Expert: Ali - 11/29/2009

Question
Hey first off thank you for taking the time to answer this. I have just adopted a mix breed tom cat. I was told he's n alpha male and he seems to be just that. My question is
Pretty simple the cat is obsessed with closed doors. If someone is in the bathroom he will sit out side put his front paws against the door standing up n scratch. The scratching isn't a problem however he does this with the front n back house doors  n he tries to get out of the house. Both the doors open 2 hallways with a more door before the actual outside. I am afraid one day someone will not realize he's there n he will get out. Is there any way to deteer him from stalking the doors n trying to get out
Thanks tom  

Answer
Tom,

I'm going to be honest with you, cats always feel as though they're on the wrong side of a closed door regardless of their age, history or personality type. In terms of issues with the bathroom door in our household we've resorted to leaving the door open just enough for a kitty to slip through while we use the washroom provided of course that we don't have company. The beauty of this strategy is that you'll find your time in the washroom is uninterrupted and often you won't have an audience. When company comes over it will get to the point where the cat understands that the door is open the majority of the time and he'll stop showing interest in it when it is closed.

As for your kitty's obsession with the doors leading to outside I'd guess that the real issue here is one of hormones - if your tom isn't neutered I'd strongly suggest that you do so ASAP. Neutering your kitty will help him settle down somewhat, but there are also other important advantages - neutering reduces the risks of behavioral issues like spraying and house soiling, neutered cats aren't as likely to get into nasty scraps with other intact males since they aren't concerned about breeding/bragging rights and medically neutering a cat reduces the likelihood of prostate cancer and completely prevents testicular cancer. The earlier in life a cat is spayed/neutered the better off they are in terms of reducing the risks of reproductive cancers, potential issues with aggression, territorial marking (urine/feces), spraying, etc.

You can certainly try humane disciplinary tools such as a spray bottle filled with water set to stream or a can of compressed air (the type used to clean electronics/computer keyboards). Ideally to get the message through you'll pick a weekend and get a few friends over, you'll all take turns standing outside of the door and opening it slightly - when kitty is there trying to get out you squirt him with water or you direct a stream of compressed air over his head. Alternate tools and doors that you use them behind. Cats are very intelligent and highly trainable, he will get the picture relatively quickly. You may have to reinforce the message by keeping a can of compressed air and/or a spray bottle at each entrance where you can easily reach it before a kitty can get out of the house.

Since your kitty is trying to outdo Houdini lately I do think that it's a good idea for you to invest in some ID for him just in case he gets out. A few suggestions are either a breakaway collar (be forewarned, they do break away if kitty gets caught on anything which means he'd be left without ID) or a harness that you can outfit with conventional tags. There are also modern tags that can be purchased at some pet stores essentially they're just a small USB drive housed in waterproof housing that you set up so it contains your address, phone #, etc which allows anyone finding your kitty can get him home safely to you. You could also invest in a microchip, but to be frank they make me a bit nervous since there's some evidence to show that they can migrate under the cat's skin. Hopefully this information is helpful, if you have any further kitty related questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to contact me again, I'll do my absolute best to help you out.