How to react to an escape

[wolfsoul]

Caleb has escaped from the house about four times now. I'm never too sure how to react when he does this. Last night I caught him. He'd bashed into the screen on my window until it come down and he was outside. I grabbed some kibble and called to him with a high baby voice -- non-threatening. He still wouldn't come. I reached out and was going to quickly grab the scruff of his neck, but I missed and grabbed fur. I'm darn lucky he isn't the type of cat to scratch me. Needless to say, he lost a big clump of fur. I chased him around the house for about an hour. It was only a game to him, which drove me crazy. He would run around the house, wait on the other side. When I'd go around the other side, he'd run the other way, and so on. I tried sitting and just waiting in one spot. Didn't work. Finally he must have caught on that I was quite angry because he stopped having fun -- he started to actually run away because he was scared of me. I wasn't yelling or anything, I think he just knew. I lost him and my mom and I searched around the neighborhood for quite some time. My neighbors found him under their van. We tried coaxing him out but it didn't work. He finally went close enough to my mom for her to grab him by the scruff.

When we got him in, he knew he was in trouble. He always goes and lays on the stairs when he does something wrong. I told him in a deep voice that he was a bad boy. His pupils were so huge that they took up his entire eye. Is this just his adrenaline talking? His eyes are like that when he plays. Anyways, I ignored him for the rest of the night. I usually let him upstairs while I get food for the rats, but I locked him downstairs. Is ignoring him a good punishment? I never know if I should praise him for being indoors....or punish him for going outdoors... In return, he pooped on the stairs lastnight.

I don't know what to do. If this were a dog, I could give myself the answer right away, but I just don't understand cats as well. Any suggestions?

[kittycats_delight]

All I can tell you from everything I have read is cats DO NOT respond to punishment. The poop on the stairs was probably pay back. Cats can be very vengeful. Praise him when he is being good and for being inside. And I think you need to find a way to secure your screens more securely. Maybe a little 1 inch finish nail down through the plastic casing and into the runner would do the trick. Good Luck and I know it is often very difficult not to punish when they are bad but that absolutely never helps.

[Uabassoon]

I agree with kittycats_delight, cats do not respond to punishment. For the most part I know that a lot of dogs like to please their owners. Cats for the most part, want to please themselves. Corkscrew escapes sometimes, once I bring him inside I don't act like he did something wrong, if I act angry that will usually cause him to pee in the living room. So I just praise him and give him treats and tell him that he's a good boy for being inside.

[wolfsoul]

Thanks for your suggestions. Usually I don't give him a chance to get out my window -- I accidentally left my door open though. I will try nailing it down like you said; that should do the trick! I don't let him in my room because he pees on the bed, but there are times when my head just isn't there and my door is left open.

Normally I would have just left my window open after he escaped and stayed in my house to wait for his return, only my neighbors' cats were killed by my other neighbor, and that cat murderer that was slaughtering cats in my area still hasn't been caught. I just don't want to take the chance. I hope Caleb won't get out anymore!

Thanks again.

[momcat]

Glad to hear that you did catch up with your kitty companion before he was injured. I think the thing to remember is that cats are extremely curious, always wanting to check everything out, including the great outdoors. Perhaps it's in their nature to want to wander and explore even though they don't know the dangers and risks lurking around. All I can suggest is try to understand kitty's natural instincts and do whatever you can to prevent future escapes.