Cat Likes To Sneak Out

[Krystal02]

My cat is about 8 months and recently has begun sneaking out of the house whenever there is a window of opportunity. He won't respond when called and we will spend some time searching for him before he is eventually found in a bush panting. We are trying to be more cautious when going in and out of the house but I am worried that one day we just won't find him and he will be too scared to come out.

I really don't understand what tempts him to leave the house when all he does is get himself worked up into a panic and stays hidden. We built him a spacious catio to help him burn off some of his energy but he still manages to occasionally sneak out the door.

Will he grow out of this or is it in his genes to wander off?

Thanks!

 

[mightyboosh]

I really don't understand what tempts him to leave the house when all he does is get himself worked up into a panic and stays hidden.

Yep, it's weird. Oliver has managed to get out on two occasions much to my horror and yes, he was found both times scared to death under a bush. The instinct to explore seems strong so they'll try despite the consequences.
I don't know the answer except for further diligence but it's hard if you have an active household.

 

[Krystal02]

Yep, it's weird. Oliver has managed to get out on two occasions much to my horror and yes, he was found both times scared to death under a bush. The instinct to explore seems strong so they'll try despite the consequences.
I don't know the answer except for further diligence but it's hard if you have an active household.

Now I am wondering if I should just take away access to the outside altogether. He came in through the window of his catio and he was covered in dirt. I went out to see what he was doing and he was trying to dig out under the fencing. This is the first time he has tried to do this so I am wondering now If I should just not allow him access at all. It seems like the catio is no longer good enough for him. I am starting to worry that he is going to end up hurting himself.

Everyone raves about catios so i thought it would be a good idea to build him one but now that he is older it seems like he is just going bezerk wanting to get out, but when he does he panics, so it is a weird cycle.

 

[ArtNJ]

Are you sure he is panting and not just breathing deeply because its hot? My indoor/outdoor cats like to hang out in my bushes, but they aren't scared of the outside.

The digging to escape in the catio issue is vexing. Not sure what to suggest about that unless you want to build a wooden floor.

In my experience, they do get over trying to escape if you are pretty careful for an extended period. Its very hard I know.

 

[lollie]

Is he neutered?

 

[Krystal02]

Is he neutered?

Yes.

 

[Krystal02]

Are you sure he is panting and not just breathing deeply because its hot? My indoor/outdoor cats like to hang out in my bushes, but they aren't scared of the outside.

The digging to escape in the catio issue is vexing. Not sure what to suggest about that unless you want to build a wooden floor.

In my experience, they do get over trying to escape if you are pretty careful for an extended period. Its very hard I know.

When he came inside I assume he was breathing from tiring himself out digging but when he sneaks out I think he is panting because he looks stressed and is just stiff under a bush.

 

[ArtNJ]

When he came inside I assume he was breathing from tiring himself out digging but when he sneaks out I think he is panting because he looks stressed and is just stiff under a bush.

Cats pant when its very hot as part of their package of heat-shedding strategies.

Do Cats Sweat Or Pant When They Overheat?

 

[LAL]

Could he have seen an animal, prey, another cat, from the Catio that he is trying to get to?

 

[vyger]

As far as I know all predators roam. They have a territory that they mark out but then they travel and explore beyond that also. It is one of the reasons that they know where they are, they have explored and roamed across other areas. I would say its actually part of their hunting behavior. Grazing animals meander. They wander and often just follow the trail of better grass wherever it happens to take them. Predators roam, which is exploring with a purpose. I think some cats have a much stronger drive to roam and explore than others.
They recently did a big study on mountain lions. They collared a lot of them and with GPS kept track of their roaming. Turns out it produced patterns. First they discovered that they are not nearly as solitary as was once believed. They often formed partnerships with other mountain lions to hunt larger animals. And they stayed with them for extended periods of time. They also discovered that they share kills with mountain lions from other areas joining them.
So the desire to roam appears to be deep seated and it is not necessarily linked to sex or hunger. It's just the desire to explore what is on the other side. At least they arn't building Mars rockets.

 

[Krystal02]

Could he have seen an animal, prey, another cat, from the Catio that he is trying to get to?

Possibly but I think It is more of a curiosity thing and windows of opportunity.

 

[Elfilou]

I wouldn't shut off his access to the catio; I think it is awesome you gave him that. I think all you can do is be extra diligent, make things extra secure and to try and burn off his energy a bit more. Do you play with him daily? Ever thought of getting him a companion? Do you maybe have some feeder balls or food puzzles to offer? Is he a certain wild breed?

To me it doesn't necessarily sound like a boredom thing but more so an abundance of energy that he focuses on getting out there. Perhaps to get some sort of adrenaline rush, because he doesn't have something else to occupy his mind in the same way? Just guessing. The "why" is important in solving these issues, though you'll never know for sure. That is my guess though, but I don't know your cat like that.

Playing (hunting) with more realistic toys could maybe offer the rush he is seeking.

You could also look into harness training and letting him out on a lead. Though this is definitely tricky because, from my experience, it does make them want to roam more. I use to walk my cat when she was an only cat, which was fun but it had to be a daily ritual. She went to the door every day, meowing to be walked. I had the time back then, but I wouldn't now. I live somewhere else now too where this isn't even possible so I built a catio - and she also has a playmate now.

Anyway, I do think that your solution here is to 1. make it impossible for him to escape and 2. find new ways to occupy his mind so he will stop channeling his energy into getting out. There is also a great chapter in the book "Cat Mojo" that focuses on door darting and catios. It is a great book overall and I recommend it to any cat owner.

 

[Kflowers]

Since you had trouble with him breaking through the window screen you might try heavier screening. I don't know the gauges of screening, but your local hardware store will. yes, it'll cost but less than the vet for repairs and the horror of losing him.

We had second story windows and cats who wanted to hang out on the roof. They were supposed to look out the windows not stress me out of my mind. We used small opening heavy gauge chicken wire which was more like tiny Elizabeth metal diamond panels for windows. It was too small to get a paw through, but open enough for the breeze and scents to come through.

For your cat's peace of mind it was open enough to yell at other cats, squirrels, and birds. They figured this out and would wait until birds landed on the roof, then leap up and scream at them. This terrifying the birds (who did not die form it) seemed to satisfy some of the hunting urge.

Note this weight screening can be climbed by a cat without it tearing. you will need to keep the tight light screening on the side away from the cats to prevent mosquitoes and the like from getting in.

 

[Krystal02]

I wouldn't shut off his access to the catio; I think it is awesome you gave him that. I think all you can do is be extra diligent, make things extra secure and to try and burn off his energy a bit more. Do you play with him daily? Ever thought of getting him a companion? Do you maybe have some feeder balls or food puzzles to offer? Is he a certain wild breed?

He was adopted from the Humane Society as a kitten so I don't know for sure what he is mixed with but I believe he has a lot of Main Coon, judging by his looks and personality. We also own a dog that he has a good relationship with and will often play with him. We tried introducing him to a friends kitten in the past but he was defiantly not interested in playing, there was a lot of spitting, growling and hissing.

I have purchased a few toys to help keep him occupied and we have a large house for him to roam. I suspect because of his adolescent age that possibly he just has an abundance of energy and I am hoping that he calms down a bit with time.