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Join our community of cat lovers on the Mumsnet Cat forum for kitten advice and help with cat behaviour.

Original poster

Has anyone successfully stopped their cat scratching at a closed door? 😫

31 replies

DogDream · 10/10/2023 10:03

Has anyone found anything that actually works to stop cats scratching at doors?

Mine is waking us up scratching at the bedroom door, we can’t let her in because she gets up on the baby crib.

We live in a very small (annoyingly open plan) flat so there’s no other doors to block her off except the bathroom.

I actually had to sleep on the sofa with her last night to stop her trying to get into the bedroom. It’s ridiculous. I am SO tired please help. 😫

OP posts:
Original poster
DogDream · 10/10/2023 10:06

Should have also said that she has toys and catnip and food and water. And that we’ve tried ignoring her, it goes on for literal hours and if she does stop then she comes back multiple times all through the night.

OP posts:
verdantverdure · 10/10/2023 10:13

Ours used to get IN the baby cot and sleep alongside the baby. but I think there are nets or something you can put over the top of the cot to stop them if you need to.

Puppylucky · 10/10/2023 10:17

I've heard that tin foil tucked under and around the door can help as they don't like the feel of it

OhDoSitDownAndShutUp · 10/10/2023 10:17

I had cats for 42 years (all rescues, I had 3 at one point). The first was when our son was a newborn. The cat never once got into the crib. I suggest you leave the doors open, allow the cat into the bedroom, and have a cosy blanket at the foot of your bed for her. ALL my cats used to scratch at the damned doors. We had o resort to leaving every door open, 24/7

verdantverdure · 10/10/2023 10:21

A furry blanket and a hot water bottle would be our cats sleep place of choice, so if you provide something similar near you the cat will probably just settle.

We don't ever really shut them out of anywhere. There's no need, is there?

Original poster
DogDream · 10/10/2023 10:22

verdantverdure · 10/10/2023 10:13

Ours used to get IN the baby cot and sleep alongside the baby. but I think there are nets or something you can put over the top of the cot to stop them if you need to.

While it sounds adorable in theory, the reality is she’d sit on a newborn, so it’s not an option.

A net won’t work either as it’s a bedside one with the side down linked to our bed, which is how she gets in.

OP posts:
Original poster
DogDream · 10/10/2023 10:23

We don't ever really shut them out of anywhere. There's no need, is there?
Are you my cat? 😂 The way she was looking at me this morning that’s exactly what she was saying.

OP posts:
gamerchick · 10/10/2023 10:24

You don't need to let the cat into the bedroom if you dont want to. I don't get how people just give in to those animals. Mine isn't allowed in my bedroom, I don't give a toss how much she wants to.

Double sided sticky they don't like. Tin foil can work. Maybe one of those mesh stair gates you pull across will get her out of the pestering habit.

Original poster
DogDream · 10/10/2023 10:28

OhDoSitDownAndShutUp · 10/10/2023 10:17

I had cats for 42 years (all rescues, I had 3 at one point). The first was when our son was a newborn. The cat never once got into the crib. I suggest you leave the doors open, allow the cat into the bedroom, and have a cosy blanket at the foot of your bed for her. ALL my cats used to scratch at the damned doors. We had o resort to leaving every door open, 24/7

She has a cosy blanket. If I could trust she’d stay on the bed it wouldn’t be a problem.

OP posts:
Original poster
DogDream · 10/10/2023 10:29

Puppylucky · 10/10/2023 10:17

I've heard that tin foil tucked under and around the door can help as they don't like the feel of it

I’ll try this!!

OP posts:
Original poster
DogDream · 10/10/2023 10:31

gamerchick · 10/10/2023 10:24

You don't need to let the cat into the bedroom if you dont want to. I don't get how people just give in to those animals. Mine isn't allowed in my bedroom, I don't give a toss how much she wants to.

Double sided sticky they don't like. Tin foil can work. Maybe one of those mesh stair gates you pull across will get her out of the pestering habit.

And double sided sticky tape! I’ll try this too. My door is going to look like a Blue Peter project gone wrong covered in tin foil and tape but if it works I don’t care.

I’ve tried a few different stair gates, she just scratches at them instead.

OP posts:
DigbyTheDigger · 10/10/2023 10:32

Yep, tinfoil. We stopped our previous cat scratching the sofa this way.

TibetanTerrah · 10/10/2023 10:32

Mine doesn't scratch the doors. Instead she hooks her paw underneath and bangs the door constantly against the frame, making little 'brrr' sounds constantly as she does it.

It's cute but my god it's annoying.

Marblessolveeverything · 10/10/2023 10:35

We just let the cat in - they stayed at the end of the crib/cot. They are nine years on and still share a bed. I appreciate you are nervous, so perhaps try the mosquito net etc. There is no record of a cat causing serious harm or worse to a child.

We referred to our feline as the "Au pair" she was and remains great at entertaining the little one very gentle. Otherwise keep the door closed and attach some old carpet so the wood wont get damaged.

I love peeping in and seeing them in the beds (bunks) she lies beside him snuggled in for a few hours then hops down to the bottom bunk. I hope you get it sorted - nothing worse than lack of sleep.

TastyLikeARaindrop · 10/10/2023 10:56

A foil blanket might be better/stronger than foil. Ours hates bin bags so maybe try putting some on the floor outside your door?

Good luck op. We're lucky that we can shut our cat in the kitchen and she's usedtp it now. Love her to bits but can't sleep with her as her vigorous bloody washing rocks the whole bed!

longtompot · 10/10/2023 10:59

A closed door aka a cat summoning device as we call it here.
Sorry, not ever stopped one doing it. When my kids were little we would shut our cats in the living room over night so everyone got a good nights sleep. However, one night when they were kittens, we found them upstairs and thought how on earth did they do that! They had climbed up on the dresser next to the door and climbed through the open bit at the top of the door (it would have had glass in at some point but didn't then). Dh put some wood in so they couldn't do it again.
Anyway, of no help to you, sorry. Hope the tin foil or double sided tape works.

margotrose · 10/10/2023 11:20

Be aware that some cats absolutely love tin foil 🙈

I would try a babygate in front of the door.

Maddy70 · 10/10/2023 11:22

Put tin foil on it. They hate the noise

YetAnotherSpartacus · 10/10/2023 11:49

Mine throws himself bodily against the door.

verdantverdure · 10/10/2023 11:54

Don't cats want to sleep near us because we're their family and they love us?

AllTheChaos · 10/10/2023 11:54

Sadly I have to stop my lovely old boy coming into the bedroom except under tight supervision, as he is going doolally in his dotage, and has developed a nasty habit of peeing in corners. I put a baby gate across the hallway to stop him, might work for you? Otherwise he scratches at the bedroom door all night, and whilst I LOVE him sleeping on the bed with me, I don’t love him peeing in my bedroom…

Original poster
DogDream · 10/10/2023 12:42

AllTheChaos · 10/10/2023 11:54

Sadly I have to stop my lovely old boy coming into the bedroom except under tight supervision, as he is going doolally in his dotage, and has developed a nasty habit of peeing in corners. I put a baby gate across the hallway to stop him, might work for you? Otherwise he scratches at the bedroom door all night, and whilst I LOVE him sleeping on the bed with me, I don’t love him peeing in my bedroom…

We had to swap all our curtains for blinds because she wees underneath curtains for some reason. The things we do for them!

We do have a baby gate for the dog… the cat jumps over it. A extra tall gate could work though 🤔

OP posts:
Original poster
DogDream · 10/10/2023 12:45

margotrose · 10/10/2023 11:20

Be aware that some cats absolutely love tin foil 🙈

I would try a babygate in front of the door.

Noooo don’t say that 😅 My Blue Peter plans are already in action. She’s completely ignored it so far though.

I’ve tried two different baby gates in front of the door and she can jump over them (or reaches scratches them or the gaps instead). If the foil and tape doesn’t work I’ll try an extra tall one in the hallway further away from the door.

OP posts:
margotrose · 10/10/2023 13:10

You can get solid baby gates - that might be worth a go. Hang them one on top of the other then she shouldn't be able to access the door.

Hopefully the tin foil works though - it would be fine for two of mine but one would just try and eat it 😂

SDTGisAnEvilWolefGenius · 10/10/2023 13:16

I could have written this thread, when I was a teenager. Dsis and I had a cat each, and her cat got into the habit of scratching at my door, when she wanted to go out at 4am (we didn't have a cat flap).

After this had gone on for a while, she upped her game to scratching at my door, then running off to hide, so I'd open my door, see no cat there, and go back to bed - then she'd wait until I was asleep again, and come back to scratch at my door.

I used to have to go and find her, and chivvy her to the front door to let her out. Unsurprisingly I got pissed off at the cat playing Knock Down Ginger at my bedroom door at silly o'clock in the morning, and one day I grabbed the cat, took her into my sister's room and dumped her on dsis's chest, saying 'Let your own blasted cat out!!'

It relieved my feelings at the time, but didn't change anything. Bloody cat.