If your cat will not let you close the door, this post will show you why and what you can do about it.
So, why won’t my cat let me close the door? Possible reasons why your cat won’t let you shut the door are that it is hungry or thirsty, it has separation anxiety, there is an issue with the room it stays in, or fearfulness.
Your cat might actually be doing it for a number of reasons and it might be due to a combination of them. However, there are some things you can consider to help figure out the main cause and there are some things you can do about it.
Reasons why your cat won’t let you shut the door
Below are a number of possible reasons why your cat has been doing it and what would make them more likely.
Hunger or thirst
The cause might be that it is hungry or thirsty. This would be more likely if it usually does not let you shut the door when it has not already eaten but it does let you shut the door when it has eaten. In this case, it could help to try feeding it before shutting it out instead of after and to ensure that it is getting the right amount of calories. It would also help to make sure it has access to water while you are not with it.
Separation anxiety
The cause might be that it has separation anxiety. This is where it does not like being left alone and it gets anxious when it is left alone. This would be more likely if it has started doing it since you have been leaving it for longer. It would also be more likely if it starts getting anxious when you normally shut the door.
Fearfulness
It could be the case that something has been causing it to become fearful when you are not around. Things that might make it afraid could include noises like construction works or possibly someone else or another pet being around that it does not like.
If it does seem to be fear that is causing it to not let you shut the door, it would help to try and figure out what it might be afraid of and to remove it from its environment if possible. Other options would be to have your cat stay in a different area or to do desensitization training.
An issue with the room it stays in
Another possible cause is that there is an issue with the room that it normally stays in. The room might be too hot, noisy or there might not be a space for it to lay down. This would be more likely if it tends to do it more when it has to stay in a certain room.
Things to consider
Below are some things to consider to help figure the main cause.
If your cat has always stopped you from shutting the door
If your cat did not always stop you from shutting the door, it would help to consider what else happened when it first started doing it. If it started doing it suddenly, it could be due to things such as a change in its diet or a change in the room it stays in.
What is different when your cat does let you shut the door
If your cat does let you shut the door sometimes, it would also help to consider what is different when it does. For example, if it doesn’t stop you when it has already eaten, the cause would likely be due to hunger. Whereas, if it only does it when a certain animal is around, it could be the case that it gets anxious around that animal.
What to do about your cat not letting you shut the door
Below are some options you have when dealing with the behavior.
Feed it and give it access to water
If your cat seems to be doing it due to being hungry, it could help to feed it before leaving it. It would also help to make sure that it has access to water while you are not with it.
Ensure the room it stays in is ideal
It would also help to make sure that the room it stays in allows it to sleep easily. Things to do would be to make sure it’s not too hot, bright or noisy. It would also help to make sure that it has access to a litter box.
Get help
If your cat has started doing it suddenly and you cannot figure out why or it has been behaving abnormally, it would help to take it to a vet. By doing so, you should be able to get expert advice tailored towards your particular cat and to rule out the possibility of it being due to illness or injury.