Oh no!!!! MY cat is the neighborhood menace!

la miss

parigote
May 4, 2007
4,166
5
Ok. So I adopted a cat from the humane society last year. He has always been an indoor cat. I moved recently and even though he appears to be afraid of the outside he keeps running out when we open the doors. He's a crafty one!

He's gone missing twice this week but we found him quickly. Tonight he ran out and wouldn't come when I called. I went looking for him, calling his name franticly for about 30 minutes. No luck. So, I went out about 20 minutes later and my (new) neighbor says, "I think your cat is on my house."

Yes... there is my cat hanging from the neighbor's house scratching the window screen to bits.

I have no idea what to do. He wants to go out but he is obviously NOT an outside cat. He's brave when he first bolts out the door but I think the noises scare him and then he tries to get into any house he can find.

I try to catch him before he runs out but he is very quick on his feet. Any suggestions on what to do? Thanks.
 
Hmm, is he neutered?
i'm sure he is if he's from the humane society.

i'm sorry, but the image of your kitty hanging on the roof of your neighbors house is too funny. i hope he doesn't end up hurting himself. i don't have any suggestions for you, other than to be extra careful when entering/exiting your home. make sure anyone who visits knows that your have a crafty kitty who's always looking for an escaper route. i answer the door i always try to step outside, if the weather permits, or i only open the door wide enough (about 2") so i can talk to whomever is out there. i wish you, and your kitty the best of luck!
 
It sounds like we have the same cat!!! It's ridiculous how I exit out my front door! I open it just barely enough to squeeze out! And if I have a big hand bag with me I'm sure I look pretty silly trying to slip out with out opening to the door to far, but being sure not to scuff my bag, all the while kicking my feet around to scare the cat enough to stay inside! I have no idea why she wants out so bad, the minute a car drives by or a person walks by she's running back for the door!
 
Is it possible for you to build a cat enclosure outside? You could put your kitty out there in the morning and bring him in at night perhaps? Our 2 cats have a huge one with a sleeping/feeding area and a play area. I don't have to worry about them being a menace or getting squashed on the road and they love it.
 
i'm sorry, but the image of your kitty hanging on the roof of your neighbors house is too funny. i hope he doesn't end up hurting himself. i don't have any suggestions for you, other than to be extra careful when entering/exiting your home. make sure anyone who visits knows that your have a crafty kitty who's always looking for an escaper route. i answer the door i always try to step outside, if the weather permits, or i only open the door wide enough (about 2") so i can talk to whomever is out there. i wish you, and your kitty the best of luck!

Haha It was pretty funny! I called him and he stopped scratching the heck out of their screen for a second. Kind of like, "Oh, hai... I'm busy now. Come back later."

It sounds like we have the same cat!!! It's ridiculous how I exit out my front door! I open it just barely enough to squeeze out! And if I have a big hand bag with me I'm sure I look pretty silly trying to slip out with out opening to the door to far, but being sure not to scuff my bag, all the while kicking my feet around to scare the cat enough to stay inside! I have no idea why she wants out so bad, the minute a car drives by or a person walks by she's running back for the door!

I'm practically a contortionist when I enter/exit the house but he still manages to sneak out!

Is it possible for you to build a cat enclosure outside? You could put your kitty out there in the morning and bring him in at night perhaps? Our 2 cats have a huge one with a sleeping/feeding area and a play area. I don't have to worry about them being a menace or getting squashed on the road and they love it.

No, my yard is too small and anyway he's like the Houdini of cats! He can bust out of any prison I can build. I'm thinking of getting a cat door, however. That way he can just run back in whenever he wants.
 
Oh, goodness, I have never had cats but they sure seem hard to contain sometimes. I had neighbors that had a cat that would just go all over the neighborhood. They had their phone number on his tags so they'd get calls from various people saying they had him and to please come get him. The funniest was, "Ma'am, your cat is over here at Bruno's Bar on the pool table and he won't move. Would you please come get him?"
 
Oh, goodness, I have never had cats but they sure seem hard to contain sometimes. I had neighbors that had a cat that would just go all over the neighborhood. They had their phone number on his tags so they'd get calls from various people saying they had him and to please come get him. The funniest was, "Ma'am, your cat is over here at Bruno's Bar on the pool table and he won't move. Would you please come get him?"


:roflmfao::roflmfao:

my kitty runs out too, I once shut the door after he left and then I heard scratching and a painful "moooooooow", he desperately wanted to come back inside. LOL. If I scream before opening the door, he disappears under the bed, thankfully. I have to neuter him as soon as possible, he's starting to get frisking with my dog:Push:
 
Ok this might sound stupid but I have a cat that is like this but I dont let her out. She runs for the door all the time...I have found however that she is terrified of a crinkly plastic bag sound..so I get a bag and shake it really hard when she is near the door and she runs for the hills, then I escape.....try that maybe?
 
Ok this might sound stupid but I have a cat that is like this but I dont let her out. She runs for the door all the time...I have found however that she is terrified of a crinkly plastic bag sound..so I get a bag and shake it really hard when she is near the door and she runs for the hills, then I escape.....try that maybe?
oh, i totally forgot about the plastic bag trick! it really does work. however, it tramatized one of my kitties, to this day he runs out of the room if he hears a plastic bag.
 
If you can't let the cat into a safe area, like a fenced back yard, I think you'll have to deter the cat from the door, w/ water and/or the plastic bag. My cat is declawed- got her from the animal shelter that way and my back yard is fenced and she loves going out there. I think she'd be like your cat if she could not hang out in the back yard though from time to time.
 
i have a cat that likes to do this too!! it's ridiculous how i have to enter my house and when i open my front door to get my mail... my neighbors probably think i'm a complete weirdo.

he's not as bad as he used to be but i'm pretty much in the habit of when i open a door i automatically stick my purse (or whatever i have with me) or even just my foot in the opening of the door so that he can't sneak out. i keep the object in his face until he scoots back enough for me to close the door.

when i'm getting my mail.. my mailbox is attached to my house near my front door. i have to hold the door open with my hip and keep my foot stretched out sort of as a little barrier so he won't go near the door.

it's horrible when you have to warn every person who goes to your house when you aren't there "don't forget to block the doorway when you enter!!!" haha

those are my tricks! :smile: