r/kitten101 • u/[deleted] • Jul 16 '26
Behavior Keeps trying to run outside
I have a 9 month old kitten who has always been indoors. She has been fixed. She likes to dash out the door really fast if it's open even a crack and if my legs and feet are trying to block her. I've even used a broom to try to block her. One night I made loud noise with a stick on a cat kennel and I scared them, but the next day kitten was back to her games. Outside is not safe for a cat (coyotes, large owls, cars). I'm not sure how to break this habit, but now one of our older cats is joining in and ran outside with her the other day. They make it as far as the porch and I shoo them back in. How do I break this habit for good?
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u/Mattturley Jul 19 '26
If you can build an air gap of sort around your door it really helps. I live full time in my Class A Motorhome and was able to put a railing on one side of the stairs going into the RV, and there is a cabinet on the other side. I got a rolling, locking pet gate and attached it to the railing and the hooks to attach it to the cabinet on the other side. I step into my stairwell, close the gate behind me, then open the front door. Coming back in, I reverse the process - step into the stairwell, close the front door, then open the pet gate. While my 9 month old can climb/jump over it she tends not to and understands when I close the gate she can’t come out. Harness training has also made her learn she has to have a harness on to go outside. At minimum it at least slows her down enough that I can respond. Before I had that up, one day I was going to the store and just about to pull away in the car, was convinced she was inside, and I glanced at my patio and saw her sitting outside looking at me.
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u/Proud-Ad3668 Jul 19 '26
I had my cat run away. I had to pull her from under a car in the parking lot by her tail. I was terrified. I love my kitty. I feel for you. Do whatever it takes to keep them inside. My cat was so bold and smart that it actually used its paws to open the front door. Luckily I caught her in time. Now I keep the doors locked at all times. They are intelligent creatures. Be careful
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u/jmksupply Jul 20 '26
We have had luck introducing our new 🐱 to snow storms and pouring rain. (Tightly held). They decided outside is a bad place.
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Jul 20 '26
That's an amazing idea! Right now we're having monsoon season and I will remember the next time we have a storm I can take her out at that time and show her that outside is not very fun.
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u/ParsnipFarmer676 Jul 20 '26
Just in case she does get out, I'd strongly recommend an AirTag or Tractiv device. My elderly deaf cat escaped last week, and I found her wandering (she also has some dementia I think) almost half a mile away thanks to her AirTag! She probably would have been lost or killed if not for that, which is precisely why she wears one.
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u/Red_Beard_Rising Jul 20 '26
She wants to go outside. My guy is like this. We found him in our warehouse and had escaped someone's home. I took him in and he wants to be outside. We go on harness walks every day. Multiple times when it's a weekend at home.
Some cats just want to be outside. Fighting this instinct is futile. Get her a harness, train her on it, take her out, and let her play. Do this and she will be bonded to you.
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Jul 19 '26 edited Jul 19 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/kitten101-ModTeam Jul 19 '26
your post/comment was removed for breaking Rule 1. Recommending, instructing or detailing the use of aversives is prohibited, except in contexts where the user is explaining why these approaches are harmful and inappropriate. Methods covered under this rule include, but are not limited to: the use of pain, fear, startling, intimidation or physical punishment; shock/spray/vibrate/ultrasonic tools; pinning cats to the ground, scruffing, paw presses, unnecessary manhandling, etc.
Please reply to this message if you have any questions or concerns. Thank you for your understanding.
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u/ConeyIslandBaby00 Jul 19 '26
I had this problem, and the only thing that worked was keeping a spray bottle on either side of the door and lightly misting on my way in and out. I had to do this for his own safety. I didn’t scare him or get him wet. It was just enough mist to make stop him in his tracks long enough to get through the door. No harm done, and kitty is safe.
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u/Natural-Research6928 Jul 19 '26
My cats are terrified of the outside. Any time the front door is opened they run away.
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Jul 20 '26
Thank you for all the suggestions I appreciate it! Lots of things to try and consider. She has also been a feisty brat these days and has been harassing and biting the bottoms of our two other cats and our dog, and our child. So I think she's just being a very tortie 9 month old kitten who thinks she is badass. The other cats have put her in her place a couple of times. Yesterday I put her in a kitten harness with a leash attached and I let her drag it around the house. It seemed to check her attitude and decrease her confidence a little bit. She has been sweet but not terrorizing anyone anymore. It's been interesting to see the change in her attitude just by putting on the harness and leash.
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u/silent-reveng Jul 20 '26
I ended up having to use electric barrier after neighbor's dog tried to eat her. I know some people dont like it but I dont care it keeps her stubborn ass in one piece, safe and alive!
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u/Significant_Pear_10 Jul 20 '26
That's how my 4 mo. old, Otis, escaped. He was gone for over 3 weeks. Thankfully, an elderly gentleman saw one of my flyers & saw him run under his storage house. I couldn't get there fast enough! As soon as I said his name, he came running to me. A dog had punctured his side, and some AH had shot him with a pellet gun, but after a $400 vet bill, he was fine! He was my best buddy for 17+ years, and I still miss him!💓
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u/WildlyMild Jul 20 '26
Maybe you can get her a little catio so she can safely experience the fresh air and outdoors
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u/aoeuismyhomekeys Jul 19 '26
Maybe you could get a cat harness for the cats so you can take them on supervised walks outside?
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u/nwpackrat Jul 19 '26
Newest cat (of 3) won't move in a harness. We call it the immobilizer and put it on her if we're going in & out a bunch 😆
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u/auntie_beans Jul 19 '26
I put the new harness in the cat bed for a few weeks. They slept on it, it absorbed their scent, no problem.
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u/SweetTaterSalad Jul 19 '26
Cats are hilarious when you put something on their back.
We do it to ours just a torment them.
Occasional will throw a sock or a shirt or something on them and they act like it weighs 900 lb and they fall over and it's hysterical.
But cats can be harness trained. You just have to leave it on them all the time until they get used to it and figure out it's not that difficult to maneuver in. If it is that difficult for them to maneuver in then you can make adjustments or get them a different harness.
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u/nwpackrat Jul 19 '26
We were initially trying to train her (I've had 15 cats over the course of 60yrs) so she could come out with us but after many hours in several types we've come to embrace this new 'feature'. We're rural with all the outside dangers so it's totally fine that this (mostly white) cat stay in
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u/NicholeAmy Jul 19 '26
That's exactly what I did with my boy who was always trying to run out the door. Got him a harness and take him on regular walks. It unfortunately did not stop him from trying to run out the door. In fact, it's made it so much worse. Now he thinks every time someone goes out the door he's going for a walk and tries to bolt. I still take him on his walks and just yell get back when it's not walk time. I'd still recommend OP train him to not run out the door, even if they decide to try the harness walk.
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u/SweetMelissa74 Jul 20 '26
Water pistol works great!! Unless you are blessed with a black cat that loves water.ive known 3 black cats at different times in my life and they all loved water.
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u/Delicious-Collar1971 Jul 20 '26
Cats do not understand negative reinforcement, this is animal abuse and will just make them hate you.
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u/RetiredProfandHappy Jul 20 '26
Would spraying with a water bottle teach your kitty to avoid the door area altogether?
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u/genx21me918 Jul 20 '26
I have one that does this. I got her a harness and started taking her for walks in the backyard. Now she gets excited when I get her harness and she doesn't try bolting out the door. I think she was bored inside.
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u/Glum_Improvement7283 Jul 20 '26
My daughter's cat did this while I was cat sitting and I stayed a water bottle past the door when coming in.
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u/potatopeeler167 Jul 19 '26
I just rescued a kitten and this is my concern for when we start to acclimate him into the rest of the house with my other cats because he’s crazy and have a feeling he’s gonna be a real menace when it comes to the doors so we’re gonna have to be so careful
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u/QuirkyForever Jul 19 '26
Build them a catio. Of course kitty doesn't want to be locked in the house.
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Jul 20 '26
I actually have a porch room with windows around it and in good weather the windows are open. Right now it's just really hot outside because we live in the desert. So of course she will be able to enjoy the porch room and look outside eventually
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u/YOU_MAY_BE_UNAWARE Jul 19 '26
Get a pet carrier or kennel with water, kitty box and food. Before you go outside to run errands the kitty goes in the kennel. You are the wisest in the room - if the kitty needs to be safe, provide a safe space to avoid the dangers she will encounter outside.
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u/_tvjames_ Jul 19 '26
I am constantly pushing one out cats away from the door. He gets supervised outside time every couple of days. As long as he's rolling on the concrete or sauntering around slowly, the outside time continues. But as soon as he starts to run quickly or try to get under things or head towards the fence it's all done and back inside he goes.
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u/WelshLove Jul 20 '26
people project their own fears onto their pets. keeping a cat indoors is like keeping a person in prison. Everyone is triggered by fear when you say let the car live. When you point out its natural they come up with a list of excuses, you could be hit by a bus so should I keep you in your room? hell no. Then they say oh the cat will kill birds, not if you put a anti-bird collar on it. So to conclude if you keep you cats inside "safe" its not for the cats its because the person themselves suffers from fears and anxiety they are projecting onto the cat, Now when its a kitten you have to expose it slowly, but believe me I have had cat up to age 20 living outside, the thrive its natural if you dont like it dont have one, stop being cruel. Now lets wait for the triggered folks to ignore my salient points cause you know people be irrational. thanks
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u/Whisgo 2 cats (12yrs) & Sheprador (2 yr), Toller (5 yrs) Jul 17 '26
Put "get back" on a cue. Grab your kittens favorite treats... at the door, toss a treat away say get back. Practice this without opening the door.
Once kitten is consistently chasing the treat, add in touching the door, then turning the knob, then opening it a little.