March 29, 2024

While some cats are content material surveying the good outside from the protection of a comfy window perch, others are decided to expertise it firsthand. Unfortunately, this implies loads of frustration and fear for any cat proprietor with an escape-artist kitty.

This article covers some ideas & methods for when your indoor cat retains attempting to flee, together with: 

  • Why cats attempt to escape
  • Preventative measures
  • Safety precautions

cat

Why Indoor Cats Try to Escape

Have you ever puzzled, “why does my cat need to go exterior?” Has your cat’s escape makes an attempt ever made you marvel “is my indoor cat pleased?” 

Don’t fear. It’s utterly pure that your indoor cat needs to go exterior. However, the outside poses numerous dangers for cats, together with busy streets and wild animals. Here are some the reason why a cat may attempt to escape:

Searching for prey:

Cats are pure hunters, so it’s commonplace for them to look exterior for one thing to chase. If you’ve got a cat seeking prey, escape makes an attempt might turn out to be a standard incidence.

Assessing their surroundings:

Similar to their pure tendency to hunt, cats additionally wish to assess their surrounding surroundings for mates or potential risks. If your cat just isn’t fastened, this tendency could also be amplified, so we suggest spaying or neutering your cat.

Curiosity:

Plain-old curiosity is purpose sufficient for a cat to try to discover what lies exterior of the entrance door. Naturally, cats will need to know the place you’re off to after they see you step exterior, growing the possibility that they’ll observe go well with.

multi-colored cat looking out of cat door

How to Prevent Cats from Escaping

Understanding the the reason why your cat needs to flee is step one in the direction of studying the way to preserve a cat indoors. Below, we’ll talk about a couple of preventative measures that specify the way to cease a cat from going exterior.

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Create Barriers:

If potential, attempt to block entry to your cat’s most well-liked escape route. A tall indoor enclosure is an efficient choice. While most cats will be capable to soar over it, the partitions will purchase you a while to get via the entrance door earlier than your cat can slip out behind you.

If your cat is escaping consistently, getting them spayed or neutered could be needed. When a younger cat immediately needs to go exterior, it might be as a result of they’re looking for a mate (that is significantly true for male cats). Once you rule this out, it’s time to begin habits coaching:

  • Clap your fingers while you see your cat clawing on the door to get out, making the doorway appear as unappealing as potential. Be certain to cease as quickly as you see your cat strolling away from the door and reward them with a deal with.
  • To preserve your cat away from the door, attempt Motion-Activated Pet Deterrents—orange or lemon sprays work effectively, as most cats don’t just like the scent of citrus.
  • Place some aluminum foil alongside the doorway space. Many cats discover the sensation of strolling on it disagreeable and can steer clear.

Distraction:

If you battle along with your cat slipping out behind you as you permit for the day, discovering one thing to distract them is a superb thought. Here are a couple of strategies:

  • When you permit your own home, attempt guiding your cat away from the door with a laser pointer, or throwing a toy into one other room to occupy them.
  • Make staying inside extra interesting with plenty of treats, toys, and comfortable hideaways in rooms far-off from any exit factors.
  • Hang chicken feeders subsequent to a window perch so your cat can benefit from the pleasure of the outside from the protection of your property. 

grey cat eating a cold treat

Try a New Feeding Schedule:

Strategically adjusting your cat’s feeding schedule combines habits coaching and distraction. Try feeding your cat as quickly as you permit within the morning and proper while you get dwelling for the day. This distracts them as you step out the door and provides them an incentive to stay round for dinner while you get again dwelling.

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Allow Limited Outdoor Time:

If you’re comfy along with your cat having some out of doors time, letting them out for a couple of hours a day is an efficient solution to scale back escape makes an attempt.

  • Try a harness and leash to securely take your cat exterior. Make certain to take them out via one designated door that they will affiliate with out of doors time (to stop them from dashing out each door they see).
  • Any DIY-enthusiasts on the market? Consider constructing a catio! A catio is a secure out of doors enclosure for cats which you could fill with cat bushes and toys. For catios constructed exterior of a window, take a look at our full record of cat doorways for home windows.
  • If your property already has an outside display screen enclosure, that may be an amazing place to let your cat discover. Check out our cat doorways for sliding doorways and cat doorways for screens to provide your cat their very own door via which to entry the display screen enclosure.

grey cat using cat door for screens

Install a Cat Door

If you discover that your cat escapes, however at all times comes again dwelling a couple of hours later, it could be price contemplating an indoor-outdoor life-style for them. Installing a cat door is a good way to permit your cat out of doors entry at designated occasions. Check out our Pet Door FAQs to find out about some regularly requested questions starting from cat doorways for home windows to cat doorways for ‘folks doorways’. Here are a few of our suggestions:

CatMate Elite 305 Super Selective Cat Door:

cat mate elite super selective cat door

The CatMate Elite Super Selective Cat Door is ideal for cat homeowners who need to management entry to the door. It options timer management for as much as 9 cats for customizable entry and exit—good for preserving one cat in whereas letting one other out. The LCD display screen shows the placement of as much as three cats and the time that they entered or exited the home.

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Read concerning the variations between the SureFlap Microchip Pet Door and the Cat Mate 305 “Elite” Cat Door to resolve which might higher go well with you. See our full choice of digital cat doorways for extra choices just like the SureFlap Microchip Pet Door and the Cat Mate Elite Super Selective Door.

For extra cat door suggestions—guide & digital—check out the Best Cat Doors. You’ll see many nice cat door choices there, together with the Whiskers and Windows canine doorways. 

Teaching cats to make use of a cat door isn’t at all times straightforward! Once you’ve discovered the proper cat door on your dwelling, see the way to practice your cat to make use of a cat door.

multi-colored cat coming out of endura thermo sash cat flap

Safety Precautions

In the occasion that your cat escapes, it’s essential to be ready with a couple of security measures:

  • Make certain your cat has a collar with their identify and tackle. It’s additionally a good suggestion to get your cat microchipped simply in case they lose their collar.
  • Ensure they keep updated with vaccinations and common vet checkups.
  • If you select to let your cat outside, check out some springtime security ideas for out of doors pets.

We hope the following pointers helped clarify the way to preserve your cat from escaping and the way to safely enable them some out of doors time with a cat door. Show your feline good friend some further love at this time! See Six Ways to a Cat’s Heart and take a look at our full choice of pet doorways.