best way to deter our 2 indoor cats from trying to get outside?

[bellebud]

We have one male and one female Siberian Forest cats, both almost 1yo.  they've always been indoor.  We have a screened porch off our dining room that I always keep the door open, so they have a wonderful screened area as well as our house.

We also have two 90lb dogs (goldendoodle and german shephard) who have always used a doggy door into our fenced back yard (they are 5 and 6yo).  Last year when we got the kitties, we closed off the doggie door so the kitties wouldn't get out.  When someone accidentally leaves the doggie door accessible (leaving the main wooden door open so there's access to the screen door which has the doggie door in it), the female has gotten out a few times.  We've always noticed right away, thank goodness!!  Both kitties are fixed.

We're in the process of screening in the deck that the doggie door leads out to, and we've installed a crazy expensive doggie door in the wall of the screened deck.  It has super magnets and 2 flaps (about 4" between the flaps).  It's made to go in a deep wall.  Anyway, we are hoping the super magnets and the double flap system will keep the cats from going outside.  But I'm wanting to do more.  Someone suggested squirt them w/ water from far away (so they don't know it's us) when they go near it, hopefully training them to stay away.  The door won't be totally unsupervised, but when we're bbqing on the deck, watching tv out there, the cats will have access.  

The girl is sneaky and is trying to get outside whenever anyone leaves or enters the house.  She didn't used to do this.  

I'm afraid for my kitties... any suggestions would be very appreciated

 

[Ms. Freya]

Most dog doors come with a latch (or you can add one) So that they only swing when you want them to and people can secure them when they go away on holidays. I would check into that first. If I'm reading correctly, once the porch is screened in, it should be safe for your cats to wander in and out to it (forgive me if I'm not picturing this correctly).
 

 

[catspaw66]

Screening in the back porch is a wonderful way to let the cats experience the outside without most of the hazards.  I wouldn't squirt them with water, no matter from how far away, it might cause more severe behavior problems. Does the doggy door come with a blocker to close it off?

No matter what you do, some cats will try to 'escape'.  Sugar, who had never been outside the screen porch, managed to get out one day and was gone for four days.  I think she chased a big male cat off and got lost, close to home.