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June 22, 2010 9:24 PM Subscribe
How can I stop my cats from dashing out of my apartment whenever I open the door?
I just moved to a new apartment last week from the top unit in a duplex. Previously, my place was large enough that I could usually distract or sneak by my cats (obligatory photo) when I wanted to leave. Now, however, I only have a couple rooms, and while I've made sure my guys have lots of toys and plenty of things to scratch and/or nap on, they seem intent on playing Steve McQueen and escaping into the hallway whenever I open the door.
Just tonight, for example, my arms full of groceries, I unlocked my front door and had the two of them bolt immediately. Of course, one ran up to the next floor and the other ran down to the ground floor. I was able to get the two of them back into the apartment within about a minute, but it was 11 PM and things were relatively quiet. I don't want to imagine one of them sneaking into somebody else's apartment or slipping out the front door.
Is there some way I could train them to not just bolt? I can think of ways of keeping them away from the front door as I'm leaving, but what can I do when I'm coming back, short of enclosing them in the bedroom whenever I leave (which I would hate to do)? Has any cat owner had success in this area?
I just moved to a new apartment last week from the top unit in a duplex. Previously, my place was large enough that I could usually distract or sneak by my cats (obligatory photo) when I wanted to leave. Now, however, I only have a couple rooms, and while I've made sure my guys have lots of toys and plenty of things to scratch and/or nap on, they seem intent on playing Steve McQueen and escaping into the hallway whenever I open the door.
Just tonight, for example, my arms full of groceries, I unlocked my front door and had the two of them bolt immediately. Of course, one ran up to the next floor and the other ran down to the ground floor. I was able to get the two of them back into the apartment within about a minute, but it was 11 PM and things were relatively quiet. I don't want to imagine one of them sneaking into somebody else's apartment or slipping out the front door.
Is there some way I could train them to not just bolt? I can think of ways of keeping them away from the front door as I'm leaving, but what can I do when I'm coming back, short of enclosing them in the bedroom whenever I leave (which I would hate to do)? Has any cat owner had success in this area?
I had this problem when my cats were young. I started keeping a squirt bottle and a shaker can (an empty can with some pennies and pebbles inside, taped shut) outside the front door. Open the door a crack, and as soon as you see a kitty, either squirt with the squirt bottle or throw the shaker can at the doorway. (Not at the kitty! Just near enough to make a terrifying noise.)
A few rounds of this is usually enough to give them pause. From that point on, you just need to be vigilant for a little while, and fast with the squirt bottle. Eventually they'll back off.
posted by ErikaB at 9:29 PM on June 22, 2010
A few rounds of this is usually enough to give them pause. From that point on, you just need to be vigilant for a little while, and fast with the squirt bottle. Eventually they'll back off.
posted by ErikaB at 9:29 PM on June 22, 2010
When I was turning my outdoor-cat into an indoor-cat, he would occasionally try to get out the door whenever it opened, but I was able to be a little bit sneaky in that I know he hates scary noises. So I would kinda stomp around before I opened the door or sort of thunk my work bag against the door loudly (I don't know, this sounds really stupid as I am describing it, but stay with me) and he would back off from the door a little so I could open it safely. Then I would lower my bag sort of between my ankles to make a little mini barricade so that he couldn't get past very easily. This technique totally worked (even if only because he was so weirded out by the sight of me), and now he just sits at the window waiting for me to come up the stairs, then hops away from the door once I get it open, then there is lots of happy kitty-greeting.
Also, it helped if I acted really calmly whenever he would successfully slip out, which did happen a few times. I never ran after him or anything, because that just makes him think we are going to play, but I can appreciate that it might be hard not to get a little freaked out with 2 buddies running out the door simultaneously. Whenever I need to bring up groceries, or need to be able to get through the door a few times, I can always stick him in the bathroom or bedroom really quickly after I get up there on the first trip, and then get him after I'm all done bringing things in.
(P.S. you have some serious cutie pies on your hands)
posted by so_gracefully at 9:48 PM on June 22, 2010 [2 favorites]
Also, it helped if I acted really calmly whenever he would successfully slip out, which did happen a few times. I never ran after him or anything, because that just makes him think we are going to play, but I can appreciate that it might be hard not to get a little freaked out with 2 buddies running out the door simultaneously. Whenever I need to bring up groceries, or need to be able to get through the door a few times, I can always stick him in the bathroom or bedroom really quickly after I get up there on the first trip, and then get him after I'm all done bringing things in.
(P.S. you have some serious cutie pies on your hands)
posted by so_gracefully at 9:48 PM on June 22, 2010 [2 favorites]
Agree with the squirt gun suggestions above. I use one to curb my run-aways when it gets especially bad, but not regularly enough to really train them.
Another idea I've heard, but not personally tried, is to disassociate your comings and goings from anything rewarding to them. The premise is to ignore them completely when you come in the door. Then, in another spot a few feet away, praise and pet effusively. If you can keep them interested in attention from owner, perhaps they will give up the novelty of the open door in exchange. As I said, no personal experience with this one, mainly because mine are in their routines for long enough now, I'm not sure they're so trainable. In a new place, or with a new cat, I'd give this one a try.
posted by dorey_oh at 9:48 PM on June 22, 2010
Another idea I've heard, but not personally tried, is to disassociate your comings and goings from anything rewarding to them. The premise is to ignore them completely when you come in the door. Then, in another spot a few feet away, praise and pet effusively. If you can keep them interested in attention from owner, perhaps they will give up the novelty of the open door in exchange. As I said, no personal experience with this one, mainly because mine are in their routines for long enough now, I'm not sure they're so trainable. In a new place, or with a new cat, I'd give this one a try.
posted by dorey_oh at 9:48 PM on June 22, 2010
My cat did this until once when she got out the building custodian turned on the vacuum in the hallway right as she scampered out the door. She freaked out and bolted back into the apartment, and after that never ran out again. Maybe you could enlist a friend to activate something scary (like a vacuum, the sound of a barking dog, or something else noisy) so they learn to associate the outside world with that scary noise.
posted by christinetheslp at 1:33 AM on June 23, 2010
posted by christinetheslp at 1:33 AM on June 23, 2010
Maybe previously your place was large enough that they weren't so bored, so they had less incentive to go Steve McQueen on you. If so, they'll probably settle into the new place and not try to escape so persistently.
Meanwhile, when you come home, put your stuff down on the ground just outside your door, unlock it, assume a low goaltender stance, and then open the door. If they're coming through the door, do not give them a hug. Reverse the ambush. Give them a shock -- BOO! RAWR! -- and push or fling them back (without hurting them, of course). Get them used to running away from the door when they hear your key in the lock. ("Yikes! Crazy human is coming through the door! Scatter!") When the coast is clear, pick up your stuff, go in, close the door, put your stuff down, go to a place away from the door (maybe where their food bowls are), and feed or play with your friends.
posted by pracowity at 2:11 AM on June 23, 2010 [2 favorites]
Meanwhile, when you come home, put your stuff down on the ground just outside your door, unlock it, assume a low goaltender stance, and then open the door. If they're coming through the door, do not give them a hug. Reverse the ambush. Give them a shock -- BOO! RAWR! -- and push or fling them back (without hurting them, of course). Get them used to running away from the door when they hear your key in the lock. ("Yikes! Crazy human is coming through the door! Scatter!") When the coast is clear, pick up your stuff, go in, close the door, put your stuff down, go to a place away from the door (maybe where their food bowls are), and feed or play with your friends.
posted by pracowity at 2:11 AM on June 23, 2010 [2 favorites]
Best answer: This is a job for clicker training. :) Instead of scaring or intimidating your cats, give them an alternate behaviour that they can be rewarded for and is incompatible with running out the door. Cats can be trained, cats enjoy being trained, it's just that most traditional training just doesn't work for them. Clicker training, where behaviours you like are rewarded and behaviours you don't like are ignored, is a type of training that works very well with cats. My cats have around 30 'tricks' in their repertoire, including basic obedience (down, stay, come, etc.), stupid tricks, cat agility, and loose-lead walking. They also know that they aren't allowed to go outside without their harnesses on.
So, for door-dashing, I'd use the Go to Mat behaviour. Get two towels, or cat beds, or whatever. Make sure that they are visually distinctive -- each cat is going to have one mat, and they need to know which is whose. Work with each cat separately, for now -- this is not a fast fix, but worth the time. There's a pretty good video (not mine) at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H2sKw33iX9I, that shows the steps of training the Go to Mat. There could be a little more explanation, but it's really useful to see. Have an assistant practice giving the command when the cats can't see him or her (you're there to click and treat the cat for obeying the disembodied voice), and then switch with you giving the disembodied command.
Once you've trained Go to Mat, then you can ask each cat to sit on their mats as you leave or open the door. When you're coming home, just give the command when you're outside the door, and reward the good behaviour when you come in.
The best part about training in this way is that it is going to not only strengthen your bond with your cats, but if you keep training new things, your cats are going to be much less bored, and may come to not even care about outside.
Feel free to MeMail me if you have any questions.
posted by Concolora at 5:34 AM on June 23, 2010 [7 favorites]
So, for door-dashing, I'd use the Go to Mat behaviour. Get two towels, or cat beds, or whatever. Make sure that they are visually distinctive -- each cat is going to have one mat, and they need to know which is whose. Work with each cat separately, for now -- this is not a fast fix, but worth the time. There's a pretty good video (not mine) at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H2sKw33iX9I, that shows the steps of training the Go to Mat. There could be a little more explanation, but it's really useful to see. Have an assistant practice giving the command when the cats can't see him or her (you're there to click and treat the cat for obeying the disembodied voice), and then switch with you giving the disembodied command.
Once you've trained Go to Mat, then you can ask each cat to sit on their mats as you leave or open the door. When you're coming home, just give the command when you're outside the door, and reward the good behaviour when you come in.
The best part about training in this way is that it is going to not only strengthen your bond with your cats, but if you keep training new things, your cats are going to be much less bored, and may come to not even care about outside.
Feel free to MeMail me if you have any questions.
posted by Concolora at 5:34 AM on June 23, 2010 [7 favorites]
A couple of mine go through phases where they rush the door. During this time, I make sure I'm not holding anything, then I get real close to the door as I'm opening it and I keep my right foot out to block anyone who might try to make it through my defensive line. The foot is the first thing through the door, to lovingly push everyone back. Once the door is open and they can see that I can see them, they go back and sulk since they've been foiled and I reach back, grab the bags, and drag them into the house.
posted by crankylex at 5:53 AM on June 23, 2010
posted by crankylex at 5:53 AM on June 23, 2010
A friend of mine had this problem... she solved it by getting an automatic spray bottle. I'm not sure what it was called, but it was set up just outside her front door and would spray automatically if someone walked in front of it. We had no trouble stepping over it's line of sight, but it would get the cat every time he ventured out of the apartment.
posted by kaudio at 6:28 AM on June 23, 2010
posted by kaudio at 6:28 AM on June 23, 2010
My cat does this intermittently. I usually hold a bag (grocery sack, gym bag, purse, whatever) at cat height as I open the door and that makes him back off.
posted by pointystick at 6:44 AM on June 23, 2010
posted by pointystick at 6:44 AM on June 23, 2010
When I ring my doorbell, my cat goes to find the noise (the chime is in the hallway), so I occasionally use that to keep her away from the door. Maybe you could work out a similar trick.
posted by chndrcks at 9:34 AM on June 23, 2010
posted by chndrcks at 9:34 AM on June 23, 2010
I've had great success with the squirt bottle technique. But make sure your prepared to revisit it after a couple of weeks, as (at least my cats) found it worthwhile to see if the water monster still lived outside the door after a period of behaving. A couple of rounds of this broke them pretty completely of the habit.
When my wife sill lived in an apartment she had a similar experience to the vacuum story above. Scared the cat to being an indoor kitty for good, but also gave him an absolutely irrationally psychotic hatred of the vacuum since and he'll get aggressive to it if it comes anywhere near him, running or not.
posted by quin at 10:23 AM on June 23, 2010
When my wife sill lived in an apartment she had a similar experience to the vacuum story above. Scared the cat to being an indoor kitty for good, but also gave him an absolutely irrationally psychotic hatred of the vacuum since and he'll get aggressive to it if it comes anywhere near him, running or not.
posted by quin at 10:23 AM on June 23, 2010
When I open my door, I put my foot out, which both distracts the cats and forms a barrier. I also start saying, "Noooo," before the door is fully open, which is a word they "understand" and also distracts them. This seems to have worked as they rarely even attempt to get past me anymore . They do, however, get by my partner, not only out the front door (luckily we live on the third floor and there isn't really anywhere for them to go once they get out) but also into the "cat free" room (my partner is allergic). My partner utilizes the "I'm a spry and nimble ninja and therefore can open & close the door quickly enough that they won't get by me!" method, which is about 75% effective.
Also, and I don't say this as a judgment against people who use squirt bottles, but
unless you are already a cat owner who sprays their cat, I wouldn't recommend starting.
posted by eunoia at 10:53 AM on June 23, 2010
Also, and I don't say this as a judgment against people who use squirt bottles, but
unless you are already a cat owner who sprays their cat, I wouldn't recommend starting.
posted by eunoia at 10:53 AM on June 23, 2010
Response by poster: Thanks everyone for your suggestions! Since I'd also like my guys to give up a couple other bad habits, I think clicker training might be the way to go.
posted by Bromius at 7:03 AM on June 24, 2010
posted by Bromius at 7:03 AM on June 24, 2010
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