Worried About My Escaping Cat

Worried About My Escaping Cat

by Steve
(Vancouver BC, Canada)

I live in a rooming house with other people having their own rooms, and some of them have visitors from time to time, and at all times of the night and day.

My 16 week old kitten will go to the door anytime someone leaves and when the person comes back into the house, the cat will try and sometimes succeed in escaping.

I live on a very busy street and on a bus loop. I need a way to stop my kitten from escaping. I do not believe in cat punishment, but don't know how to stop her.

I am so afraid that one day she is going to escape and be mushed by a bus or another vehicle.

Please help me. My cat may be comfortable and happy, but I'm becoming stressed and a nervous wreck.

Steve

Hi Steve... thanks for visiting and asking.

You are living under circumstances that are far from ideal for a domestic cat. Whatever you do will be less good than than, for example, the arrangements of Finn Frode in Denmark.

This is not to criticize but to suggest that a good answer is going to be hard to come by.

It seems that you are going to need to obtain the cooperation of your fellow room mates.

How about a meeting sometime with the other tenants, in the near future; get them around for a drink or something. You explain the situation. You ask them to be alert to the possibility of your cat being at the door when the come home and when they leave. That in itself should reduce the escapes.

A better system but one that may not be allowed under the terms of your tenancy is to fit a second door inside the front door. This should be about 5 feet from the front door.

When a person leaves he or she checks that your cat is behind the inner door. The person should not open the front door until the second inner door is shut. When entering your cat will be behind the inner door and prevented from escaping through the front (outer) door provided it is consistently kept shut.

Another possibility is to move! A more suitable home would be a solution but probably financially impractical.

Another solution is to re-home your cat. That sounds drastic and unpleasant but it is a solution in relation to your cat's safety.

Personally, I think that some people, no matter how suited to keeping a cat and kind (as you seem to be), are not in a position to keep a cat at a certain period in their lives. This may apply to you at this time. Sorry if that sounds harsh.

Someone else will no doubt have a better answer.

Best

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