Cat Training and Behavior (Domestic and Feral)/cat training aid?

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Expert: Dear Tabbi - 6/24/2008


Question
I live in a basement apartment and have an in/outdoor 1yr old cat. My brother, who lives upstairs leaves a door open for his dog to go in and out at leisure. He doesn't want my cat in his house. How do I train my kitty to stay out or not cross that threshold into his house?

Answer
Jeanine,

That is a very difficult thing to try to do. Cats are naturally curious and if the cat sees the dog going in and out, he can't understand why he can't too. Cats do not have any reasoning ability and the cat can't understand why this piece of ground he can go on but that piece he can't. It's all the same to him.

I doubt your brother would want to do it, but there are doggy doors that only work with a remote that the dog wears on his collar. Only an animal wearing the remote is able to go through it.

Your brother can scare the bejeeses out of the cat (of course without anything physically hurting the cat) so he will be scared to come in his place. Something like hitting a rolled up newpaper against something when he sees the cat.

I don't know how determined your cat is to go into your brother's, but you can put citrus peels (orange, lemon, etc.) in a blender with a little water and sprinkle it around and near his door. Cats HATE the smell of citrus!

You can work out a schedule with him to keep your cat in when the dog is out, or keep his door closed when the dog and cat are both out. In this situation you need to make some compromises and concessions for things to work out.

I hope this will help give you some ideas.

Tabbi  

Cat Training and Behavior (Domestic and Feral)

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Dear Tabbi

Expertise

My expertise is in helping people understand their cat (or cats) and their behavior. Questions are welcome even if you don't have a cat....just a question about them. Hopefully my experience, suggestions, and comments will be of help to you...and your cat (or cats). Looking through my past responses to questions will give you additional information and/or answers too. Domestic Cats = cats (no matter what breed) who are tame or not wild, or abandoned cats who were pets that became wild, but can be tamed again. Ferals = cats who are born with one or more parents who were wild stray cats. They usually have had no interactions with people. They have an inbred distrust of humans and are difficult to socialize. They are skittish, hide, and are afraid of people. They take a lot of time and patience to work with them. A lot of kittens from shelters had a feral parent.

Experience

Since I was a child, over 45 years, I have been owned by a LOT of cats and kittens of almost every temperament, behavior, and personality. I have had experience with neurotic, disabled (including blind), stray, and 'problem child' cats and kittens. (A few normal cats too!) Plus all the things a lifetime of owning cats and research has taught me. I also have experience in feral cat behavior (which is different from domestic cats), and some experience with feral colonies that includes colony feeding and feral cat TNR (trap/neuter/release).

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