Escapee Cat

[lorie williams]

I am looking for any suggestions and help you may have. I have 5 beautiful rescue cats - all indoor cats except in the nicer weather we put them on a harness and they can go out with us and enjoy the weather. They love their harnesses and don't fight them. One of the cats is now about 9 months old, and he is "different" He will be a forever kitten and is very busy. He has characteristics of autism and ADD like a child. - Anyways, no matter where he is, he hears the door open and he tries to bolt. He doesn't look where he is going he just runs. We live in a fairly rural area but a busy corner. Normally he goes towards the back of the house where there are a couple cargo trailers and a tree, but has ran right towards the road. We also have coyotes in the area in back. My husband and I have to chase him until we get him cornered, then you pick him up and he is all purrs. My fear is that he will slip out and we won't see him, or we won't be able to catch him and something bad will happen. I don't know if he would know enough to come back to the door. Normally I will slip him in the bathroom if I have to carry anything outside but if we are going out, I can't leave him locked up. He is still very small and wiry and he is fast, he can slip out of a very little slip in the door. Suggestions on how to make it unattractive to him? The snow right now doesn't hinder him a bit!! But it makes me freeze to catch him.

 

[Brian007]

Things to try:

Rub lemon or citronella all over and around the door and floor. Also try chilli. Line the floor with aluminium foil, sharp pebbles, or something else he doesn't like underfoot. Find a noise he dislikes, like rattling nails or pennies in a tin can, and make the noise whenever he approaches the area. Squirt water at the door/his general direction when he goes towards it from a plant spray. Use the front door to access the back of your house.

All these ideas seem very mean but perhaps you must be cruel to be kind in extreme circumstances.
He sounds like a lovely character. I hope someone with some better ideas comes along....

 

[lorie williams]

I will try the lemon and citronella. Noises don't scare him at all, and he loves water - he jumps in the bathtub when I am in it! Our house is small so he can make it to the door in a split second.

 

[lorie williams]

He likes citrus.......

 

[Brian007]

I will try the lemon and citronella. Noises don't scare him at all, and he loves water - he jumps in the bathtub when I am in it! Our house is small so he can make it to the door in a split second.

He looks like Brian!

Orange juice is another thing to try if he's keen on citrus. And, it's sticky, which he might not like. You'll probably not like it much either, however.
He sounds like a right oddball, which is really rather fitting because Brian was just the same!

 

[carlypascoe66]

My cat is the same! He's always upto trying to escape my flat. And he likes citrus too lol

 

[Brian007]

I just had a somewhat awful, novel idea, and looked up motion detecting, ultra sonic cat repellents...

Cat Repellent & Cat Deterrent Ultimate Guide | The Scaredy Cat

You could place one facing your house, outside your door in the garden.

?

 

[susanm9006]

Do you have a screen or storm door in addition to your inside door? Having that second door allows you to sort of block the cat with doors as you work your way out. You can block the screen door opening with your body while you are shutting the inside door.

 

[lorie williams]

I just had a somewhat awful, novel idea, and looked up motion detecting, ultra sonic cat repellents...

Cat Repellent & Cat Deterrent Ultimate Guide | The Scaredy Cat

You could place one facing your house, outside your door in the garden.

?

I may have to look it up. He is quite a character and would hate to lose him - love the little bugger dearly. Any detrement by the door is useless, he flies out so fast. No screen door either.

 

[lorie williams]

Do you have a screen or storm door in addition to your inside door? Having that second door allows you to sort of block the cat with doors as you work your way out. You can block the screen door opening with your body while you are shutting the inside door.

I wish we did, but no.

 

[susanm9006]

Then how about adding a baby gate to the outside door frame. Easy to set up and take down if need be and you can always find them at garage sales. You can step over it but the cat would have to pause and jump giving you enough time to grab him.

 

[Minxrat]

My front room has the front door in it and it leads directly to the front garden/road and beyond is a busy road. My kittens know now that when I put shoes on, they sit and wait for treats. This took time and Milo at 5 months is still distracted.

Would he be persuaded to sit and eat a few treats whilst a door is being opened? Or slide a high piece of cardboard around you whilst opening the door so you can slide through whilst the cardboard blocks him? I face this problem but obviously your baby is special .

 

[lorie williams]

My other cats love their treats and also are good at the door. I have tried to block the door with a box or something as I leave, but he can still sometimes leap over, or squish thru the sides. I do pick him up, throw a toy and then give him a gentle toss towards it - and he falls for that some times. Oh yes, he is "special" - I should not have named him Woz, he lives up to it!

 

[Minxrat]

He's gorgeous!

Milo has taken to running to the window sill when I leave but he still looks majorly shocked to see me the other side of it

Poppy's a good girl, she just waits.

When I come home at night, I block their way with my handbag and make a big fuss of dropping it so it startles Milo a little bit and he runs back.

I read somewhere that if you have an escaped indoor cat, just put the litter tray outside as they can smell it from a long way away. Go figure