How to: Cats?

[111]

Arturius was hungry this morning.

 

I gave him food.

 

When I left he was still trying to get out so I sorta spritzed him a few times but he kept inching T_T

 

I lobbed him at the bed like a very furry hand grenade and then ran out the door.

[Kage]

Do things like those dog gate pens work on cats? >.> I don't think so...?

[111]

Arturius was hungry this morning.

 

I gave him food.

 

When I left he was still trying to get out so I sorta spritzed him a few times but he kept inching T_T

Do you feed him anywhere near the door you're leaving by? I wonder if you might have better luck feeding him completely across the house/apartment from the door you're using, and feeding him literally RIGHT before you're going to walk across the house/apartment to leave?

 

We feed him across the Apartment... but it's not a big apartment. We just have food in his bowl all the time because otherwise he won't shut up. He's really active though, so he burns it off fast.

[Kage]

I figure, a straight line from the food dishes to the door, it's about 8 feet.

 

His bowl was empty and I filled it this morning. I ran for the door and he was at my feet. I sprayed his cute face about 4 times as he kept trying to inch and then I also kicked the door for some noise before I slipped out.

 

I also hit the door with my humongous backpack while at it like a dork.

[Kage]

I decided to repurpose this thread since I have another question about cats.

 

I have an "old" laundry wire hamper, similar to this

Except the wire that helps the hamper pop out is occasionally breaking out and so I want to retire this as it is several years old. The reason I ask is because, well, my cat has repurposed this, long ago when i was still using it (a couple months), into his own... "crate." He just jumps in happily.

 

SO, with the wire popping out I'm a little worried he's gonna get hurt.

 

I'm curious to know if there's a different, actually for cat, toy tubes.

 

Kitty is pretty big, I got him this kong Crinkle tunnel here but it's pretty thin and kitty doesn't go in.

 

I'm trying to find tunnels that are bigger but no luck.

 

.... should I just buy another laundry hamper ><

[Unnamed Mercenary]

I decided to repurpose this thread since I have another question about cats.

 

I have an "old" laundry wire hamper, similar to this

Except the wire that helps the hamper pop out is occasionally breaking out and so I want to retire this as it is several years old. The reason I ask is because, well, my cat has repurposed this, long ago when i was still using it (a couple months), into his own... "crate." He just jumps in happily.

 

SO, with the wire popping out I'm a little worried he's gonna get hurt.

 

I'm curious to know if there's a different, actually for cat, toy tubes.

 

Kitty is pretty big, I got him this kong Crinkle tunnel here but it's pretty thin and kitty doesn't go in.

 

I'm trying to find tunnels that are bigger but no luck.

 

.... should I just buy another laundry hamper >

 

The hamper is likely only appealing because he knows he's not supposed to go in it. >also, cats seem to like laundry.

[Kage]

The hamper is likely only appealing because he knows he's not supposed to go in it. >also, cats seem to like laundry.

 

I never forced him out of it when there were clothes and I haven't put clothes in it for months. @_@

[Warren Castille]

Posting Whomp! because it's been covered.

 

 

You could buy the little guy a dozen things he's "supposed" to sit/play in. He's gonna use whatever he wants, though. If he likes the wire hamper, consider just wrapping/tying up the exposed end so he can't poke himself with it and leaving it be.

[Mae]

Patching with ducttape/gorilla tape will work... provided kitty doesn't like to chew on tape.

 

Cat tunnels tend to be smaller in general. This is for kids, so it might be bigger than you're looking for, but it might be something to consider.

[Kage]

He... tends to chew on * "non-furniture"?

 

My hair?

 

Sometimes the bristles at the end of the broom?

 

... and the string used to keep a laundry hamper closed

 

I'll buy some duct tape to see how that works, but I totally might consider the play tunnel if I had the space ><

[Flickering Ember]

You don't deter it.

 

Let him go outside. Buy a leash. Let him get used to being outside. 

I mean if you want to keep him as an indoor cat, that's fine. However, if he is very easily able to get out then give him at least a little bit of time outdoors so he can get used to it.

 

The thing about indoor cats and being outside is...when they do manage to get outside they go into panic mode because everything is just so different. That's how you end up having cats that run away because indoor cats don't know what the hell they are doing if they manage to get out.

 

Make sure he is neutered too. That will help.

 

So tl;dr

Slowly allow him to get used to outdoors so that if he manages to get out, he won't be completely overwhelmed and run away. And remember, if he does run away, keep in mind that cats who run away get very scared and won't run away further than a 3 house radius.

[Mae]

Also.. if you haven't considered it... boxes.

 

If you don't have any normally hanging around the house, get some of the smaller packing boxes that kitty will fit in, cut holes in them, and stack them and duct-tape them firmly together. My cats always loved box towers to run through, hide, and chew/claw on. You can semi-wrap them in wrapping paper to make them more pleasing to look at.

 

They're also cheap to make and replace (if yours is anything like mine, you'll be replacing every two to three months), and you can do variations on the patterns to give a different experience.

[ShoggMommy]

I have a kitty, she does have issues of running out of doors when she's not supposed to. I haven't had the issue of 'outdoors' yet... Thankfully. But what has helped was using a canned air. I keep it by a door she's not supposed to go into and what not. Now I do -not- spray it at the cat, but in the air, she dislikes it a lot and it has kept her away from it. 

 

It works in the same method as this; http://www.petsmart.com/cat/repellents/sunbeam-sensor-egg-cat-deterrent-zid36-5201283/cat-36-catid-200020

 

Edit: I must have read something wrong, I apologize. ^^; I'd have to agree if he wants to go outside you could always leash train, or maybe - if you have the time/money etc; something like this could work; http://catswallpaperhd.us/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/outdoor-cat-window-enclosures-hd-cats-digital-chum.jpg

 

There are also other ways for outdoor enclosures if you're interested. I had no idea that they had things beyond something like the above but there's whole setups you can make that are pretty friendly to kitties.