back off.
That's so funny! We have a floor lamp with a switch you operate with your foot. Jamie will wait until one of us is reading, and then turn the lamp off. The first two or three times he did it, we thought he'd "accidentally" walked over it, but now we know better!Originally Posted by TigerAmy
Both my cats open doors, thank goodness they can't turn the lock yet!
The thing that really cracks me up is when Max wants to play and we are asleep, he'll come into our room and turn on the light.
The first time he ever turned on the light was hilarious because it was 3am and I yelled at my husband "why did you turn on the light!" and he turned to me and said "I didn't turn on the light, I thought you did!" We both jumped out of bed thinking maybe someone broke into our house and all of a sudden the light goes off and we look over at the lightswitch just in time to see Max jumping up and down, trying to turn it back on.
Now whenever he does it we take turns getting up in the middle of the night to turn it back off.
