The Cat Behavior Answer Book - Arden Moore [75]
A Chuckles knows where he can view the best action of outdoor activities in your neighborhood. Cats are nosey neighbors. They love to spend hours eyeing what’s happening in your yard and at the next-door neighbor’s house. Chuckles is clearly telling you that he wants to check out what’s going on outside your living room window. He can probably see more birds, squirrels, or other critters from there than from your upstairs window.
The easy solution — and one that can still blend into your home décor — is to install a window ledge that can handle his wide girth. Don’t worry. You won’t have to do any drilling or poke any holes in your drywall. Many sturdy, stylish window ledges fasten securely with suction cups and sticky strips. They also feature plush or fleece-lined covers that come in a variety of colors and can be easily machine washed.
If you don’t want to add a cat perch to your windowsill, consider placing a cat post with a platform next to this favored spot so that Chuckles can sit in comfort. Another solution might be a dining room chair, with a towel to protect the upholstery, which can easily be removed when you have company and put back in time for the next day’s viewing.
Treat Chuckles to a comfortable seat in the living room where he can occupy a lot of his home-alone time scouting the neighborhood, and he’ll be less apt to perform any unwanted behaviors. While you’re at home, he may even meow you over to catch a glimpse of a rare bird or to check out the funny socks that your neighbor is sporting.
Dashing Out the Door
Q Whenever I leave or enter the house through the door leading to the garage, my big orange tabby, Morris, stands ready to bolt out the door. He is quite a muscular, pushy cat. Sometimes I can’t reach the garage door opener quickly enough to shut the overhead garage door before Morris scoots out and down the driveway. He’s supposed to be an indoor cat, so I have to run after him and bring him home, which can take a long time. What can I do to keep Morris from bolting out the door?
A What makes an indoor cat feel the need to prowl outside? Morris may be smelling and hearing other cats, especially during the breeding seasons, or he may be curious about the trees and grass he can see from the window (not to mention the birds!). He obviously hates to be a homebody. He doesn’t understand that he is safer inside. He also thinks he can throw his weight around with you.
You can retrain Morris to meet and greet you at a particular spot when you leave or return home. Practice luring Morris over to a favorite place, such as a window perch or a cat tree. Then say your good-byes there. Give him a special treat or a pinch of catnip to occupy him while you exit. If he likes to chase things, take a paper wad, crinkle it in your hand to make enticing sounds, and toss it in the opposite direction as you exit. Or toss him a toy mouse to distract him. Also, randomly choose different doors to enter and leave. A cat can’t lay in wait at three different exits. Practice with the main garage door shut, so that even if Morris turns into Houdini, you’ll be able to recapture him easily.
When you come home, close the garage door while you practice your returns. Walk in the house door, completely ignoring the ever-waiting Morris. Go over to the chosen spot. Call him over, greet him, and offer him a treat. The idea is to motivate Morris to move away from the door when you leave and when you come home in exchange for a tasty payoff at the window perch or cat tree.
Another method is to discourage him from approaching the door at all. One of my friends had a similar problem with her bolting cat. She placed squirt guns on either side of the exit door. When she was