Cat opening doors....

Rockiemalt

Hi
has anyone got a suggestion to stop a cat opening doors? He seems to launch himself at the door and hang on to the handle until it opens, or he falls off and tries again. It's fine during the day but I keep getting woken up by him doing it at night. The only way to stop it is to lock the door, but it doesn't seem right to lock him and his little sis in and there's still the noise of him going at the door anyway? He opens the back door of our house to come in and out which is fine but it's the inside doors that are the problem? Any suggestions welcome

Barname

put a video cam in the room

post it on Youtube

I guarantee it will be huge

Does your cat need a manager?

neelyohara

Ha! I was just thinking the same thing! I wish my two were this clever! One of mine will sit on the window and jiggle the door handle when he wants to come in but we're a long way from youtube with that!

I'm not sure if there is anything you can do.... if you lock/jam the door then I'm sure he'll make a racket trying to get the door open.

Is there any reason why he can't wander around the house night or is there any reason why he would need to wander? Too hot or cold, access to food, water, litter tray...

I just think it's brilliant that he can open doors! I'd probably encourage him!

The Sweeper

Double sided sticky tape on the handles for a couple of days should put him right off. (Won't make the handles very nice for you, but cats hate sticky stuff on their paws.)

Graces7

We had one who used to open fridge doors like that.. We used white sticking plaster....That stopped him; he could not work out why his usual tactics availed not

Overature

Uncalled for.

Rockiemalt

Oh good idea with the something sticky on the handles. Parents don't want him wandering round the house at night, I wouldn't mind!

The room he's in has his food, water and litter tray so the only thing might be the warm weather. think he's just a very determined cat as the room nevers gets very warm or cold.

there's a fridge and freezer in the room too and he was opening those till we
discovered it was him leaving the fridge door open and not me! I've trained him to sit for treats too. Hope I never end up with really clever children after all this...

Thoie

A little bit drastic, but could you put a fireguard inside the door to prevent him reaching the handle? I'm thinking of the big ones we used have as kids that went all the way around the hearth.

Alun

Just leave the doors (slightly) open? We had a cat that would do the same once, and this was the only way out. She didn't actually want to go in each and every room, but for some reason just felt uncomfortable with the doors being closed, and leaving them slightly ajar seemed to satisfy her curiosity. We had to warn any overnight visitors to do the same as well or else we'd be woken by loud screams at obscene hours of the morning!

For the fridge doors or any others that you might definitely want to keep closed, I think you can get things to put on them to prevent them being opened by small kids, which might work.

Heroditas

Brilliant! I'll be your cat's manager if he's looking for one


Our cats think that the back door opens when they whack the keys in the lock (we always keep the keys in a drawer unless using the back door and once they hear the keys rattling, they know the door will be opened)

They'll sit and whack the keys for ages and then get very frustrated when the door refuses to open, despite the keys jangling. It's very cute

neelyohara

Alun wrote: »

She didn't actually want to go in each and every room, but for some reason just felt uncomfortable with the doors being closed

Thats one idea. Does he go through the house opening doors? I mean, if you left in him with the door open on the room he sleeps in and he had access to the hallway would that satisfy him? Would he then trail around the house to check in on everyone in their rooms?

It might just be as simple as not locking him in the room. If he doesn't feel trapped he might be happy to have access to that room and the hallway.

Perhaps he is craving your company. Would you consider putting a small bed in your room?

morganafay

My cat used to do that too It was cute. But then I moved and he couldn't open the doors (had to push handle harder) but would still sit on the conservatory windowsill with his paws on the door handle when he wanted to come in.

He also opened the fridge once when there was a lamb heart in there (needed for an art project . . . ) and pulled the heart out, into the sitting room onto the carpet to eat it, ewww.

I'd say try the tape too, one of my cats got tape stuck on his foot yesterday and he hated it.

Ticktactoe

It could be a case that your cat just likes to know where you are all of the time. One of my cats just loves been around people all of the time. She goes around to every room in the house looking for you if she finds herself on her own. If I put her outside for a while she will go around to every window in the house until she finds what room you are in and then she whinges or sits there until you leave it.

If you leave you doors open a bit she may wander around at first but after that will settle when she knows where you are.

Id love to see your cat open the doors by the handles!

Rockiemalt

I'll take a video of him doing the door opening next week for you all when i get the camera back. I think I'll just close the door, not lock it, put some tape on the handle and hopefully he'll settle. Trouble is when he opens the door he goes wandering and his little sister cat comes out too!
He opens doors goes into the room, has a wander around the place and then back to rooms he usually sits in where his toys are.

Ticktactoe

Rockiemalt wrote: »

I'll take a video of him doing the door opening next week for you all when i get the camera back. I think I'll just close the door, not lock it, put some tape on the handle and hopefully he'll settle. Trouble is when he opens the door he goes wandering and his little sister cat comes out too!
He opens doors goes into the room, has a wander around the place and then back to rooms he usually sits in where his toys are.

If one cat goes, they all have to go and have a snoop too.
They explore their territory and when satisfied then settle down.
How clever your cat is to figure out how to open the door by the handles! Amazing, but he may not be happy with the sticky tape!

dan_d

Ours stands up on her back legs and paws the door til you open it. It's given visitors a fright! She follows us around all the time and wants to be where we are - unless she's sleeping.
Thanks heavens she hasn't figured out how to open the doors yet!:D

Graces7

Rockiemalt wrote: »

Oh good idea with the something sticky on the handles. Parents don't want him wandering round the house at night, I wouldn't mind!

The room he's in has his food, water and litter tray so the only thing might be the warm weather. think he's just a very determined cat as the room nevers gets very warm or cold.

there's a fridge and freezer in the room too and he was opening those till we
discovered it was him leaving the fridge door open and not me! I've trained him to sit for treats too. Hope I never end up with really clever children after all this...

Didn't mean the sticky side out; use the white plaster to close the door; the cat cannot see why the door is not opening.

Rockiemalt

Not a video but as much as my phone will do!

Barname

Rockie ! I love it

I can hook you with a vid cam if you need it.

Sincerely,
The cats manager

bytey

mine does the same , and i have to lock him in at night .
he also figured out how to open the door by putting his paws under the door and pulling ( its an old door with a gap underneath of about 1 cm .

this is why cats are great .

i used to have a cat years ago who was able to open the small flat bathroom window with his nose , so we closed the door
he then figured out how to do the handle trick as yours does , and then open the window

finally we locked the door , and even then it tried to turn the key , i couldnt believe it.

The Sweeper

If it really isn't stopping and it's really driving you bats, change to one of these:

Rockiemalt

Wow bytey, seems like one very determined cat you had there. Are windows not really difficult to open for little cat paws? If he was a person he could be some sort of James bond/ macguiver type cat!
I think I'll rename mine Mr Thomas 007 bramley stripes

Zapperzy

My cat tries to do this too. Unfortunately though she isin't too successful at it and has now ripped the door, architreve (sp?) and skirting board in the utility room to shreds. She stands on the freezer and launches herself at the handle, hangs on and then drops off, we had to screw a big panel onto the lower half of the door but she has still destroyed the part above the panel, the skirting board and the very expensive architreve. Thing is is that its a new (well its 6 years old in november and we'l have the cat 5 years in november) and as you can imagine it hasn't gone down well that the door in the new house has had a panel screwed to it and been ripped to shreds, has caused manys an arguement and has nearly had me and the cat thrown out. Must post a picture of this door actually.

who the fug

That cat is average, my mates cat wakes the sheep dog up and annoys him till he opens the door for him.

Rockiemalt

Well after looking at YouTube loads of cats can do it but sure here's my Thomas doing it...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rrU8uHG8ss4&feature=player_embedded

DAWNRISER

Our Casper does this too, frightened the living daylights out of me one night, I thought someone was breaking in, when in fact it was him breaking out. It explains a lot though, we called him Casper as he is like a ghost, grey and just appeared in our house one day. NOW we now how he got it !!!!
Must try some of the suggestions here.