cat bolting outside

Question
How do I stop my cat from bolting outside when the door opens?  I only have one door and she sits right up against it.  I can't even check the mail without her bolting.  I've tried spraying with water, but sometimes that doesn't even work.  She has been spayed and declawed.

Answer
Hi Karen,

Thank you for your question. This is a very difficult question to answer properly without knowing a lot more about your particular situation/environment so i can only offer you some general advice.

I believe that the cat is probably doing this in order to fulfill its basic need for mental stimulation. In other words, it is looking for things to do, ways to occupy its time. I therefore believe that the best way to deal with the problem would be to fulfil this need by trying to make it more exciting/fun for her to be at home than to go out. You can enrich her home environment by ensuring that she has lots of different types of toys to play with (i generally advise rotating toys every week or so so that they remain new and exciting to the animal) as well as by providing her with things that she can climb up or jump onto (e.g., a cat gym). You could also divide up her meals and hide the portions of food in various places (so that she has to 'hunt' for them) and/or place some of her food in an Activity Treat Ball or Buster Cube type toy that she has to roll around in order to get the food out. Other ways to keep your cat happily entertained include placing a bird-bath and/or feeder outside a window so that the cat can lie on the window ledge and watch the activity, or having a fish tank (covered/inaccessible of course) for her to watch. Some (but not all) cats even like to watch the moving images on TV. Use these suggestions as a starting point to fire up your own imagination and see what your particular cat enjoys the most. You can also clicker train her to walk on a lead (use a proper cat harness and get her totally used to it indoors before you venture out with it) and/or to do various tricks. This is a great way to provide her with the mental stimulation she needs and to teach her to do something other than bolt out the door by making it more rewarding for her to play at home instead. (Experiment with a variety of food treats, catnip/catmint, and toys until you find the things that really, really motivate your cat to do what you want her to do. The cat determines what it finds most rewarding - and this is what you will then use to re-train the problem behaviour). You will also need to manage the situation at first (e.g. by placing her in a cat carrier or in another room when you are opening the door) as the bolting out of the door (or at least trying to do so)sounds as if it has become an entrenched habit and you want to prevent her from practicing (and continuing to perfect) this unwanted behaviour whilst you are teaching her the new, more appropriate behaviour of staying at home.

Please let me know how this goes as your feedback enables us to continually 'fine-tune' and improve our interventions - to everyone's benefit. Thank you.

Regards,
tania