HELP Cat Obsessed with Photo Frames

[StanAndAlf]

My cat has suddenly become obsessed with photo frames. He found a gecko behind one once and now insists on checking behind every frame to try and find something.

However, he almost knocks them down when he performs his inspections. I have removed all photos in the main living areas, but those I live with refuse to do the same in their bedrooms and also refuse to shut their doors. They also have complained about me taking down the frames I have.

When I got home today I have been informed that he knocked down a photo frame and has smashed it, along with all of the other stuff that was on the desk below it. Thankfully he was not hurt. These are not my belongings, and of course I will replace them, but it has understandably upset my room mate.

How do I stop this behaviour?

 

[bear]

Some cats do not like the smell of citrus. You might try a small votive candle with citrus scent behind a couple frames to see if it works.

 

[ArtNJ]

Your roommates could use museum wax to secure the photos, but it sounds like they will refuse.

Personally, I think this sounds like a roommate problem more so than a cat problem. Cats go through phases, and while you can train the phase away by doing something like a loud no! and/or stopping him and putting him down 100+ times, it takes time to work. Not giving you the time to train your cat is on your roommates.

 

[FeebysOwner]

Tbh, the best approach is to tell your roommates to shut their doors. Is there any legit reason why they won't? If they won't shut the doors, then I guess it is OK with them for you to be following your cat around all the time and traipsing through their rooms to retrieve him? (Not a solution, but maybe a way to get them to warm up to the idea of closing the doors?)

 

[ArtNJ]

You could tell them that it won't be forever. If they could just close the doors for a couple of weeks the cat would likely forget about this hobby. By contrast, you shooing the cat out of their rooms might take several weeks and more broken pictures to sink in. Might not sink in at all if the cats get invited in sometimes.

 

[Caspers Human]

Casper does the same.

There is a picture frame on the wall near his cat tree. He often climbs to the top and paws at the picture, trying to get behind it. What he’s looking for, we have no idea. We guess he thinks it’s a cabinet door because he likes to go spelunking through the kitchen cabinets.

The picture is properly hung. It is securely wired and hung on a sturdy hook but it is a photo that I created and it was expensive to make. The chances of it falling are small but I still don’t want it to get damaged and I don’t want Casper to get hurt, either.

I went to Home Depot and bought some Command adhesive strips made from Velcro.

To use them, you mate both parts of the Velcro, stick them to the back of the picture then press the whole thing against the wall. The frame is now very secure. It won’t move and the cat can’t even get a paw behind it to lift it.

I have several photos hanging in my house, all of which are my creations. I also live in a house that is near some railroad tracks. The vibration from the trains makes all my pictures go crooked. It’s annoying as hell!

The picture next to Casper’s kitty condo is the only one that stays straight.

I’ve been thinking that I should go buy more of those Command strips and stick all the other photos down, too.

Command adhesive strips are nice because they can easily be removed from most surfaces without damage.

 

[StanAndAlf]

Tbh, the best approach is to tell your roommates to shut their doors. Is there any legit reason why they won't? If they won't shut the doors, then I guess it is OK with them for you to be following your cat around all the time and traipsing through their rooms to retrieve him? (Not a solution, but maybe a way to get them to warm up to the idea of closing the doors?)

They say it hinders them, as they have to carefully squeeze in without letting my cats into their room (who are also normally trying to get into the room as well). They believe they should be able to just walk into their room freely. I will mention what you said though, so thank you.

 

[StanAndAlf]

Thank you all for your suggestions, I will see of my room mates will let me try some form of adhesive and some citrus to deter him.

 

[FeebysOwner]

They say it hinders them, as they have to carefully squeeze in without letting my cats into their room (who are also normally trying to get into the room as well). They believe they should be able to just walk into their room freely. I will mention what you said though, so thank you.

Really, no offense, but, your roommates are supposed to be of a 'higher intelligence' than cats (or, so they say), so they should be able to 'outsmart' them through discipline and diligence for the few weeks before this attraction on the cat's part stops.

The difference is in persistence - which in that case, the cats win that race. Humans get too tired too fast in trying to apply persistence, and that is why animals "win". The short time-life of a human cautiously going in and out of a room to avoid a cat getting in there seems pretty weak in comparison.

 

[ArtNJ]

I have a cat right now that ignores my foot stomping and just waits and watches for his opportunity to door dart to the outside. It *is* stressful, and I understand not wanting to mess with that. Still, when its darting into a room, persistence pays off and trains the cat, eventually. Worst case is the cat willfully goes under the bed, in which case it isn't a sin to use the brush side of a broom.

 

[Caspers Human]

Casper knows that, if he tries to go through a door that I don’t want him to, he will get the boot.

The basement is off-limits to Casper but he always tries to get through the door every time I go there. The more I try to keep him out, the more he wants to go in the basement.

However, if he tries to get by me, I push him out of the way with my foot. It’s not meant to hurt him. It’s meant to show him who is boss.

Casper is at the point, now, if he knows I’m watching, he won’t even try.

This is what your roommates need to do.

They need to show your cats who is boss.