I really could use some help from you well-informed folks! We have 2 cats - Abbey (7) and Casey (nearly 3). They both sleep downstairs at night with both downstairs doors shut, and have always done so with no issues whatsoever. I work part time so M, T & W I'm up at 6:30, shower, dress and go down to sort out the cats. Thur- Sun I'm at home. Last week on Thursday we heard Casey banging around at the living room door for about 10 minutes then all of a sudden here come the pitter patter of little feet up the stairs. He had somehow figured out how to get the door handle down and the door opens IN, so it would have involved him managing to pull it. The next night we put a carpet protector mat down by that door with the little spikey things up (didn't phase him) and the next morning heard him digging away at the door again. A few moments of quiet, then we heard a rather loud thump and here he comes again. He'd gone to the laundry room door, must have jumped up to grab the handle and freedom! We now have both doors barricaded at night with boards, a garden trellis, the spikey mat, a laundry maiden and a clothes basket weighted down with a bag of cat litter! He's just started this and I'm wondering if in his little head he's used to me getting up at a certain time and figures something is wrong if I'm not. He always starts between 6:45 - 7:15. We prefer them downstairs at night because they jump on and off the bed, want to sit in the window, wrestle with each other and consider the stairs a playground to race up and down. Abbey pretty much ignores his antics and is happy to sleep in her little bed downstairs. Casey is a "mama's boy" and gets scared at anything and pretty much everything, so I can't get mad at him - we thought the first time the bin men had scared him and he was just trying to get to us to save him. I don't want this to become a habit with him but I don't have any more ideas. Can any of you help???
