Trouble trying to escape

Isolt

Please can somebody offer a solution? My cat is 1 year old. He has always been indoors and is neutered and fully vaccinated. When I got him he was on the brink of death and I didn't expect him to recover as he had been so badly starved from an early age. I hand fed him through a syringe and he became big and healthy. However, he has really bad behavioural issues. The vet reckons that his parents were wild (I found him as a kitten in a garden) and that's why he acts so rough sometimes.

Here is the issue though, he has escaped from the house once and since then he howls and roars to get outside. Because he is a house cat I am terrified to let him out plus I live on a very busy Dublin road. It's gotten to the stage where he howls at the door constantly from about 3-4am onwards. I can't actually cope with hearing him roar like that. He is treated well, always fed, cuddled, petted etc. Why does he try escape so much and is there anything I can do?

sambuka41

Play with him inside as much as you can. Rotate the toys to keep him entertained. I went in search of lots of new fancy toys when I started keeping Jack in but now what entertains him the most is Penny's paper bags that he can hide in, the little mice you get in €2 shop, a piece of wood to scratch and a da bird type toy, with a fish on it that he got off someone on boards

The 3-4am thing I noticed with my fella in the last month or so, but its probably down to the sun coming up earlier, they are hearing birds and other animals stirring so they want to investigate!! Jack has learned at this stage that I won't be getting up and that if he keeps meowing and scratching he's likely to get a pillow fired in his direction so he amuses himself until I get up.

Stay strong, inside is better option!!

Oh just to say Jack is indoors nearly 2 years now and EVERY SINGLE TIME the door is open he is out!!! Its way more fun for them to be out, if they are that way inclined, they will always try

mymo

Isolt, do you have a garden on yard? If so could you create a run off the back of your place that he could go out into, but not escape?
We have a young cat here that was completely feral and half dead at 4 or 5 weeks when we found her late september last year, but she's a real pet now, and I have seen other ex ferals that made great pets too, most cats can be a bit wild when young. I don't think it's got much to do with being feral when they're got that young.
Is he neutered? I am assuming he is, if not get him done ASAP it will help.
Another thing to try is one of those plug ins feliway, helps calm them, or rescue remedy in the water.

doubter

My first thought is get hiom a companion..someone to play with..he'll be very unlikely wanting to go outside..

Soodle

I would reccomend plenty of playtime and maybe you could get an enclosed pen for your garden?

Isolt

Thanks for the replies guys.

He is neutered which is why I'm so surprised by him constantly trying to get out. I have increased his play time over the last few days (mainly because my little sister has been staying over and she keeps playing with him) and there has been a slight, tiny improvement. However he is still having regular episodes of howling and meowing constantly. I need to stock up on some new toys and deffo look into that rescue remedy stuff mentioned by mymo. I live in an apartment and we have no garden which was fine up until recently but he seems so unsettled now.

I just hope he's happy. I hate to think that he's trying to run away because he doesn't like living here.

Nody

Isolt wrote: »

I just hope he's happy. I hate to think that he's trying to run away because he doesn't like living here.

If he was unhappy you'd not see him at all as he'd be hiding the whole time.

Does he have access to windows to be able to look out? Do you have mosquito nets installed? With such nets (properly installed) you can open the window and they can get all the smells and sounds coming in; our cats love it. Do not how ever open a window at an angle (like half a V) trying to simulate this; I know multiple cats who've gotten out of such windows (which their owners claimed would be impossible for their cat due to size/laziness).

Another thing you can look at is getting him used to be in a harness and take him for cat walks (this takes time how ever to get him used to wearing a harness, having restricted movement etc.).

Ambersky

It sounds like your cat has every comfort with an owner anxiously trying to meet his every need. His needs for stimulation and exercise can be met at other times not in the early hours of the morning if he is to continue to be a house cat and he can adjust to that.
A cat howling at 3-4 am however is not something you are going to be able to live with if you are to meet your own needs for sleep.
My own cat and his brother who comes to stay occasionally can decide they would like the whole house up for sunrise in the summer too.
I think this howling is done for my benefit, to effect me and to get me to do what the cat in question wants. Yes the cat would like my attention at 4am but he dosent need my attention at that time. He is being demanding and if I give him attention he is learning that his demands get rewarded.
If you read up a bit on the net about cat communication you will read things like this article The Meanings Behind Meows.

So why do cats meow to people? Because meowing is what works. Your cat is dependent on you and quickly learns that you are clearly not picking up the scent messages she leaves on your belongings or the body language she is attempting to use.

The meows and mews are what get you to do what she wants. So the meowing develops into a second language to communicate to you.

Some scientists would go so far as to say that cats have refined their meows specifically to manipulate people. And we have to admit—it works!

http://www.catchow.com/Catipedia/Behavior/50/The-meanings-behind-the-meows

I have an air duster beside my bed that makes a loud hissing sound. It is a canister of air used to dust computer keyboards and you can buy them in office supply shops. When I hear a cat starting to demand attention in the early hours I let off a hiss which usually silences the cat. It is important to make this hissing sound at the start of the howling or meowing to prevent the cat from working himself up and actually to prevent yourself from getting worked up too. The message you are trying to convey is this behaviour is not going to get my attention, not even a bit of entertaining human jumping up and down kind of behaviour.
If the attention seeking behaviour continues and I know all his basic needs have been met and that whatever he wants can wait, I get up and put him into the most isolated room by himself and close the door and close my bedroom door. The cat then learns that this behaviour will result in being ignored and thats not what he wanted.
When he is quiet I let him out and he learns that he can be with me and have the run of the house when he is quiet and thats usually the way he stays. Works for me with my cat and his brother. Good luck.

Soodle

I say train him into usuing a cat harness and lead and bring him for walks, cats need their excersise and contact with the outdoors is a real need for them more so than some breeds of dogs, even my indoor cat, who would hate to be left outdoors for long, can't stand being kept in (we had to do this when weedkiller was spread) she is always wanting out for breaks of half an hour to an hour.

Also some entertainment indoors for her, a good sized climbing frame would be a start!

Hope it all works out for you.