How to stop a cat from running out of the apartment? 8 ideas

Thousands of owners never received their pets back from “self-walking” – that’s a fact. The owners who risk their pet’s life have only one argument: “what can I do, he’s asking to go outside.” If you go deeper, you can find several more advantages of walking, but under the control of the owner. Below we will figure out how to wean a cat from going outside unattended and how to make your pet’s walks safe.

Cat on the street: arguments for

The main argument of those who regularly let their pet out for a walk and consider it right is simple: cats are very independent natures, and on the street they feel freer, because their space and actions are not limited. Moreover, a cat on the street can also feel happy because:

there are more opportunities for active activities - outside you can run to your heart's content, climb trees, hunt and do other things cats love,
there are many relatives living on the street with whom you can sort things out or, on the contrary, “start a family”,
there is sunlight, a moderate amount of which has a beneficial effect on the health and sleep of the animal,
on the street, a cat will be able to satisfy its natural curiosity - many different phenomena that will need to be learned can significantly expand the horizons of your pet,
the street allows animals to demonstrate all their behavioral habits, which are laid down at the level of instincts - scratching various objects with their claws, marking their territory, etc.

Moreover, veterinarians believe that cats need walks because they can add variety to their daily lives. This is very important, because boredom can subsequently become a catalyst for various deviations in the animal’s behavior, which can begin to scratch wallpaper or furniture, intensively lick fur, destroy indoor plants, etc.

This is why animals that are picked up on the street and brought into the house very often want to come back. And if a cat asks to go outside, it is better to either let it out or find something for it to do indoors. Otherwise, she will either be sad or throw out all her energy inside the house, which is sometimes dangerous for the integrity of the things located there.

Cat on the street: arguments against

Even if the cat asks to go outside too persistently, you should think carefully before opening the door for him. First of all, it is necessary to take into account that such a change will qualitatively change the pet’s life and will directly affect how and how long it will live. And with the wrong approach, you can significantly shorten the life of your pet!

This is possible because:

On the street, a cat is exposed to many infections, including rabies (this is why it is so important to give your pet all the necessary vaccinations on time),
a cat unprepared for the hardships of street life can accidentally eat poison that is spread by animal fighters and become seriously ill or even die,
on the street it is very difficult for cats to avoid injuries and injuries, and they are harmful not only in themselves: through wounds during fights, dangerous viruses can enter the blood of animals,
while walking, a cat will inevitably encounter parasites (worms, fleas, ringworm, etc.) - most of them have vaccinations or other preventive measures, but be prepared for the fact that even a healthy walking pet can bring them into your home , infecting other pets or even yourself,
outdoor cats are often attacked by wild animals, which can either infect them or seriously injure them,
if the cat is purebred, it can simply be stolen,
Pets that go outside are more likely than others to die under the wheels of cars or be subjected to cruel treatment by people - they are used to trusting people, so they are often careless.

And, of course, a pet “unprepared” for the hardships of the street can easily catch a cold: temperature changes greatly contribute to this.

Taking this into account, experts say: releasing a domestic cat outside is not a solution to the animal’s behavioral problems. Moreover, this may even be a threat to his life: according to statistics, cats that live on the street or are often there live on average 3-7 years. Domestic cats live to be 14 or more.

“I, a cat, go wherever I please, and I walk on my own.”

Some purebred cats that have never left the apartment perceive the street as an alien environment and experience severe stress if they accidentally find themselves outside their native walls. Transporting such animals turns into a whole adventure, and training them to walk on a leash turns into a long training process.

However, most representatives of the cat tribe are freedom-loving and independent, therefore, having once tasted freedom, they will be eager to go outside again and again. It is noteworthy that the mustachioed striped animals seem to store within themselves all the experience of their wild ancestors and very quickly adapt to life in the natural environment. The street is attractive to cats for many reasons, including:

Genetic memory of ancestors . This applies to the ubiquitous cats of the “noble” breed, whose parents and grandparents led a free life and took care of their own food and safety.
Hunting instinct . A bloodthirsty predator slumbers in every murka, so the innate desire to ambush neighboring pigeons or the excitement of mouse hunting can provoke frequent unauthorized absences.
Territorial instinct . A cat considers an apartment to be its territory, but individuals leaving the home expand their private boundaries and set up “control points” in the form of scent marks. Once in the wild, the first thing the cat does is walk around its property, examine the “messages” from its relatives and update its personal marks.
Sexual instinct . The instinct of procreation forces sexually mature animals to persistently look for a mate and have offspring. Everyone knows the loud night serenades of March cats and brutal fights with opponents. Periods of sexual heat in cats (estrus) can also proceed very violently, accompanied by refusal to eat, characteristic poses and calling calls.
Orienting instinct . Curiosity and the desire to discover new horizons are especially characteristic of young animals, so striving outside for a cat means fighting boredom and monotony.
Social behavior . Despite the fact that many cats are loners, they are not alien to communication with their relatives and the corresponding manifestation of emotions.
Need for physical activity . Domestic cats spend up to 18 hours a day in a sleepy and drowsy state, but exercise and exercise are important for them to maintain muscle tone and overall health. In freedom, this can include cross-country running, jumping, gymnastics and overcoming various obstacles.
Energy discharge and activation of metabolism . Undoubtedly, cats with regular access to the street do not suffer from poor appetite, physical inactivity and obesity.
Psychological hardening and personal experience . On the street, the animal is exposed to various stimuli, including negative and potentially dangerous ones, but gradually learns to choose the right course of behavior and resist stress factors. Undoubtedly, the nervous system of a street cat is much more stress-resistant than the pampered psyche of an animal that considers the apartment its whole world.
Change of residence . It is known that cats are more attached to a place than to their owner. Therefore, moving may provoke a desire for the mustachioed one to return to his homeland.
Lack of contact with the owner, bad attitude . Despite the relative independence of cats and the ability to distance themselves when communicating with people, they are very sensitive to negativity and may prefer the street to a home where they are not welcome.

What should you think about when letting your cat outside?

If you decide that your pet will walk outside or even live there permanently, you will need to prepare for this. This can be done by taking into account several important aspects:

the cat will need to have all the necessary vaccinations (against infectious diseases, various viruses) and antiparasitic fur treatment (so that your pet does not suffer from fleas, lice, ticks, etc.),
the cat needs anthelmintic drugs, and if the animal walks on the street, it will have to be given them once every 3-4 months, regardless of whether you notice symptoms of worms,
you should think about whether you want your cat to give birth to you: she can do this already at 6-7 months (to avoid this, you should think about castration or sterilization of your pet),
When releasing a cat onto city streets, it is better to provide the animal with a collar with your address and telephone number or a tag printed on it - this will help if the cat gets lost, and will also indicate that it is domestic.

Why does a cat want to run away from home?

The whole point is that a weak and sick animal subconsciously looks for a secluded and quiet corner where enemies cannot attack it. Often such places become courtyards or basements near the house - cats

They are no longer able to get out of there on their own, and therefore die.

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How to accustom a cat to the street?

This needs to be done gradually. A kitten should be taught to walk from the age of 3-4 months, when it has already received the necessary vaccinations. The sequence of training is as follows:

rehearse a walk down the street with your pet - put a harness and leash on the cat and accustom him to this accessory by leading the cat around the house,
when your pet gets used to such unusual equipment, introduce him to the yard,
then show him the street with all its dangers,
after this, the kitten should be shown the way to the entrance of the house, and from there to your apartment (the opinion that cats easily find their way home is wrong - only those who have already adapted to the street do this).

At the first stage, you will need to accustom your cat to a leash and harness. A collar for cats is not suitable because they have a more delicate and thin neck than dogs, and the collar can seriously damage it. Harnesses (special straps that cover the pet in the area of the shoulder blades and fasten on the neck or tummy) are not capable of this and, in addition, they do not allow the cat to slip out of them.

To help your cat get used to the harness faster, you should choose an accessory made of lightweight material (cotton or nylon), and also make sure that both the harness and the leash are as light as possible. You can use roulette leashes for small breed dogs.

If your pet is already a year old or more, and he has never been outside, it is better not to let him out at all. Such a walk will be a real stress for the animal. On the other hand, the younger the kitten, the greater the chance that it will quickly adapt to the street.

Also, if you are wondering how to tame a cat outdoors, remember: an adapted animal may not appear at home for several days, especially if it is March! But at the same time, if the cat has been gone for more than 2-3 days, it is better to independently visit the places where these animals gather (basements, certain areas of courtyards, entrances) and look for your pet there. Also, do not be surprised if one day your pet returns home bitten, hungry and scratched - such are the hardships of street life, and if you have chosen it for your pet, all that remains is to care for it afterwards.

How to wean a cat off the street?

If you suddenly decide that you need to stop walking (or you picked up a cat from the street and don’t want her to return there), you will definitely have to think about how to wean the animal from “free life”. This is very important, because a cat that is used to living outdoors will have a hard time adapting to the house. However, this problem is completely solvable. You just need to follow a few instructions:

give the cat her own territory where she can walk and play as much as she wants,
arrange places on which the animal can calmly climb and on which it can sharpen its claws, and you will satisfy its habits, which are easily implemented on the street,
for a domestic cat, you can purchase a special gaming complex that allows you to satisfy all the needs of the animal,
let your pet go for a walk on the balcony (provided that it is fenced and the cat will not run away),
protect the vents and windows with nets or bars so that the cat does not intentionally or accidentally leave your house,
prepare the cat litter by filling it not with litter, but with sand or earth - this will be more consistent with the living conditions to which your pet is accustomed,
diversify the life and nutrition of your pet - cats that have been outside are more active, and more domestic ones need various useful and nutrients, and to provide them with them, try growing grass for cats at home and buying vitamins,
Pay more attention to your pet, playing with him as often as possible.

And remember: you should never transfer your emotions to the emotions of animals. If you see that a cat is sitting sadly on the windowsill and looking outside, this does not mean that it is eager to go there. Typically, such “get-togethers” only mean that the animal is simply observing what is happening: for cats this is a great way to relax. And if animals receive sufficient physical activity and a balanced diet, they have no need to walk outside.

Do not show signs of attention to the cat at the doorstep

Many owners like to say goodbye to their cat or greet him right at the door . This place becomes special for your pet, because here he is shown signs of attention.

To make a threshold a no-go zone, try changing your behavior. Pretend not to notice the cat when you come home or leave the apartment if he meets or accompanies you at the doorstep. It is better to greet or say “bye” to the kitty in another place. For example, in the living room, bedroom or kitchen. This way you will indicate to the cat the place where it is best to meet and see you off.

2. Organize a cozy place for the cat with a good view

Cats are territorial animals. It is important for them to protect the territory from outside attacks and find sources of danger outside. Moreover, a cat can consider even the territory beyond the threshold of the apartment to be its territory. Therefore, an attempt to escape is often associated with instincts.

Give your cat a place that can compete with what's outside the door. For example, let it be on the windowsill, from where the cat can view his possessions. Lay down a blanket, a bag of catnip, a favorite toy, open the view of the window by raising the curtains and blinds, and the cat will surely love the new place.

A window sill is an ideal place for cats to look around their cat property.

Motivating the cat to stay in place at the right time

Now all that remains is to accustom the pet to its place. A treat is suitable for this. Whenever you are about to leave the house, give it to the cat if he is in his place. If this does not happen, the treat is canceled. As a result of such an experiment, the cat will understand that at the moment of leaving it is better for him to be on the windowsill, because this is the only way he will receive a reward. Here's how to stop your cat from running out the door!

Little tricks

The life of a cat on the street is full of various rules, and compliance with some of them depends on the owner.

1. Neutered cat and the street

Owners of neutered cats should pay special attention to organizing walks for their pets. According to experts, castrated cats have no smell, so other animals cannot understand whether it is a cat or a cat, and do not touch such a “newbie”: cats simply do not see him as a rival.

However, if a neutered cat behaves aggressively on the street and encroaches on someone else’s territory, a fight cannot be avoided. At the same time, both male and female cats will fight - for the latter, a castrated relative is not at all understandable and is considered something foreign. However, the castrated cat himself will not remain in debt - for him, both male and female cats are the same “border violators”.

2. When and where to go for a walk?

Another important rule concerns the place and time for walks. It is best to take your pet for a walk in quiet places (for example, to a park, if walking animals is allowed there), where there are not large crowds of people and there are few stray animals that can scare a domestic cat. This should be done during the day, and if secluded places are occupied at the height of the day, you can go for a walk in the morning or early evening. In this case, you should avoid that during your walk:

you did not come close to any thickets - the leash could get tangled in them,
you did not let the cat go for a minute - a frightened animal can run away,
a cat sitting in your arms or in a carrier walked on the ground only when it wanted to (it is best to take the cat outside in a carrier, put the carrier on the ground and wait until the pet wants to go out and look around).

3. Pet bell

When the cat has already learned to walk on its own and is not afraid of the street, think about how you will let your pet home and let him out for walks. For residents of private houses, those who live on the first floors have the easiest time - the animal can leave and enter through the window. The rest will have to do this through the door, and in this case it is best to train the cat to meow in front of the door (this is easy to do - at first you need to take the cat one or two floors down, and then call it to you and give a treat when it comes). In the first days of such walks, you can keep the door ajar all the time so that the cat knows that behind it is its home. Finally, for very smart cats, the owners make a special bell at the bottom of the door - a cat that starts scratching at the door, returning home, presses it with its paw and lets you know that it has returned.

4. How to get rid of... prey?

A cat that walks outside has a particularly pronounced hunting instinct - the animal happily hunts birds or rodents and then brings them into the house with no less pleasure. The cat perceives all this as an ordinary game, and is very happy that it can play like this on the street, because at home it is completely deprived of this opportunity. However, why does a cat show its prey to its owners?

According to experts, there are several answers to this question:

firstly, your pet wants to show you who he managed to catch while hunting,
secondly, he expects praise for it.

Taking this into account, you should under no circumstances scold a cat for such behavior, because the animal will not even understand what’s going on! In such a situation it is necessary:

remain completely calm and affectionately thank and praise your pet,
then carefully remove the bird or rodent from its mouth (if you do this carefully, there is a chance that the “prey” will still be alive, and you can simply release it into the wild),
After this, you need to pet the cat a little, and then still let her understand that this behavior does not cause you delight (the animal will understand this if you release the prey right in front of its eyes).

In any situation, never raise your voice at your cat or scold it. When hunting, your pet is simply realizing its instincts, and you should not embarrass it by the fact that you do not understand cat nature and are dissatisfied with it.

5. Winter and summer

And, of course, when taking your cat for a walk, it is very important to remember the season! In cold weather, animals get seriously cold, and a cat outside in winter can get a serious cold. In cold weather, it is better not to let your pet out alone, and if you decide to take him for a walk, keep the walks short and provide a blanket for the cat in which you can wrap it, taking your pet in your arms.

On the other hand, a cat outside in the summer may suffer from the heat, so in the heat it is better to hold off on walks. The best option is to let your pet out in the evening or early in the morning and make sure that he does not overheat in the hot sun. Also, on the hottest days, you can simply leave the cat at home, no matter how much it asks to go outside.

By following these simple rules, you can ensure your pet’s “street” life in accordance with all the rules. Such a life will certainly be comfortable for your cat, and will also be as safe as possible for her. And the more you think about the health and life of your pet, the greater the chance that everything will always be fine with him.

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