Conference misery::feline_v1

    
    Why don't they have their cat "seen to" if it sprays...surely they
    don't keep it outside all the time (day and night)?
    
    Secondly if you catch it and it is theirs why not suggest they have
    it declawed before you present them with the $25 bill for the new
    screen.
    
    You have to be cruel to be kind...was what my Dad used to say.
    
    Sharon T (UK)
    

    re. -1    If the cat is an outdoor cat I don't think it would
              be too wise to declaw it.
    
    Karen,  do you think it's your neighbor cat because he's come
    to visit in the past?  Speak to your neighbors anyway and ask
    if they have any problem with their cat scratching their screen
    door.  Perhaps you could suggest that they clip his claws.  If
    they don't know how, you can offer to 'train' them.  
    
    I'd suggest temporarily covering the bottom half of the screen
    door with plywood or something but that's obviously not a good
    permanent solution.
    
    Donna

    
    
    	Well, the cat came to my neighbors as a stray and it is
    	neutered.  Just can't seem to forget old habits.  It is
    	indoors only when they can watch it.
    
    	And, I think the cat gets confused.  I have come home to
    	find it waiting on MY doorstep to go in.  I live in an
    	attached condo complex and I guess my unit looks the same
    	to him.  And once he even ran inside.  My roommate thought
    	this was so funny when she told me but I was not amused
    	and have told her to NEVER let it happen again.
    
    	I think that the cat is asking to be let in.  
    
    	Karen

    I may look rather silly but......
    
    To discourage our kitten from scratching the speaker covers we have
    attached inflated ballons to the fronts.  When the kitten goes to 
    scratch - POP goes the ballon and scares the kitten away.  It seems
    to have worked, I haven't caught the kitten near the speakers and
    there is no shredded evidence that the cat has attacked when we removed
    the ballons.
    
    When my husband started this I was afaid that the kitten would go after
    the popped ballons but he just ignores them, and I pick them up as soon
    as I see it.  It may be worth a try - just took a few days for us.

    And since you're gonna need re-screening, get the aluminum kind
    instead of the fiberglass.  My screen got done in by my feral cats,
    but the aluminum had survived.  It has the odd pull in it, but at
    least it's tear proof (and alot stronger!!).  The new alumimun screen
    has been in place 5 years now.  It's so strong, they can climb up
    to the top of the door without causing damage.
    
    Mary

Re: "seeing to" the cat....many neutered males spray and even with hormones
continue to spray...I've several friends with this problem...they'd be
willing to pay alot of money on finding a way to "see to" the problem except
keeping the cat outside all the time (which, in an urban area around here
is a guarenteed death sentence for the cat).

Karen,

Get your screen re-screened and have the man install a screen guard on the
outside to protect the screening.  This will protect the investment of
rescreening.  Unless you catch your neighbor's kitty in the act, I wouldn't
suggest you present anyone with a bill....bad neighbors can make living
a real hell.  Better to fix the problem and prevent reoccurrance.

Rescreening will run approx. 25.00 and the screen guard is approx 10.00
around here.

				D

    
    RE: .1
    
    What is a screen guard????  I can't picture it!
    
    	Karen

screen guard:

a metal framework (usually aluminum) that stands away from the screen approx.
1/2 inch, and supports a grid of metal such that the screen cannot be
pushed and poked by kitty paws and dog noses.  Having a doberman who likes
to "push" open sliding doors, I'm familiar with them.  They only cover the
bottom half of the screen and allow air and sunshine, etc. in...they just
stop animal damage.  Your local rescreener will have some samples for ya.

I recommend them for anyone with animals...especially large dogs.  Even the
aluminum screening is not strong enough to stop Brandy without the screen
guard.

			D

    Can you do something to nmake your doorway look different, so the
    cat won't get confused?  Or better yet you could suggest to your neighbors
    that they make trheir door distinctive (a plant at the side?), as
    "the poor cat seems to be confused abouit whose door is whose" -- you
    don't have to mention the screen.  I don't know about metal screen
    doors, and I certainly don't know how to install a screen guard,
    although I've seen them, but with a wooden screen door you can replace
    the screening yourself with new screening from the hardware store.
     I did this to mine ten years ago and it survives even little Khalife
    from next door climbing up to look in the doorway window....
    

    I doubt very seriously that the cat is confused.  He knows which door
    is which!  They are very smart animals!!!  He just wants to mooch off
    your kindness towards kitties! 
    
    Trying the balloon idea is much cheaper than the screen guard, but if
    it doesn't work, you can always add the screen guard later.  Cats do
    not like loud noises, and sharp nails in balloons will certainly cause
    loud noises!  I do agree that the aluminum screening is much sturdier
    than fiberglass. 
   
    Give it a try!

    Spayed females spray too, and don't I know it!  (Riding boots are
    her latest.  She also does her claws on Keith's flip flops - rubber
    beach type sandals.  Perhaps this cat has a rubber fetish?)
    
    Sorry, this is off the point.  Perhaps the neighbours could put
    a cat door in, then the cat could get in when it wanted.
    
    Helen.

    re: .10
    
    	Well, my neighbors back patio is covered with furniture and
    toys and by the front door there are all sorts of kids bikes
    so the doors already look pretty distinctive.  He is afraid
    of my kitties, especially of Bandit who chased him off the patio
    just this past Saturday and cornered him on the neighbors patio
    hissing.  My brave little Bandit.  He couldn't understand why
    I was mad at him though!!!!  
    
        So I doubt that he scratches my screen while my cats are in
    the door since he is afraid of them.
    
        I'm not sure what exactly IS the attraction!
    
    Well, this screen guard sounds like a great idea!  
    
    Karen

    I agree about cats not being stupid.  This kitty definitely knows
    which door is home and probably feels that Karen is a much better
    mommy than his own which is why he comes around.
    
    We live in a townhouse development where all buildings and units
    are identical, and my two know which balcony is home.  They also
    figured out how to climb up to the second floor balcony off the
    master bedroom so we can let them inside if we are upstairs.  Not
    so dumb kitties!  And how did they tell us they wanted to be let
    in?  They clawed the screen!!  What we did which has worked so far
    was push the screen over to the opposite side of the door.  They
    knew the door opened to the right so they clawed at the right side
    of the screen to get our attention.  Now that the screen is pushed
    over, they use their voices instead.
    
    Don't know if this will work for you - just a suggestion.  If all
    else fails, have a nice little chat with your neighbors.
    

    Maybe he just wants to tease your cats.....I've seen kitties do
    this especially to my doggie when I had one.....ha ha ha you can't
    get me cuz I'm outside on your screen!  :-)
    
    

    
    
    	Well, I ran into my neighbor last night and said "Is your cat
    tearing your screen apart?"  He said Yes, and I said "Well he is
    doing my screen as well" so he told me he would try to keep a
    better eye on the cat, maybe leave the cats food outside under
    the table. 
    
    	I also noticed that my screen was open about 4 inches and they
    said that the cat, Fluffy, knew how to open the screen door and
    get in so I think I'll try leaving it all the way open as one of
    you suggested.  Maybe that will stop him!!  They said he really
    only wants to come in for the food and then leaves again so maybe
    if they leave the food out for him, AND I leave my screen door open...
    
    	I'll keep you all posted!
    
    	Karen

    What you guys need is a doorbell about 6 inches off the floor....
    

    I've solved a similar problem by sitting in wait for the critter,
    with a water plant sprayer in hand, turned to the most direct straight
    stream position.

    Well I guest the last notes should have gone here.  
    
    I finally got a new screen about two days ago.  When Chewy's in the
    house, the windows are just cracked.  Last night, I was in my bedroom
    and had the window wide open.   Ziggy and Zula were just enjoying
    watching everything going on outside.  Chewy comes in, they jump
    down, she jumps up.   I told her that here escape hole was there
    anymore.  I yelled at her to get down and she went flying up on 
    the screen, hanging on by all fours.  GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!
    Luckily, she didn't put any holes in it.  Maybe they are using
    stronger screens now.
    
    Pam
    

    We are just about at our wits end with Chewy.  I just talked to my
    husband.  I had the spare bedroom open about 1".  She managed to 
    open it more some how and tried to escape.  She put about a 2" tear
    in the screen and some other smaller holes.  She couldn't get out
    there so went into our bedroom.  I had a fan in the window, and the
    window closed enough to touch the side of the fan.  The screen
    was down up to the top of the fan.  She knocked the big fan off,
    took a big chunk of wood out of our solid oak bed, and then climbed
    the screen.  Put some small holes in it.  
    
    Well I can't tell the landlord that I need new screens again.  They
    just replaced them 3 days ago.
    
    So what would you guys do with a cat that has totally lost it?  It's
    not the screens.  It's everything.  I think she has gone nuts.
    She's fine outside, but goes off the wall when inside.  She'll do 
    anything to get outside.  She's already teared up the rug trying to
    dig her way out of the place.  I don't really think I want to confine
    her to a cage.
    
    Pam

Pam,

cats hate change - they are very fussy.  That's the bad news.  The good
news is that they don't have a horribly long memory.  You may need to
talk to your vet about a mild tranquilizer for a short period of time
to "mellow" out Chewy and get her used to the new rules.  Once the
environment becomes all she remembers, she will settle down...it won't
happen overnight, but it will happen in a few weeks.  You might also
consider a LARGE breeder's cage for awhile to reduce the damage to the
household screens....again, it won't have to be for long...just long
enough to break the "pattern" of behavior.  She has discovered that
attacking the screens works - she gets out.  In her mind, that is
becoming a habit BECAUSE IT WORKS.  You need to COMPLETELY break the habit
for a long enough period of time for her to "forget" it.

Don't give up - oh, and when u get the screens repaired, ask for METAL
screening - it is much stronger and doesn't tear....it will survive much
better.

			Hang in there...

    I asked the vet about a tranquilizer for her and he didn't think that
    it would help.  This has been going on, off and on, since last
    September.  About 10 months now.  It's been worse since about this
    past march.   It's the constant growling, hissing, swiping that it
    really getting to us.  The screens are just one added little
    annoiance.  The other two are absolute angels.  They have their
    moments but 99.99999 % of the time they are great.  I will try
    the metal screening next.
    
    Pam -  "Come on Chewy, lighten up!"

    I have to agree wth Dian.  Caging is not that bad.  Look at the
    situation, she is so frantic inside that she is fighting her way
    out.  You live in a no cats apartment.  When outside, she may be
    discovered and then you will be up a creek.
    
    A tokyo cage would be the answer.  They are fairly large, have two
    shelves that you can arrange to suit, room for litter, food, water,
    etc.  
    
    Right now, she is avoiding getting to know your newer cats by just
    breaking out.  It may be the new cats that have her upset, or it
    may be something else.  With her in the cage, she can be around
    them without any fights breaking out, and without destroying your
    screens again.  
    
    The mild tranquilizer might be a good idea too.  Talk with your
    vet about the situation, maybe he or she has some ideas.
    
    Jo

    I agree about the cage.  And I suggest you tell the vet that its
    serious enough that if you can't solve her behavior problems you
    will have to consider "getting rid of her".  (That can mean alot
    of things but it lets the vet know how serious this really is).
      Nancy DC

    Hint:
    
    For very small tears in nylon screens use a pin/needle and clear
    nail polish.  Straighten out the strands so they are going "straight"
    vertical or horizontal and then lightly coat the nail polish/varnish
    along the break.  While not really solid, it looks solid enough
    even at a close look - ie caefully done it takes very close scrutiny.
    
    Linda