What to do with my cat

[wonderingsoul]

First of i really really dont want to re home my cat, but im running out of ideas thats healthy for her too.

Basicly she learnt how to open our front door of the flat, she jumps up at the lock and pushes the handle down as she comes down. hopfully that makes sence she can also open the doors in the house.

Which is a security risk so iv had to turn the door handles in the bathroom upside down so i can put her in there when we go out.
Our door doesnt lock from the outside so there is no way to keep her in the house.

When we are at home i had a sliding lock on the door which is fine untill its gets to night time and all we hear is the lock clicking with her trying to get out which is loud and very anoying.

Shes been a indoor cat since weve had her frim 8 weeks and shes now 8 years. When iv tried putting her outside shes petrified and trys to get back innthe flat complex building. Thats the part i feel shes trying to get to. Not outside as much.

What can i do, its not fair on her to lock her in one room for hours mon day to friday shed be in there from 830am to atleast 4pm sometimes longer.
But i cant keep coming home to an open door.

The night time noise is horriable but we could live with that if i could resolve the main issue of keeping her in the house but not in one room.

Do i just kick her out competely of the flat complex in the morning.. stress her out and hope she comes back when i call her.... she cant get in to the flat complex so id have ti go find her every night.

Or do i re home my beauitfully smart fur baby that my boys absolutly adore.

Oh sorry, I see that's what you're already doing.

Could you attach something like this over the lock, so you can still reach it from the inside, but your cat can't?

www.homebase.co.uk/en/homebaseuk/letter-cage---chrome-099644

Little tinker.

With that type of door you could fit another lock that uses a key. You'll need a hammer and chisel though or know someone who could fit it for you?

bertie she can also unlock that bit, i have a simple push across lock on top that i use when we are inside, she still trys and the noise of the lock is anoying but we can live with that.

Yeah might be easier to fit some sort of cage over it.

Can you put a cat flap in? Then she can come and go without bothering you. If she's constantly trying to get out she's not happy inside the way things are.

Thats really not a bad idea.... ohh im going to have a look.. maybe even just some wire over the handle bit...

So simple thank you so much i was so stressed over this i couldnt see solutions. So thank you for the helpfull advice

Moany if i lived in a house but i cant put a cat flat in the actual flat building down stairs and the doors are kept shut.

Iv trued taking her out she never goes outside the flat complex, she just wants to wander riund the hallways etc but i cant allow her to do that obviousely.

Good luck - hopefully it'll work!

My parent has a similar lock. If you go outside and turn the key the opposite way than normal it would double lock and not be able to be opened from inside. Can you try that?

Your cat sounds a bit stressed to me. My cats have always been outside cats, so admittedly I've no experience of inside cats, but it seems really unfair to keep a cat in 1 room.
If changing the lock doesn't stop her behaviour I think you need to think if you have suitable accommodation for your cat, sorry.

Sometimes the obvious answers don't occur to you op! I was having a nightmare with my do who could open doors as he kept coming upstairs at night and getting into bed with me which would be fine except he weighs a tonne and insists on sleeping on top of me. Was considering changing door handles to knobs so he couldn't do it. Put baby gate at top of stairs as ds started crawling and obviously this stopped the dog. Couldn't believe how dumb I was not to think of it before!

faux iv tried you cant double lock it from the outside which i was really surprised at myself.

Im going to get some metal strips to go over it so she cant flick the handle. Easy and sooo much cheaper then a lock.

Shes a smart cookie.

*floaty& it is really unfair, iv had to do it twice because i had to leave the house which is why i asked on here because i couldnt see a solution. She normaly has free reign, she plays daily with ds.. she thinks shes a dog half the time playing chase and fetch then snoozing on my boiler the second half of the day. Has toys and treats gets plently of attention esp from ds1.

donttouch your so right.. so simple but just couldnt see it lol. Glad the babygates worked for you too

I know your problem my indoor cat was a n escape artist but thankfully shit at it.

I don't know what you mean by metal strips but good luck.

My cat vaults baby gates.

You can double lock that from the outside, we have one on our back gate, when you go out put the key in the lock and turn it anticlockwise until it can go no further, when you remove the key the door cannot be opened from indoors.

If the lock doesn't work when you remove the key then get onto the HA, they should replace or repair it.

Go to a pet shop and ask for advice about other things to do with a stressed cat? Emphasise you need something that doesn't cost much/anything. Or look online. It might be one of those situations where lots of little tweaks make a big difference. I like the idea of growing some cat grass for her and there are plugin things that can help stressed cats (get advice about those I only know because a colleague used them to help with a house move)
Rename cat Houdini!
Good luck.

Could you change it to something like this www.lockshopdirect.co.uk/products/yale-77-traditional-nightlatch-(60mm-backset)-nightlatch-32106/?StockCode=P77BPROMO&gclid=Cj0KEQjwwoLHBRDD0beVheu3lt0BEiQAvU4CKisf6D1LJNWT09KcSDiWF5RIcOCJieafJ6rc8X9Bnl0aAiOq8P8HAQ

Which has a round know rather than a handle that pulls down.