[Search for users] [Overall Top Noters] [List of all Conferences] [Download this site]

Conference misery::feline_v1

Title:Meower Power is Valuing Differences
Notice:FELINE_V1 is moving 1/11/94 5pm PST to MISERY
Moderator:MISERY::VANZUYLEN_RO
Created:Sun Feb 09 1986
Last Modified:Tue Jan 11 1994
Last Successful Update:Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:5089
Total number of notes:60366

4597.0. "She scales the roof!!!! " by SNAX::YEATMAN (Cowabunga Dudes! ! ! ! !) Tue Apr 30 1991 19:15

    I recently moved to a third floor victorian apartment. I have a back
    door that goes down three flights to the backyard, which is where I
    let Bonnie out to play. We also have a roof right under my kitchen 
    window next to the backdoor, and she likes to climb up on the roof and 
    scale the house. Now the only thing that runs the length of the house 
    is the gutters (how she does this I'll never know). Anyway my problem
    is that she has decided its more fun to come in the windows instead 
    of through the back door. So she will scale the house until she figures 
    out which room I am in and then calls to me to let her in via the 
    window.
    
    Does anyone know of a way I can keep her from doing this? One friend
    suggested I squirt her with water. I'm afraid if I do this that she 
    might back off to avoid getting wet and fall of the gutter. She is 
    very spoiled and I really dont mind letting her in the windows when
    she wants, but I'm afraid some day she might fall of the side of 
    the house and I dont think she would survive a three story fall.
    
    Any suggestions would be appreciated!!!!
    
    Lee  & Bonnie (alias Boppin')
    
T.RTitleUserPersonal
Name
DateLines
4597.1JUPITR::KAGNOI'm51%Pussycat,49%Bitch-Don'tPush it!Tue Apr 30 1991 19:3120
    I live in a three story townhome but it really looks like two stories
    since the basement is underground.  There are two sliding glass doors
    downstairs with an attached deck and one upstairs in the master bedroom
    with an attached deck.  There are poles connecting the two decks.
    
    Anyway, my kitty, Nikki, will often jump to the railing of the bottom
    deck, climb one of the poles to the top deck, and ask to be let in via
    the slider (if he knows we are upstairs).  He's pretty darn smart! 
    I don't discourage this behavior since it really isn't a big deal to
    let him in via the sliders instead of the doors.... and I'd rather he
    tell me he's ready to come in rather than wait for me to open the door
    and call him (I will get up and down over 20 times sometimes to see if
    he's waiting at the door for someone to open it).
    
    Cats are natural born climbers and I don't think you will be able to
    discourage this behavior.  I share your concern with the water
    method since when I use the squirt gun in the house the cats just book
    sometimes without even looking where they're going!!  It would be risky
    using it at such a height.
    
4597.2Maybe She'd Like To Meet Stitch??SANFAN::FOSSATJUTue Apr 30 1991 20:0015
    At least she comes back and asks to be let in - one of ours breaks out
    every so often and ends up on a roof top 1-1/2 city blocks away - none
    of these roofs are enclosed so me and Richard have to haul a 12ft
    ladder to get him back - he jumps down to this one roof and can't jump
    back up.  We even built a cat run up on our deck but he's not satisfied
    with his roof top garden so he bolts (still haven't found the spot he
    got out from on Sunday Nite).(we are about 4 stories up)
    
    How about fixing something up from the roof under your kitchen so she
    can climb up from there to the kitchen window so she won't bother with
    the other windows?
    
    Giudi (who is actually scared to death of heights and who one night
    will be mistakened for a Cat(??--<. .> burglar and shot)
    
4597.3SLIDING CATGRANPA::DGRANTFri May 03 1991 11:4023
    My in-laws have a house on the Jersey shore.  The house is a 2-story
    duplex and we stay on the second floor.  The second floor has an 
    A-frame roof that begins right off to the side of the porch.  Cooj
    our 19 pound cat likes to climb from the porch to the roof up the
    A-frame to the tip of the house - it's not flat up there and the slant
    is pretty steep.  It scares me to death when he climbs up; actually
    it's the sliding down part that scares me.  He only has back claws.
    The first time he did it I stood on the ground - like I was really
    going to catch him HA HA.  Anyway, on his way down, at the bottom he
    has to make a quick turn through wood slots to get back on the porch;
    otherwise he will end up on the ground.  The first time he did it I
    panicked, I really didn't think he would make it but somehow he did.
    Cats, even fat cats are very agile, it's amazing.
    
    Another thing he likes to do is from the same porch he can jump down a
    couple of feet to the roof of a small shed which is about 10 ft high.
    He then paces around the edge of the shed roof meowing because he can't get
    up or down.  Sometimes he does jump, sometimes my husband can get him.
    The thing is he keeps on doing it and I can't figure out why.
     
    Cats really do have nine lives.
    
    Debbie & Cooj
4597.4WILLEE::MERRITTFri May 03 1991 11:5511
    I am so petrified of heights...I hate it when my cats walk the
    porch railing.  I know they can get around okay...but my little
    heart pounds ninty miles and hour and I start to shake and sweat. 
    I stand there...until I can't stand it anymore...and I go inside so I
    don't have to look.
    
    I hate that feeling...if god wanted them in high places...he would have
    given them wings!
    
    Sandy
                     
4597.5ideasWMOIS::REINKE_Bbread and rosesThu May 30 1991 14:2116
    The only way to get her to stop trying to get in your windows is
    not to open the windows for her. The  first time you opened one
    you taught her a new way to get in the house. My cat will walk the
    roof in our two story house and cry to get in our bedroom window.
    
    However, the windows freeze in the winter time, so I can't open them.
    It usually takes a couple of times in the fall before she realizes
    that the windows won't open. I usually go down stairs and call her
    from outside when the windows won't open.
    
    If you ignore her, or pull the blinds and or curtains so that she
    can't see you, you can discourage this behavior.
    
    Bonnie 
    
    who was amused at the idea of me running around on your roof)