Door Darting Cat

Do you have a cat that just can’t wait till the door is open! Pet sitters are often asked, how do I stop my cat from darting out the door?  Your cat may be patient, almost stalking, when the door will open. We all understand that door darting can be dangerous. Your cat may end up being hit by a car or disappearing forever. The best solution is to teach your cat to stay in one place when the door is open.

 You’ll also want your cat to be much happier with the alternative activities than with the door. Start with changing your home so it is more appealing and exciting than the outside. You may adjust your furniture locations and bring in cat furnishings that are more cat-centric. Place a sofa or chair next to the window.  Use cat trees to allow your door darter to look outside, about 5 feet tall and near windows. One family created a series of shelves and a high-placed shelf next to the door so their Savannah-breed cat could perch on and sees out when the door was open.

  If, after all the previous improvements are made and your cat still wants to bolt out the door, consider more formal behavior and clicker training. Using clicker training, you can train your cat to ‘stay’ when the door is opened.

 Your cat needs to be rewarded “where” she is being trained to stay. If it is a stool, shelf, or pet furniture, place the treat on the stool in front of her after the click. When helping her to stay on a tree or on the furniture, do not toss the treat off the stool or tree because you want her to learn to stay in one spot on request.