How do I keep my Indoor Only Cat from running outside EVERY time the door is opened.?

A baby gate. That will stop her from dashing out and you can easily step over it. Obviously you can't leave the door wide open or she'll leap over it but it will stop her from darting out by your feet.

Good for you for understanding how dangerous it is outdoors for cats. I volunteer with a cats only no-kill shelter and we actually had someone tell us his last three cats were found half eaten by coyotes but he STILL thought they belonged outdoors. He wanted to get a black one "so they were harder to see". :-/ Needless to say, we did NOT adopt out to him.

1

2

Cats aren't easily trained, especially when they want to do something badly. You have to be very patient and smart than the cat! (LOL) A cat that age is like a teenager, very rebellious. I've had great luck with keeping my indoor cats indoors just by making sure I know where they are when I open the door. If you're coming in, open the door just enough to get your foot in it and stop the cat that way. When they see your foot in their face, they will stop. Another way is to have someone on the other side of the door with a spray gun to blast the cat in the face when he sticks his head out the door. This may sound cruel, but not as cruel as having your cat get lost or killed outdoors by a car or dog. You can also try making a loud noise like clapping your hands and saying "NO" or grab him as he goes out the door, say "NO" and point away from the door. Hope this helps.

Outside Cat Run

Shelby has the best idea. Keep a spray bottle of water near the door. You have to train her to stay away from the door every time you go near it. Practice opening and closing the door twenty or more times a day - gradually open it wider each time. If she even looks like she going to try to bolt out, give her a quick spritz to discourage her. You want to get her when she's thinking about it - the tail wags a bit, the ears go up, she looks alert. Don't wait until she's already bolting full speed.

If you have an iron or wood railing going down your stoop, you can do this as a last gasp emergency measure. Slide a big piece of clear Plexiglas between the railings. If she runs into that a few times, she may change her mind about bolting out. I've used this very successfully for clients who have runaway dogs.

It took the longest time for my guy to stop doing this, he still tries periodically. However, I'm in an apartment right now so he just gets frustrated when he's running up and down the hallway :-)

I found it helped a bit if I could distract him as I was coming in the door. We would take cat toys with us when we went out, then immediately toss them in as we were opening the door. This worked most of the time.

Definitely don't scold when she returns. You want her to associate home with good things. I'm not sure about praise, although I would think it couldn't hurt.

Best of luck and all my sympathy, I think my shins are still bruised from squeezing myself through my barely open door.

First major question: is she spayed? If not, she is most likely in heat and eager to go find a tomcat for mating. Please get her spayed. She'll be less restless inside and a more affectionate pet.

Regardless of whether or not she's spayed, I have more suggestions. How old is she? Younger cats are typically more restless. Has she always been indoors only? If not, bringing an outdoor cat into the indoors can be really upsetting for them as they're used to freedom, etc. I understand you concern for letting her outside (and subsequently only keep my cat inside for similar reasons), and respect that, so your object is to make sure she's happy inside. Does she have toys? No need to go blow $50 on more, but get a few more than you want to have out and rotate them for her (put a few out at a time for 3 weeks, then hide them away and surprise her with new ones). Does she have a window ledge that she can sit at and look outside, maybe to see a bird feeder or people passing by. Cats usually love that and are content to share that part of the outdoors. Finally, if she's not declawed, does she have a scratching post? This could also help.

The main thing to do is be patient with her and try your best not to lose your temper when she tries to scoot by. Your scolding, though meant well, is obviously not enough to deter her from trying to get out again, and she probably associates it only with you and not the act of sneaking out. Try to be watchful of her - maybe divert her with a toy, etc. Good luck!

My cat does the same thing! You just need to get a baby gate or something to block off the door so that when she goes for the door she can't get through. Eventually, she will get bored of the door. Or, maybe you can get a screen door. I hope this helps! Best of luck!

We used to spray them with water from a squirt gun if they got too close to something they weren't suppose to. We used to have these cats that continually tore our Christmas tree apart. Knocked off the decorations tried to climb the branches and even tipped it over once or twice. We tried this spray "cat be gone" with a horrible scent that was suppose to make them stay away. It either wore off quickly or they just didn't care. The first spray made them run. They don't like getting wet. The cats we have now rarely go out the door. We never let them out, so they may be curious, but they don't bolt for the door when it opens. I am thankful for that. I was told once to put Tabasco sauce on the kitten's nose he they tried to climb my curtains, I don't know if this would work if you can grab the cat before it gets out the door and put some on the nose. When they lick it it is so spicy & hot it is not pleasant and maybe the association of hot sauce & running outside will make the cat think again before running out next time. My cats fight us and run when they see the cat carrier because they remember it usually means the vet & a shot or a ride in the car all cramped up in a cat carrier. So they can remember a bad experience.

I have two cats that especialy want out. To keep my cats in, I kick my foot around in the air near the floor as I open the door. Going in I kick in front of me and going out I kick it aound behind me. I never contact the cats with my foot because I'm just waving it in their face and it works really really well for me. The trouble with it is I cannot get others in the family or guests to do it too.