Cats running out the front door

[cordiality]

We live in the middle of a verrry long terrace, quite busy road in front.
Our two year old cats (we've had them since rescue kittens) go outside to the garden and beyond daily through the cat flap, but cannot get to the front road from there.
We don't let them out of the front door as there would be no way for them to get back in and they have no experience of cars, etc.
They had never really shown any interest in getting out the front door until this week.
Tuesday we were decorating the house for Halloween and one ran into the front garden, and straight back in the house again.
Since then, it's been a free for all! Every time I open the front door, one or tother is waiting to run out! They got out three times yesterday, each time staying out a little longer.
What can I do??? Shout at them? Is there another solution??
It's just not feasible to let them go for it...

Get a water spray bottle and spray them when they come near the front door. Most cats learn from the first or second time to avoid it.

Do I fill it with water?

Ignore that, it might be the stupidest question I've ever asked.
You said water spray bottle.
It's hardly likely to be acid now, is it

Every time you go to the front door chuck them a dreamie treat down the hallway in the opposite direction.

The best thing you can do is to let them go out the front with you. If you are there with them you can supervise and have better control over them. Give them 5 or 10 minutes closely supervised. As it gets colder they will probably like it less. Don’t spray water at them! That’s inhumane and they will dislike you intensely.

Yeah, what's more inhumane, getting sprayed with water or being run over by a car? Hmm.

It's not inhumane to give them a spray with water. What do you think happens when it rains! It will probably stop them being killed by a car so go for it. I wouldn't go out there with them cats will just run off and hide somewhere you can't get to them (like my cat did the other day when she hit out the front - she hid under the car!). Got her back in with dreamiest)!

Spray bottles and dreamies have stopped my kittens running outside (too young), clawing sofa, clawing carpets, climbing the curtains and not jumping or walking on furniture.

You cannot train a cat as easy as a dog so alternative techniques are a must 

If they are going outside to your garden and beyond, as you say, how do you know they are not already getting out the front through someone else's garden? Cats are masters of getting where they want go. You may be suprised by how far they have already gone.

It’s completely inhumane to spray them with a water bottle. Cats aren’t idiots. If you have a loving relationship with your cat then you can control them and they won’t run out and get hit by a car. But none of you can be bothered to work ‘with’ the cat. Fine, but you’re quite wrong.

It's not inhumane, no one is suggesting a super soaker! In the days before we cat proofed I would have been quite happy if the neighbours had squirted Harry with water to keep him out of their garden. Much better than some of the other options.

Yes to the water pistol - but along with what OlderThanAverageforMN said, about 15 years ago I had a moggy and we lived in a very long Victorian city terrace. The cat never went out the front because of the traffic (back gardens were back to back so safe). However, we found him once in the front yard so let him in the front. We watched him and he actually climbed up the back guttering, OVER the roof of the house, down the front wall via window sills and porch roof and into the front yard. Couldn't believe it!

I would be VERY surprised if they could find their way to the front, the houses are very tall and flat, but I guess it's not impossible... not sure I could risk it though!

My cats are the only cats in the world who don't care for treats. Or any sort of food that isn't felix pouches. Never had cats like it.

Cheap though.

Thanks for the advice. I think I will risk the water, they are singemindedly determined on this mission now.

We initially kept ours as house cats when we rehomed them. After 6 months the girls was so determined to go out she hid when we went to the coat cupboard to make a run for it, jumped from 1st floor windows (plastic storage unit underneath or porch roof at the front) - complete nightmare!!!

They are now outdoor cats