How To Stop Cats From Opening Doors – 5 Helpful Tips

One of the joys of owning a cat is watching them explore and learn about their environment. Sometimes though, you might find your cat is too smart for their own good! Having a cat who has taught themselves how to open doors can end up being a nuisance, and you may find yourself wondering how to stop cats from opening doors. 

The best way to stop your cat from opening doors is to “child-proof” the door handles by either adding an additional lock or switching out the kind of door handles you have. 

It might take some creative work, but you should be able to put a cat-proof system in place. Next we’ll dive into the reasons cats open doors, how normal it is, and ways you can effectively stop the behavior. 

Is It Normal For Cats To Open Doors

It is normal for cats to open doors. While not every cat will inherently know how to open doors, it is not uncommon for cats to teach themselves this behavior. Cats are inquisitive creatures, so when motivated to get into a room or get closer to their owner, they will go to great lengths to get what they want!

Most cats will quickly learn to push on doors that are not closed all the way to get through, but it is another skill all together for your cat to teach itself how to open a fully closed door!

There are a lot of factors that will play into whether your cat learns this behavior. If you live in a home where the doors are quite tall, your cat may not be able to reach the handle.

It also will depend on how spry your cat is. Some cats love to jump and climb, while others may be more sedentary in personality and uninterested in that type of activity. 

Why Does My Cat Keep Opening Doors

When your cat continues to open doors, it is most likely because they are upset with being shut out of a room. Spend time analyzing which doors you cat repeatedly opens to determine their primary motivation. Are they trying to break into the room where you store their food? Or are they trying to get into your office during the day to spend more time with you?

This should give you a pretty clear insight into your cat’s motivations for their cunning behavior and should help you take action to fix the problem. It might be as simple as avoiding unnecessarily closing doors during the day so that your cat does not feel locked out and isolated.

Additionally, some cats just enjoy the challenge. They love exploring and want to be a part of whatever is going on.

Cats are also hunters at heart, and with that comes the desire to “patrol” their area. They always want to be inspecting their surroundings to fully know what is going on (Door Buddy). Leaving doors open when you can allow your cat the freedom they crave and make them much happier. 

Are Cats Smart Enough To Open Doors

Cats are smart enough to learn how to open doors when they are motivated to do so! Cats are very clever animals and will adapt and learn skills that benefit them in their home environment.

Their skills go back to a prior time when cats were an undomesticated species. As a wild animal, cats needed to be aware of their surroundings and always be on the defensive. While certainly, your home is far from being a wild jungle, your cat still views it as their territory to protect.

Being able to open a door allows your cat freedom to thoroughly inspect their home environment and keep vigilant about everything going on.

Additionally, cats are very social creatures and will go to great extremes to make their presence known if they are being ignored. A cat might learn how to open a door when they know their owner is behind the closed door, and they want attention. 

How Do I Stop My Cat From Opening The Lever Door

Having a lever door can be very frustrating if your cat has figured out how to paw the door open. This can be noisy, and there are times you need your cat to stay out of a certain room. If the door locks, consider keeping the door locked while you are inside. However, this may not always be a viable solution if you have lever doors throughout your entire home or cannot keep them locked.

If that is the case, evaluate your other options. If you own the home you live in, consider replacing the lever doors with a knob-style handle instead. Knobs are much more challenging for a cat to get a grip on, and they are less likely to consistently get the door open.

If you are renting your home or do not want to change the knobs, your best option will be to get an additional type of external lock to go around the doors. 

Can Cats Open Screen Doors  

Cats can open screen doors by using their claws. Sliding screen doors are the easiest ones for cats to open. Depending on what kind of screen door you have, it would be possible for your cat to learn how to open the door. Sliding screen doors are the most accessible type of screen door for cats to learn how to open. Especially if you do not keep a screen door closed all of the way, your cat will teach themselves over time how to push the screen.

Additionally, some cats like to climb using their claws on screen doors, which can inadvertently open the door. Your cat climbing your screen door is also problematic as it is likely to rip or tear your screens. If you have experienced this problem before, you can install a pet screen fabric made of a much sturdier material to avoid any more rips in your screen (Youtube). 

Can Polydactyl Cats Open Doors

Yes, polydactyl cats can easily open cabinets and doors. Polydactyl cats have extra toes on each paw that act as a thumb. These extra toes are giving them leverage to grasp knobs in a similar way that a human would!

Thanks to these extra toes, polydactyl cats are much more likely to get into more mischief than a “typical” cat with four toes on each paw. Your polydactyl cat might turn on light switches, open drawers, and get up to all sorts of activities you would never expect from a cat. 

5 Tips To Stop Cats From Opening Doors

Once you have recovered from the surprise of learning your cat has learned how to open doors around your house, the next step is figuring out how to prevent this behavior when it is unwanted. Here are some tips on how to stop your cat from continuing to open doors on their own: 

• Don’t leave doors closed when it is not necessary. Without the temptation of a closed door, your cat is less likely to be interested in the doors at all. 
• Invest in an external latch for your doors. These are typically made of a plastic adhesive that sticks around a door, and you have to press a button to unlock the latch. This will work to outsmart your cat and solve the problem! These are also good to have if you have young children in the home. 
• Work on behavioral training to teach your cat jumping to open doors is not an acceptable action. Similar to other disciplinary training, when you see your cat opening a door, make sure to scold them and indicate this is unacceptable behavior. 
• Add a bell or attach something that will make a loud noise to your door handle. Loud and unexpected noises bother cats, and this should scare them from continuing to try to mess with the doors. 
• Spray around your door handle with a fragrance your cat does not like. Cats usually dislike scents like bitter apple, lavender, and peppermint. The spray should deter them from wanting to get too close to the door moving forward. 

Discovering your cat knows how to open doors can feel like an overwhelming problem at first, but there is no reason for concern. Just like a cat can learn a behavior, you can take action to stop their door-opening antics. At the very least, feel flattered your cat will go to great lengths to be in the same room as you!