cats destroying screens...
 

(Thank all of you for the responses to my older cat problems.)

The other three are younger and regularly go outside. I'm the obliging
doorman for them more often than not.

Problem is I've accidentally reinforced a distressing behavior. When they
were little they would climb on the outside screens for fun. This of course
brought me out the door. So what they've learned from this is if they're
outside and want to come in, they pluck the screens to alert me. One screen
has been nearly destroyed, the others they don't seem to abuse as much.

The annoying part is that they're smart enough to learn this, but not
"smart" enough to come to the front door if they do this when the weather is
bad. They want me to open the corresponding window for them. Two of them
got left outside the other night

I need a cat door. More precisely I need a window door that can be held in
place with the upper sash.

I've tried yelling at them, which pretty much just makes them run in the
door fast. I tried not responding immediately which gives them ample time
to figure out new screen-mangling techniques. I tried a spray stay-off
agent that doesn't have enough surface area on the screen to be effective.
This past summer I sprayed them with a water bottle, but they don't make the
kitty-synapse connections that the screen thumping is the bad behavior and
not the alerting me to come in.

It's also frustrating when the male rattles incoherently to come inside,
squeaking his paws on the storm door glass...and runs directly to the
litterbox. I'm thinking his bladder would burst before he'd spray outside.

"Jason Travis" wrote:

The other three are younger and regularly go outside. I'm the
obliging doorman for them more often than not.
Problem is I've accidentally reinforced a distressing behavior.
When they were little they would climb on the outside screens for
fun. This of course brought me out the door. So what they've
learned from this is if they're outside and want to come in, they
pluck the screens to alert me. One screen has been nearly
destroyed, the others they don't seem to abuse as much.

Keeping them indoors will solve those and prevent lots of other
problems.

Do they have ID tags? Do they have shots?

Good luck.

in article , Jason Travis at
wrote on 2/24/05 11:24 PM:

(Thank all of you for the responses to my older cat problems.)

The other three are younger and regularly go outside. I'm the obliging
doorman for them more often than not.

Problem is I've accidentally reinforced a distressing behavior. When they
were little they would climb on the outside screens for fun. This of course
brought me out the door. So what they've learned from this is if they're
outside and want to come in, they pluck the screens to alert me. One screen
has been nearly destroyed, the others they don't seem to abuse as much.

The annoying part is that they're smart enough to learn this, but not
"smart" enough to come to the front door if they do this when the weather is
bad. They want me to open the corresponding window for them. Two of them
got left outside the other night

I need a cat door. More precisely I need a window door that can be held in
place with the upper sash.

I've tried yelling at them, which pretty much just makes them run in the
door fast. I tried not responding immediately which gives them ample time
to figure out new screen-mangling techniques. I tried a spray stay-off
agent that doesn't have enough surface area on the screen to be effective.
This past summer I sprayed them with a water bottle, but they don't make the
kitty-synapse connections that the screen thumping is the bad behavior and
not the alerting me to come in.

It's also frustrating when the male rattles incoherently to come inside,
squeaking his paws on the storm door glass...and runs directly to the
litterbox. I'm thinking his bladder would burst before he'd spray outside.


I've know people to hang bells from the door that jingle when pawed. Yes,
our indoor outdoor cats used to come in to use the litter box to. They are
civilized cats.

On 2005-02-25, Jason Travis penned:

I've tried yelling at them, which pretty much just makes them run in the
door fast. I tried not responding immediately which gives them ample time
to figure out new screen-mangling techniques. I tried a spray stay-off
agent that doesn't have enough surface area on the screen to be effective.
This past summer I sprayed them with a water bottle, but they don't make the
kitty-synapse connections that the screen thumping is the bad behavior and
not the alerting me to come in.

This may not be the most aesthetically pleasing solution, but when I was a
little kid, my parents got a perforated metal square that was attached to the
lower half of the screen door facing out onto our deck. That prevented our
dog from scratching through it when he wanted to come inside. As I recall the
design, the metal square must have been intended for this purpose. Maybe you
could call around at some home improvement stores.

--
monique, who spoils Oscar unmercifully

pictures: http://www.bounceswoosh.org/rpca

Jason Travis wrote:
(...)

Problem is I've accidentally reinforced a distressing
behavior. When they were little they would climb on
the outside screens for fun. This of course
brought me out the door. So what they've learned from
this is if they're outside and want to come in, they
pluck the screens to alert me. One screen has been
nearly destroyed, the others they don't seem to abuse
as much.

I think you can get metal screen mesh?

S.

"Jason Travis" wrote in message
...
(Thank all of you for the responses to my older cat problems.)

The other three are younger and regularly go outside. I'm the obliging
doorman for them more often than not.

Problem is I've accidentally reinforced a distressing behavior. When they
were little they would climb on the outside screens for fun. This of
course brought me out the door. So what they've learned from this is if
they're outside and want to come in, they pluck the screens to alert me.
One screen has been nearly destroyed, the others they don't seem to abuse
as much.
[snip]

You might want to have a look at Phifer's 'PetScreen' product.
http://www.phifer.com/petscreen.htm