I have a door bolter

Ripley is the best cat, but he has one flaw. He wants to go outside REALLY badly. He tends to hang around the door when you are going out and I am afraid he is going to try to get out, especially with the kids running in and out. Any suggestions for keeping him safe and sound?

I plan on training him on a harness so he can go out with us, but in the meantime, I"d hate for him to get out and get lost. Thanks!

One of mine, when she was younger, was a door bolter. I harness & leash trained her and made sure she had a visible ID tag, bright reflective harness, etc. Have you ever gone searching for a black cat outside at nearly midnight?!? NOT fun... Oh, long before that I made sure she was spayed.

Also had a spayed male cat who used to do the same thing, half the time Spike would get out and I'd notice him walking across the front lawn looking back over his shoulder every couple steps almost as if to say "Hey, isn't someone going to chase me down? I wanted to get some running in..."

So I suppose that's it-that's my suggestion for what its worth: spay/neuter, visible ID, reflective bits on harness, leash train if possible (some cats won't tolerate it) & bear in mind it may be a game of catch in your cat's mind...

mine does it too. the only thing that works is if i put some biscuits in her bowl to distract her just before i run out, or throw a toy a few feet away and make a mad dash for the door.

When training kittens we keep doggie choke chains looped on the doorknobs- both inside and outside. We throw a chain before opening a door and it startles them enough to make them permanantly door shy.