If cats ruled the world more than they already do, every door would have a cat flap. Cats disapprove of the concept of closed doors. “Why would you intentionally block access to a place?” is what they seem to be thinking.

What do cats have against doors—other than, often, themselves?

Simply put, cats want to open doors—at least in the literal sense—for these reasons:

• They smell or hear something on the other side that compels them to investigate.
• They know that one or more members of their human “staff” are on the other side of the door, and they don’t want to be prevented from cuddling with or controlling these people.
• They consider the area beyond the door to be part of their territory, which they feel the need to patrol.
• They are persistently curious—“What’s on the other side?”

How cats say “open the door ”

• Yowling right outside the door
• Pawing at the door
• Attempting to herd you toward the door: coming over to you, brushing up against you, meowing, and going to the door, so you’ll get the idea
• Other means, as thought up by the resourceful feline mind

Solutions for times when kitty, but not you, wants an open door policy

Of course, there are some reasons for doors that humans consider to be valid: privacy, safety, energy efficiency, aesthetics, and perhaps protection from cat fur. Sometimes our viewpoints and our cats’ viewpoints are not quite in sync, and in those cases, we try to work out reasonable compromises. Let’s consider some possible resolutions for various types of door-related issues.

Tip: If a door must be shut for kitty’s safety, make sure everyone in the household follows this rule. When in doubt, install a child-proof lock on the door.

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