Constantly looking for food

[Antonio65]

Freya learned to open the doors and sneak into spaces where the food is. She tears all packs open, grabs the content, chews on just anything she finds. This happened tonight and yesterday morning too.
There is no way to stop her anymore, now that she knows where our food is and how to get to it.
Scolding her isn't working, and it's not being good for her and me, we are both getting stressed.
This morning she had a sad(?) look in her eyes. I don't know if it was because I told her off too many times lately, or because she wasn't feeling well after pigging out on a pack of sandwich bread.

I've been trying to contact a vet that is nutritionist and acupuncturist, but I can't manage to get through her. I would have liked to ask her for a consultation on both her fields. I used her acupuncturist abilities to fix some issues with other cats in the past, and would have liked to hear from her if a few sessions of acupuncture might help Freya on this problem.

 

[Neko-chan's mama]

Can you get child safety locks for your drawers and cabinets? They have ones that you use a magnet to open and they take only a few minutes to install. The brand name is TotLock. There might be generic ones too.

 

[Kflowers]

And if you can't get that brand in Italy, I'm sure there are other brands of child safety locks there. They make them for the refridgrator so you won't have to worry about her getting locked inside. Try hardware stores, baby/child department in larger stores, it's usually toddlers who open cabinets.

If you can't find the specific child safety locks, get hooks and eyes with a spring on them that makes them harder to open. That's the best description I can give. Tell that to the clerk at the hardware store, they'll know which ones. Tell them 'child-proof'.

The hooks and eyes really work, but you have to screw them into the wood, not hard and leaves a small hole in the wood, but a small price to pay for Freya. The fridge lock is not a hook and eye.

 

[Antonio65]

Can you get child safety locks for your drawers and cabinets? They have ones that you use a magnet to open and they take only a few minutes to install. The brand name is TotLock. There might be generic ones too.

Drawers and cabinets are alright at the moment, she hasn't managed to open them yet.
But she opens the door to the space where most of the food is and the door is a folding door, so it hasn't a key to lock it. It has a hook in the jamb, though, but it seems she learned how to unlock it by just pushing or forcing the folding door at the bottom

 

[Antonio65]

If you can't find the specific child safety locks, get hooks and eyes with a spring on them that makes them harder to open. That's the best description I can give. Tell that to the clerk at the hardware store, they'll know which ones. Tell them 'child-proof'.

The hooks and eyes really work, but you have to screw them into the wood, not hard and leaves a small hole in the wood, but a small price to pay for Freya. The fridge lock is not a hook and eye.

The hook and eye thing would probably last only a few days. She would force this folding doors open, I'm sure she'd find a way to sneak in all the same.

 

[Antonio65]

Went home during my lunch break.
It looked like a twister went through part of the house. Everything knocked down, packages open and the content spilled!

Shortly before going home the vet I was trying to contact eventually called me back and listened to the problem, which, she said, is quite common in young cats, but she understands it is a problem and advised me a few things to do in the next few days.
First, buy one or more of those cat food toys, or feeder balls and rolls.
Second, get a package of Zylkene to try to soothe Freya's anxiety.

On the way home I stopped at a pet supply store and got a ball and a roll, tried them at home, they didn't work fine. The roll has too large holes, the kibbles come out through those holes all together. The ball has an adjustable opening, but it seems that too small and nothing comes out, too large and all the kibbles fall outside.
Anyway, none of the two cats found them interesting and they just ignored them, despite they smelled the kibbles inside.

The store didn't have the Zylkene, I will call the pharmacy later, they should have it supplied to them before dinner.

Anyway I will call the vet again next Wednesday and get an appointment for an acupuncture session, which, according to her, could give a mild improvement.
It'll will be another week of desperation for me

 

[Kflowers]

Freya wants you to be a DIY dad. Measure the space the folding door takes up and buy a solid door to fit in that place. They make small doors for closets. The hardware people will help you and there is certainly a Youtube to show you how.

As for the heavy hooks and eyes with covered springs on them, even the dogs couldn't destroy them. Of course the dogs could also remove any door that got in their way.

I wouldn't bother with anything that attaches with a glue pad. Our dog just opened the door with the door buddy that has such a pad. She didn't even notice it was there.

these are what I'm talking about and they come in different weights and strengths. You may not want to bother with them, but I thought I'd show you what they look like.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00NBADYWM/?tag=thecatsite

 

[Antonio65]

Freya wants you to be a DIY dad. Measure the space the folding door takes up and buy a solid door to fit in that place. They make small doors for closets. The hardware people will help you and there is certainly a Youtube to show you how.

That folding door was chosen because there was not enough room to swing a door, both sides.

these are what I'm talking about and they come in different weights and strengths. You may not want to bother with them, but I thought I'd show you what they look like.

Interesting item, never seen them before, I mean, not with a spring. But I doubt my wife allows me such an addition to the door
I have to find a different way to secure that door.

 

[Kflowers]

I would never suggest anyone with a cat or a dog get a swinging door. More than one likes to mention have been strangled in swinging doors. hardware stores have lots of regular doors, hinges on one side, knob on the other, to fit all available spaces in houses. One door covers the entire space. You may never have used one for a pantry, but I've had them on several pantries and they are very easy to use, much easier than the folding doors. Since you have cats not dogs, you could get a light one - hollow with thin wood on all sides.

Why wouldn't your wife allow such a small hook to secure the door and protect the cat? I think you are being unkind to your wife.

 

[Antonio65]

I would never suggest anyone with a cat or a dog get a swinging door. More than one likes to mention have been strangled in swinging doors. hardware stores have lots of regular doors, hinges on one side, knob on the other, to fit all available spaces in houses. One door covers the entire space. You may never have used one for a pantry, but I've had them on several pantries and they are very easy to use, much easier than the folding doors. Since you have cats not dogs, you could get a light one - hollow with thin wood on all sides.

Why wouldn't your wife allow such a small hook to secure the door and protect the cat? I think you are being unkind to your wife.

I used the wrong term, I think, I'm sorry.
I wasn't meaning a swinging door, which can be dangerous. I was meaning a regular door that swings open to one side, and I mean there isn't enough room to operate a regular door on hinges.

The folding door we fitted cost some money and it would be a pity to drive holes in that wood for an extra hook.
The folding door I'm talking about is quite similar to this one
It does have a knob with a hidden hook on the closing end. Well, Freya learned how to force it open by, probably pushing or something like that at the bottom. I tried with my hands and didn't succeed, but I think Freya found a weak point where she pushes and the hook gets undone.

 

[vince]

You might try using a latch assembly for a pocket door, if it's different than what you already have (can't really tell from the picture). The button is quite small and is recessed so it can slide inside the pocket.

My bathroom has such a door and the cats can't get in when it's latched.

 

[Kflowers]

I can visualize a cat getting her leg caught in one of the holes and dangling there all day until you get home from work. See cats that happened to on fences. It usually breaks the leg.

I don't think a hook and eye would detract from the door, but you know your wife best.

 

[kakers]

This would be a more expensive solution maybe but instead of trying to keep her from opening the door have you considered putting all food inside in more secure containers? Plastic vacuum seal type, or glass with screw on tops, etc? Or instead of each food in its own container, putting multiple items each in plastic bins?

 

[Antonio65]

I can visualize a cat getting her leg caught in one of the holes and dangling there all day until you get home from work.

What holes?
Are you talking of those rectangular openings? They are glass panels.
I took a photo of my folding door

In my door the openings have dark glass panels. The knob is on the left side.

 

[Antonio65]

This would be a more expensive solution maybe but instead of trying to keep her from opening the door have you considered putting all food inside in more secure containers? Plastic vacuum seal type, or glass with screw on tops, etc? Or instead of each food in its own container, putting multiple items each in plastic bins?

Yes, it sounds like a good solution! I will seriously think about it!

 

[Kflowers]

Now in that picture it does look like glass in the 'holes'. Good luck with the containers. They make large metal tins as well.