Cat doors are a very interesting invention. Not only are they loved by many, they also cause problems.
An interesting historical fact about the cat door. Did you know that Sir Issac Newton took time out of his busy schedule to invent the cat door? It was something I wanted growing up, but now I know better.
As a child, I sometimes hated having to open the door to let the cats in. However, as an adult I now can laugh at some of the stories of the cats' intelligence when they wanted in. Knowing when and where to cry when they wanted in is the main one.
Not only that, we also have stories
from our former next-door neighbor who had a cat door. Mostly
involving our cats going into their home. Stealing slippers, eating
their cats food, and even bringing in a dead bird.
There are many more unsavory stories as well. (Picture from the Humane Society.)
Recently in the UK, there have been stories of foxes terrorizing people in their own homes. Today I found one that talked about someone who actually watched the fox use the cat door to get in before going after their cat.
At the beginning of the summer, I meet an old friend of my dad's who lives in Texas and learned his story of a raccoon coming in and stealing a loaf of bread many years ago.
Those neighbors I mentioned earlier, one morning they woke to find that there was a burglar trying to open the back door by going through the cat door.
In terms of wildlife, they are smart and they do learn. They know what cat doors are and in the case of raccoons, they know it is an invitation for free food.
In the case of foxes, they know that food can be found on the other side. It just depends on whether that food is your newborn child, dog food, your toy dog, or your cat.
What shocks me is that there are many people who do not know they have this open invitation to their house. Do they really think that mammals other than their cats will not try to use the door?
In a way yes. For some reason we pet owners think that these doors will only allow in who we choose. The problem is that these doors are not magical. They can not read our minds, nor can they lock themselves to questionable persons.
Some inventors are trying to change that. Over the years I have seen news stories of cat owners in particular making some of the most incredible inventions:
-
A sensor that only allows their cat in because the collar has a magnetic key on it.
-
A silhouette camera that locks the door if the cat tries to come it with a dead animal. It also worked on dogs a foxes tiring to enter the house as well.
What I like most is the method that my family used when we still had outdoor cats. We physically had to open and close the door for them when they indicated that they wanted in or out. It might seem like a lot of work but we never left our door unlocked, nor did we permit any unwanted animals to enter.
The house became the cats' sanctuary, a place where they could go when they wanted to get away from the outdoors.
Not a place where they had to run from wildlife who came in unannounced.
NOTE: Robin is a graduate of Texas A&M University and a student of Urban Wildlife policy. She is seeking employment in that area.
Recent Comments