"Once ended up talking to the cops about breaking into my own house when someone saw me crawling underneath after spotting his eyes reflecting back at me."
One great thing about pets is the new people you get to meet.
You weren’t shot, so there’s that.
Re:Coping with Cats
by bloodorange on Thursday September 03, 2020 @05:31PM
(#24369117)
I have long thought about how to solves this problem with my cats. I currently have a two-door setup (analogous to an airlock) and this is not a problem. Nevertheless, what I try is to teach them that anytime I open a door which was previously closed, they have to first sit and then wait for me to give them permission (I say a specific word) before they are allowed to pass through it. Until then they must be seated. Sometimes I open the door, go to the other side and do my stuff and get back and don't let them through. This also lets them know that they don't _always_ get to go through that door. If I see them make the first small movement as if to get up, a stern "hey" makes them drop that idea. Of course, there is no risk _now_ as they can't go outside from the 2-door arrangement but I may move to a different house some time in the future and that might be set up differently. Also in general, I don't want them to have a habit of running through doors that just opened.
The worst stupid cat trick I've put up with was one who would dart outside if he got the chance. Problem was, he had never been an outdoor cat, was pretty dumb, and would immediately panic and hide. Once ended up talking to the cops about breaking into my own house when someone saw me crawling underneath after spotting his eyes reflecting back at me.