Cat running out of apartment!

[missivyrae]

Hello everyone,
I know that is a part of my cats instinct to want to be outside, but she was raised inside since she was 5 weeks old. I live in an apartment complex near a nature preserve. We constantly have raccoons come up to our door (the trash has to be left right outside) and I have seen panthers running through the parking lot. For obvious reasons I am afraid to let her go outside by herself. I tried putting a harness on her and taking her out slowly, but she manages to get out and then runs off. She ran into the air conditioners last time and that freaked me out even more! I am very afraid of her getting into a fight with a raccoon as well. She is 10 months old and constantly tries to run out of the front door. She bolts out when my roommates come in or anyone leaves. This is becoming more concerning for me because she is going farther and farther away every time. She is spayed! I unfortunately have to keep her locked in my room when I go anywhere (work or errands) because she will not allow anyone but me to pick her up. So I do feel that she is bored or just needing more space to roam, but if I let her she could be put into more danger. I really just need some advice on how I can make her happy but still keep her safe. I do have a lot of interactive toys for her and I play with her as much as I can. She had a cat tree but did not use it. I also open up the windows so she can feel the breeze through the screen. I’m kind of feeling desperate and just want my kitty safe. My main questions are:
1) Any advice for cat trying to bolt outside?
2) How to keep my apartment cat happy?
Thank you in advance.

 

[Susanna72]

Maybe get her a kitten buddy? Six months or older. Some shelters will only adopt out two kittens, not just one, so let them know you have one at home. Do you have room for another one? It would give her someone to play with and keep her occupied.

 

[FeebysOwner]

Here are a few articles discussing possible solutions for your issues - see links below.

I take it because you are in an apartment that you don't have the ability to buy a cat enclosure that would fit into one of the windows? It would just be a 'step up' from her sitting on the windowsills with the open windows you have now.
4 Foolproof Ways To Prevent Your Cat From Darting Out The Door - TheCatSite
How to Entertain Your Cat in an Apartment (even a small one!) - TheCatSite
Bored Cat? What Cat Owners Need To Know (including 10 Actionable Tips) - TheCatSite
Cat Enclosures - TheCatSite

 

[arr]

We had this problem and I left a Ssscat can next to the door for awhile. It has a sensor and shoots out a puff of compressed air when they go by. It’s really annoying for the humans because you have to remember it is on, turn it off and reposition it when you come and go, but it solved our problem in just a few days. No more door dashing.

 

[missivyrae]

I think getting another cat would be a great option. I have been looking into fostering and then adopting because I am not quite sure if I can handle another. I feel like her boredom may subside with a cat, but I also don’t know how she does around other cats. My roommate has a dog and she enjoys being with him so maybe.

 

[Alldara]

I think getting another cat would be a great option. I have been looking into fostering and then adopting because I am not quite sure if I can handle another. I feel like her boredom may subside with a cat, but I also don’t know how she does around other cats. My roommate has a dog and she enjoys being with him so maybe.

We got our cat another cat and it was the best decision. Another female might be best. Look for one that's a good personality match is always my opinion. They should enjoy some of the same things and since your roommate has a dog, the cat should be comfortable with a dog too.

As for door dashing, if your cat is food-focused, you can try a treat toss to get it away from the door. You'd have to get everyone involved on it though.

Does your apartment open to a hallway or to the outside?

The RC cat harness was the only one I found to be slip-proof. Adventure Kitty Harness

i also found that growing some cat grass and cat nip inside was helpful. The cat grass dies and constantly needs replaced though.

 

[Astragal14]

Adopting another cat is a wonderful idea; your girl is only 10 months old, so she's still young enough to be open to another cat (it's not certain that she wouldn't be welcoming as she gets older, but some cats can get set in their ways after a while). Our first cat was almost 2 when we adopted another cat and they became instant buddies.

As for darting outside, we have used PetSafe scat mats. I don't love using them because it is a very light electrical charge, but they work. And keeping them safe is most important. And our cats eventually lost interest in the door and we haven't used the mat in years. There are various sizes and shapes available.
PetSafe Scat Mat

Did your cat escape from a Y-shaped harness, like the harness from Come with me Kitty? My cat escaped from that one; it fit properly, he just excels at getting out of things. Now we use the Lupine H harness and it's very secure. We also know a lot of people who use the wrap-style like A Alldara recommends and those are also very secure.
Dog Harness Sizes for every dog |LupinePet
The 8 Best Cat Harnesses (We Tried Them All) Of 2023-

You may want to also consider pet strollers or pet backpacks. We have a pet stroller so we can put our two cats in it together, and it's roomy enough for them to sit near the front when they're feeling curious and confident, or sit near the back when they're unsure of their surroundings. We have the Pet Gear No Zip Stroller and attach their harnesses to tethers inside the stroller. And I know many people who have Your Cat Backpack and love it (it's also recommended by Jackson Galaxy).
PET GEAR Special Edition No-Zip Dog & Cat Stroller, Sage - Chewy.com
https://yourcatbackpack.com/


One thing to strongly consider is making sure your cat has an ID tag on their harness when you go outside (or on a breakaway collar if she wears one all the time). Our cats' tags say "INDOOR CAT PLEASE CALL" on the front with their name and our phone number on the back. Some people think nothing of a cat being outside, so we want to make sure it's known that they're not supposed to be outside.
Something like this: Amazon.com