Last updated on November 1st, 2022
Cats are curious creatures, and one that has mastered the art of slipping through the smallest of spaces to get into rooms without doors is a force to be reckoned with.
I can tell you that it’s a bit of a tiring job to keep Tutu out of the room (if you are new to the website, Tutu is the name of my feline friend)! And no, closing the doors isn’t the solution, because our living room doesn’t have any!
When she started showing up in my kitchen and even sometimes my bedroom, I decided to do something about it. Luckily, since cats are easily distracted, there are plenty of ways to keep them out of a room without a door.
The best way to keep cats out of a room without doors is to make sure you’ve properly secured the room first. For example, you should make sure there aren’t any windows they can jump through or crawl through from.
If you have a kitten, set up a baby gate to block off the cat-free zone. If you have a small room, try filling it with a litter box or a few boxes to simulate the feeling of a room without a door.
Here is how to keep a cat out of a room without doors
- Blocking the Doorway of the Room
- Train Your Cat
- Make the Room Uncomfortable for Your Cat to Stay in
- Place Your Feline in a Cattery
- Place Deterrents by the Door
- Placing Toys Outside the Room
- Using Fresh Herbs
- Using Catnip Spray
- Pheromone Diffusers
Once you’ve done this, the rest is just a matter of using a little bit of your cat’s favorite things to deter them.
It can seem impossible to keep a room free of cats when you have a house full of them.
With these tips, you can keep your cat out of the room you don’t want them in, without having to close the door.
1. Blocking the Doorway of the Room
The best idea is to install doors soon, if possible. Other options include an interior retractable screen door, wooden screen door, or regular screen door to keep cats out of the bedroom.
Also, the bi-fold doors with hinges or doors with simple frames work just as well and you can get them quite inexpensively at your local pet store.
Using a temporary door to keep cats out is a viable approach that can work well until you’re ready to install permanent ones.
Whatever barrier you choose to put, make sure your cat cannot enter the space you don’t want her in.
However, one thing to remember is that even after you put on this physical barrier to keep the cat out of the room, she may still try to get inside. For instance, when you get in or out of the bedroom, she may swiftly enter the room before you may even realize it.
In fact, she would generally be looking out for opportunities to get inside, so you need to be on the lookout.
In that case, you should ensure that you move in and out of your room swiftly and minimize the door opening space.
Another good way is to distract your furry friend with treats or toys, so you can have enough time to get inside or outside and shut the door behind you.
Since you have denied your cat access to your room, she may grow angry, and this change in behavior may be manifested in some other part of your house.
Try to keep your sensitive objects or documents stored away and out of the reach of your cat to avoid mishaps.
Alternatively, you can also try consulting your veterinarian or an animal behaviorist to cope with such anger issues.
If your room doesn’t have doors and you don’t want your cat to enter there, try to build a physical barrier, such as a pet gate or a small baby gate. But remember, not all baby gates can prevent your cat from entering.
Actually, it depends on your cat’s age and agility. Now you might be wondering to what extent pet gates work for your indoor kitty.
Do Pet Gates Work For Cats?
Cats are high jumpers and will be able to easily bypass and jump over regular baby gates because of their hind leg’s muscle mass since the average baby gate ranges from 29-36 inches and cats jump as high as 56 inches (six times their normal height) which would mean that you need to invest in a tall pet gate for your feline friend.
But what if you don’t want to put up a pet gate or shut your doors, especially on a hot summer day when you need proper airflow to be circulating to keep the environment cool? In that case, you can learn how to train your cat.
2. Train Your Cat
How to train a cat to not enter a room and by training, I mean positive training that involves making your pet feel that the room she’s meant to be in is comfortable and nice in every way. Try to associate some positive vibes and good things with your cat’s room that makes her return there by herself.
For instance, you can scatter around some tasty treats or really playful toys that would keep her engaged for hours. The point is, never make your cat feel bored while she is in her room. So, keep incorporating new things and surprises that she will enjoy.
Gradually, your naughty but cute little kitty will realize that her room is one of the best and the most comfortable in the entire house, and is one that she can’t afford to leave.
If your cat still manages to come out and mess around in the house, such as jumping on the kitchen tables, scratching on your pieces of furniture, etc., train her not to go into a certain area. Yes, training your cat is going to be hard. But over time, you will find it easy.
Treat them like your little child and incorporate strict but harmless punishments for misbehavior. Tell them firmly or even scold them whenever they enter a restricted area of your house and make sure to take them out to their desired place right away.
Doing this repeatedly will cause them to know where they should not enter.
As mentioned earlier, define your prohibited area by creating a physical barrier. Whenever she tries to come near that area, firmly tell her, “No!”
Avoid yelling or ill-treating, though. Also, never attempt to impose any harsh punishments like beating, thrashing, etc. A mild flank on the back would do whenever she misbehaves.
You can also show her something that she’s afraid of, such as a cucumber, a big and fearful-looking dog soft toy, a basketball or soccer ball, and so on.
You can also spray water on her face or use other frightening devices like a sensor spray whenever she enters a restricted room. Just do whatever works for your cat.
And by doing this on a regular basis, every time she breaks the rules or disobeys you, she would know what kind of behavior is getting her into trouble.
Keep repeating until she knows it’s the room she’s not permitted in, otherwise, she might have been thinking it’s just the barrier that she can’t cross.
Because cats are highly curious and restless. If she doesn’t realize the reason behind all your scoldings, she will try every possible way to get inside the room when you are not around.
3. Make the Room Uncomfortable for Your Cat to Stay in
If possible, try to make your room uncomfortable for your cat, such as turning on loud music or other noisy sounds or spraying a sour odor in and around the doorway of your bedroom.
For instance, cats hate the smell of vinegar. So, you can fill a bottle with a mixture of vinegar and lime juice in 1:1 proportion and spray it at the prohibited areas.
Another way to deter your cat from entering your bedroom is to block all hiding spaces, such as under the bed or behind the curtains. This way, your cat will feel uncomfortable in that room.
4. Place Your Feline in a Cattery
The simplest way to keep your cat out of a bedroom at night is by placing her in a cattery with her toys.
Building a cattery and locking your feline pet inside would relieve you of all worries about her whereabouts. You only make her roam indoors when you feel comfortable.
However, never make her feel that she’s isolated or imprisoned. Because limiting a cat’s territory and taking away her needed space is stressful for her, and she may even start displaying bad behavior.
Instead, build a beautiful and absolutely pleasant home for her and make it large enough for her to roam around. Install high perches to let her sit, relax and play around. You may even make small hiding places to let her enjoy privacy.
If your cattery is outdoors, create an adequate shelter to protect your pet against harsh weather conditions.
Provide a good number of toys, food, water, delicious treats, and games to make her feel happy and engaged.
However, don’t cut off human interactions because your kitty is an attention-lover. Spending 5-10 minutes sessions every day with your beloved animal is a good idea to make her feel special and loved.
5. Place Deterrents by the Door
Electronic cat deterrents, wireless barriers, or a simple box fan can keep your house cat away from an unwanted space. I have even tried placing a tin filled with compressed air and having a motion detector trigger just beside my bedroom door.
Every time Tutu is near my bedroom, the motion detector senses her presence and releases an air blast that’s quite uncomfortable for her. Oh, but it’s a pity how she makes a face of disgust and runs back to her room.
Don’t worry, releasing compressed air blasts won’t hurt your cat. But it will frighten her a bit.
She will soon learn to associate the restricted area with this unpleasant experience and stop coming near that room.
6. Place Distractions Outside the Room
Cats are animals that can be easily distracted. If your cat has a set of toys that she likes playing around with, you can place these outside the room and let her entertain herself while you’re sleeping.
You can also put some interesting items like an automatic laser pointer, a ball, a feather toy, etc., outside the room so that she’ll find them entertaining.
While this will only be viable about 70-75% of the time, at least it will keep her distracted long enough until mealtime or some other sensory object catches her eyes and keeps her occupied.
7. Using Fresh Herbs Like Rosemary & Thyme
Most cat owners know that their cats are sensitive to certain smells, but some surprising ones may come as a shock.
The smell of citrus isn’t appealing to cats, and they hate fresh herbs scents like rosemary, and thyme, although you might love them.
Also, lavender and essential oils are two scents that your cat can’t handle, so if you keep these odors around the room, they can be extremely effective at keeping your cat out but
8. Use Catnip Sprays
Since cats love them some catnip, it stands to reason that the wonderful aroma of this chemical will keep your feline at bay. This method can surely keep your cat outside the room for as long as you want.
However, if she gets into a playful mood, it’s very possible that she can grab hold of the catnip spray leading it to malfunction if she gets too rough
Catnip is one of those plants that cats absolutely adore and will do anything to get their paws on it.
Important: If you use a catnip spray, make sure not to spray it directly onto your cat. Instead, rub it in between your fingers and then apply it to the floor where your cat usually sleeps or in this case, around areas outside your room.
It would be best if you apply this chemical in a trail-like manner to lead the cat away from your room.
9. Pheromone Diffusers
Cat pheromone diffusers are great because they don’t require any effort on your part. All you need to do is plug it in and leave it alone.
Pheromone plug-ins are odorless, so humans and other pets cannot detect their scent.
This device emits a scent that attracts cats and this pheromone scent gives cats a sense of familiarity with their surrounding, which means that your cat will stay away from your room and veer more toward the area where the scent is released.
The scent may last up to 24 hours and will only need to be refilled every 25-30 days and most diffusers can cover 250 to 500 square feet.
Keeping cat out of bedroom doesn’t have to be a daunting task and hopefully, this article was helpful to you in some way.