Indoor Cat Wants Outside

Hi, one of my male cats (3 years old) has decided all of a sudden that
he wants to "escape". My other two cats want nothing to do with "out
there". As soon as we open the door, the cat in question, runs and
escapes to the porch where he generally freezes and we toss him back
inside. Yesterday he went farther, he left the porch and hid under a
bush. I'm really getting worried about this behavior, they have never
been outdoor cats, they've been inside since birth. How can I "change
his mind" so to speak? We do not have a fenced in yard, we live near
a street, and there are dogs everywhere. Thank you for any advice
you
can give me on this matter. As all cat lovers know, he's my baby and
I couldn't bear to lose him.

Patricia

"PMcOuntry" wrote in message
...
Hi, one of my male cats (3 years old) has decided all of a sudden that
he wants to "escape".

Put a bunch of marbles in a coffee can and rattle it every single time you
come in or go
out. Cats HATE loud noises.

On Wed, 9 Jan 2008 12:16:20 -0800 (PST), PMcOuntry wrote:
Hi, one of my male cats (3 years old) has decided all of a sudden that
he wants to "escape". My other two cats want nothing to do with "out
there". As soon as we open the door, the cat in question, runs and
escapes to the porch where he generally freezes and we toss him back
inside. Yesterday he went farther, he left the porch and hid under a
bush. I'm really getting worried about this behavior, they have never
been outdoor cats, they've been inside since birth. How can I "change
his mind" so to speak? We do not have a fenced in yard, we live near
a street, and there are dogs everywhere. Thank you for any advice

Let him escape next time it is raining really hard?

Best deal is to keep him entertained when you're home and supply lots of toys
for him when you are away. I nice comfy pillow hanging off of a windowsill
might satisfy his outside lust.

Response to PMcOuntry :

Hi, one of my male cats (3 years old) has decided all of a sudden
that he wants to "escape".

As soon as we open the door, the cat in question, runs and escapes
to the porch where he generally freezes and we toss him back
inside.

Gabby does the exact same thing.

Response to AZ Nomad :
Let him escape next time it is raining really hard?

And that is exactly what I tried doing. When it finally snowed, I
allowed him free reign on the deck. He went out quick, as usual, sat
in the snow for a few seconds and turned and came back inside,
shaking his feet.

Now he peers around the server as if to see if the snow is still
around every time the door opens.

--
-Lost
Remove the extra words to reply by e-mail. Don't e-mail me. I am
kidding. No I am not.

I have a cat who tries this as well, but DH and I have gotten smarter,
as we don't want our cats outdoors either. Some things we've done:

1. Use different doors coming and going, to throw him off course. We
happen to have a front, middle, and back door so this works great for
us.

2. One of our doors has a screen door and a wood door. As we come in,
we grab the screen door and shut it before fully opening the wood
door.

3. Have a duffel bag or grocery bag to "block" his access as you're
coming in. I will put the bag near my ankles, where he is most likely
to dash out.

4. As you come in, throw a toy or treat inside, so as he runs to get
it, you can come inside.

On Jan 9, 5:30*pm, "cybercat" wrote:
"PMcOuntry" wrote in message

...

Hi, one of my male cats (3 years old) has decided all of a sudden that
he wants to "escape".

Put a bunch of marbles in a coffee can and rattle it every single time you
come in or go
out. Cats HATE loud noises.

Funny thing is, this cat does not hate loud noises... he yawns at
fireworks, go figure!

On Jan 10, 1:26*am, "-Lost" wrote:
Response :

Hi, one of my male cats (3 years old) has decided all of a sudden
that he wants to "escape".
As soon as we open the door, the cat in question, runs and escapes
to the porch where he generally freezes and we toss him back
inside.

Gabby does the exact same thing.

Response to AZ Nomad :

Let him escape next time it is raining really hard?

And that is exactly what I tried doing. *When it finally snowed, I
allowed him free reign on the deck. *He went out quick, as usual, sat
in the snow for a few seconds and turned and came back inside,
shaking his feet.

Now he peers around the server as if to see if the snow is still
around every time the door opens.

--
-Lost
Remove the extra words to reply by e-mail. *Don't e-mail me. *I am
kidding. *No I am not.

Hmm, not a bad idea... we've started drenching him with a squire
bottle and so far it's working, but we'll see! Thanks everyone for
all the tips, we'll have to try these!

On Wed, 9 Jan 2008 12:16:20 -0800 (PST), PMcOuntry
wrote:

Hi, one of my male cats (3 years old) has decided all of a sudden that
he wants to "escape". My other two cats want nothing to do with "out
there". As soon as we open the door, the cat in question, runs and
escapes to the porch where he generally freezes and we toss him back
inside. Yesterday he went farther, he left the porch and hid under a
bush. I'm really getting worried about this behavior, they have never
been outdoor cats, they've been inside since birth. How can I "change
his mind" so to speak? We do not have a fenced in yard, we live near
a street, and there are dogs everywhere. Thank you for any advice
you
can give me on this matter. As all cat lovers know, he's my baby and
I couldn't bear to lose him.

Patricia


Put him on a leash and go for a walk. That way, he gets to examine the
outside in safety.

I often let my cats into my fenced in backyard (when I can keep an eye
on them). I even put a little video camera back there so I can watch
them while I do some work. I do put a leash on Espy and let him walk
around the front of the house on rare occasions. The other two are
happy with the backyard, but he wants the front also.

And consider fencing in the backyard if you can. Just look for Cat
Fencing. I understand folks living in apartments keeping the cats
inside all the time, but if you can have a protected outside
environment, why not? One of the main reasons I bought the house was
so that my cats could have a backyard. It turns out to be the best
financial decision I ever made so I owe them big time. Well, those two
are dead but I think the debt just passes on to the current brood.

My cats love going into the yard, and will even go out in snow and
rain. Of course, they dive under the deck when it's raining or under
an evergreen, but at least it's up to them. One winter there was a
huge snowstorm and I dug a path through four feet of snow to reach the
bird feeder, and Espy went with me. He couldn't get out of the path of
course since it had four foot walls of snow. But he loves snow. He's
so weird.