If your cat has been climbing doorframes, this post will show you likely reasons why and what you can do about them.
So, why does my cat climb doorframes? Likely reasons why your cat climbs doorframes are that it is fearful of something, it naturally likes to climb things or that it is playing.
There are a number of possible reasons why your cat climbs doorframes and it could be due to a combination of reasons. However, there are some things you can consider to help figure out the main cause.
Why does my cat climb doorframes?
Below are likely reasons why your cat has been doing it and what would make them more likely.
Fearfulness
Cats will naturally climb things such as trees when they are trying to get away from predators. It might be the case that your cat has been climbing doorframes in an attempt to get away from something that has been causing it to be fearful. This would be more likely if your cat has been doing it more when it is likely to be fearful such as when a dog is nearby or when there are loud noises inside.
Your cat naturally likes to climb things
Cats naturally like to climb things and it is likely that your cat has been climbing up doors because it enjoys doing it. This would be more likely if your cat has not been behaving unusually in other ways and it seems to do it at random times. In this case, it could help to keep your doors shut when possible.
Your cat is playing
It is also likely that your cat does it because it naturally wants to climb things when it is playing. This would be more likely if it does it in the early morning or late evening when cats tend to have a lot more energy.
Trying to get outside
It might also be the case that your cat has been doing it in an attempt to get outside. This would be more likely if your cat has been climbing doorframes next to the door that it normally uses to get outside.
Things to consider
Below are some things to consider to help figure out the main cause.
If your cat has always climbed doorframes
If your cat hasn’t always climbed up doorframes, it would help to consider what else happened when your cat first started doing it. If it started doing it suddenly, it could be due to things such as something happening inside that caused it to start getting anxious or it might have learned that it is fun to climb doorframes.
The timing of when your cat climbs doorframes
If there is a certain time your cat tends to climb doorframes, it would also help to consider what is different about the timing. For example, if it tends to do it more when there are loud noises inside, your cat might be doing it in an attempt to escape the noise.
What to do about my cat climbing doorframes?
Below are options you have when dealing with the behavior.
Avoid encouraging the behavior
When your cat does climb doorframes, it would help to avoid giving it rewards such as food or extra attention so that it does not learn to climb doors for rewards.
Give it a scratch post or other distractions
It could also help to give your cat things to be distracted by such as a scratch post or other toys to play with so that it is less likely to want to climb things.
Keep the doors shut
It would also help to keep doors shut when possible so that it is harder for your cat to climb up the doors and door frames.
Limit reasons why it might be fearful
It would also help to limit reasons why it might be fearful inside such as by letting it stay in a different part of the house.