Worried About Cat Escaping - Need Help ASAP!

[bumblebeerose]

Hi guys,

I have an almost two-year-old brown tabby by the name of Mouse. He is a ball of fun and energy and is loving to the point that I'm not allowed to close doors between me and him or else he'll claw the crap out of them. But anyways, when he was younger I took him out on a harness and a leash to explore the outdoors, but recently I moved and my housemates and their friends are having issues making sure the doors are closed behind them. Because of this, Mouse has gotten out on numerous occasions. Every time he gets out, though, he only sits on my back deck until someone shoos him back in. I constantly worry that he'll get out one day and run off like another cat I had, but I don't want that because I've raised him since he was a tiny little kitten and he's my best friend.

So I suppose my question is, should I harness train my cat to only go outside with me and only to stay in the yard? If I decide to harness train him, how do I keep him from door darting and escaping when people forget to close the door? How likely is it that he'll run away and be lost? And if I decide to keep him indoors, how do I keep him from door darting at all? I really don't want to lose him! 

Thanks in advance.

 

[luna tuna]

Is he microchipped, and does he wear a collar with an ID tag? I know a lot of cat owners don't put collars on their cats, but if he does run off, visible identification is extremely important.

I don't really know how to prevent door darting. Can you talk to your housemates about closing the doors? If he enjoys being outside, I wouldn't take that away from him completely. There are ways to deter him from the doors (I think cats hate citrus scents, for instance, or double-sided tape on the threshold) but this may not be the way to go as he might get out and then not want to come back inside. I hope you figure it out!

 

[Columbine]

Could the deck (or even the whole yard) be enclosed, so that he's safe if he DOES get out?

It sounds to me not so much like he's door darting (which I think of as trying to shoot out as someone is entering or leaving), but that he's simply being opportunistic and fancies going out for some fresh air! Neither of my cats will shoot out of doors, but if they see a door (or window) open - even just a little - they get curious and go to investigate/explore. This is virtually impossible to stop, as it's not occurring as someone is actively using the door.

The only solution I can think of to stop the behaviour is to get some motion activated air canisters (such as Ssscat) and have them permanently set up by the doorways to discourage Mouse from getting too close to the door.

 

[talkingpeanut]

Hi guys,

I have an almost two-year-old brown tabby by the name of Mouse. He is a ball of fun and energy and is loving to the point that I'm not allowed to close doors between me and him or else he'll claw the crap out of them. But anyways, when he was younger I took him out on a harness and a leash to explore the outdoors, but recently I moved and my housemates and their friends are having issues making sure the doors are closed behind them. Because of this, Mouse has gotten out on numerous occasions. Every time he gets out, though, he only sits on my back deck until someone shoos him back in. I constantly worry that he'll get out one day and run off like another cat I had, but I don't want that because I've raised him since he was a tiny little kitten and he's my best friend.

So I suppose my question is, should I harness train my cat to only go outside with me and only to stay in the yard? If I decide to harness train him, how do I keep him from door darting and escaping when people forget to close the door? How likely is it that he'll run away and be lost? And if I decide to keep him indoors, how do I keep him from door darting at all? I really don't want to lose him! 

Thanks in advance.

Is he neutered?