cats and doors

[cellio]

I have noticed that my three cats have different reactions when facing a mostly-closed door that opens toward the cat.

Erik reaches out a paw, pulls the door open enough to go through, and walks through.

Embla does that thing that long-haired torties specialize in where all the cat volume seems to vanish, and then walks through. Or, if that doesn't work, she does as Erik does.

Baldur uses his head as a battering ram, pushing at the space between the door and the frame until the door opens more. He might or might not then walk through.

Each of these reactions perfectly fits the personality (and observed mental acuity) of the cat in question. :-)

Comments

[kayre]

Huh. Three of our four split exactly the same as yours.

The fourth never wants to come into the bathroom with me :D

In another weird observation, Nala's the first cat I've seen try to catch a laser pointer dot with her teeth.

[subdivisions.livejournal.com]

Our otherwise sweet, timid, shy, unassuming tuxedo has a tendency to take his paw and hit closed doors as hard as he can, sending the door flying and creating an opening that would fit 10 of him.

The other one stands outside the door and makes appealing chirpy noises until a human complies with his directive.

[indigodove.livejournal.com]

Hmm -- Ella uses her paw. Louie might use his paw, and might do the "battering ram" approach if he feels a need. He tends to use his paw. Duke is most likely to use his head, I think. I'll have to do some more observation now :-)

Interesting and fun! :-)

[yuggazogy.livejournal.com]

In situations like this, my cat tries the third approach stated (the battering ram)...and inadvertantly locks herself in the room when she does.

[eub.livejournal.com]

Our cats have no conception of whether a door opens toward them or away from them. Sometimes they get lucky, sometimes they latch it on themselves.

[cellio]

So who's the "when the only tool you have is a head-butt..." cat in your family?

Laser pointer: wow, I've never seen one try that! That must be very frustrating for her. :-)

[cellio]

It sounds like your tuxedo didn't learn one of the basic cat rules that applies in our house: never expend more energy than you need to. :-)

[cellio]

I imagined that Ella would use a paw and Duke would use his head. I had no instincts for Louie. I mean, given that he always seems to have some new trick on tap, I wouldn't have been completely surprised to find that he pulled over a stepstool and used it to operate the doorknob. :-)

[cellio]

And fails to learn from the experience, I gather?

[cellio]

Oops!

[kayre]

Oscar's the head-butt guy... biggest head, so it's pretty effective.

Nala tried to sniff it, too.

[dglenn.livejournal.com]

I've seen a few try to chomp on the little red dot; I can't think of any that only used their mouths, but I have seen 'em try to eat it in addition to trying to put a paw on it.

Rex uses his paw under the door

[tc-tick.livejournal.com]

The door to the garage is spring loaded and do to settling doesn't close all the way by itself. Suddenly a little black paw will reach under the door and pull it open far enough for him to walk through.

Re: Rex uses his paw under the door

[cellio]

Yikes, how do you make sure he doesn't have an unfortunate encounter with either a car or the great outdoors?

Re: Rex uses his paw under the door

[(Anonymous)]

It is the door from the house into the garage. We don't put the car in the garage (no room), so all coming and going involves checking for the cat.