# How do I protect my screen door from my cat.



## RobinWren (Mar 29, 2022)

My kitten now 10 months loves to climb the screen and has already made holes, I only replaced it last year. Right now I have tin foil on it . I do have a cat repellent that I use on the drapes and furniture, that only works for a short time. She also loves to climb the drapes. If my first cat had acted like this she might have been my last. I now understand what everyone was talking about. But I love her to bits and laugh at her behaviour.


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## Pepper (Mar 29, 2022)

Stop a cat?  It would be easier to re-program YOU!


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## Alligatorob (Mar 29, 2022)

Would something like this work?  https://www.amazon.com/Replacement-...oor+guard+for+cats&qid=1648584434&sr=8-8&th=1

Or maybe this  https://www.amazon.com/CLAWGUARD-Sc...oor+guard+for+cats&qid=1648584569&sr=8-3&th=1

Never used one of those, but I have used things like this for dogs, don't know how it would work for a cat. https://www.amazon.com/ADFORS-Scree...oor+guard+for+cats&qid=1648584569&sr=8-4&th=1


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## Bellbird (Mar 29, 2022)

There are a few cat 'toys' you can buy, all made to distract from curtains and furniture, They work well especially the ones they can climb on.


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## win231 (Mar 29, 2022)

Maybe one of those tall scratching posts would provide an alternative to drapes & screen doors.



Go Pet Club 62-Inch Cat Tree
$70

4.6 stars, 21,672 reviews
“I have 3 cats and to my surprise, they all love this thing,” one reviewer writes.


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## Aunt Bea (Mar 29, 2022)

First, I would check on the cost of a new screen.

If the cost to replace it each year isn't too high, I would let the cat enjoy climbing on it.


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## Pinky (Mar 29, 2022)

Aunt Bea said:


> First, I would check on the cost of a new screen.
> 
> If the cost to replace it each year isn't too high, I would let the cat enjoy climbing on it.


Do they have screen doors that have the screen part at the top only?


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## Aunt Bea (Mar 29, 2022)

Pinky said:


> Do they have screen doors that have the screen part at the top only?


If they don't, you could probably have a piece of plexiglass cut to fit the opening and replace the screen panel. 

That wouldn't be much fun for the cat, but he would still have the drapes and the furniture!


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## JonSR77 (Mar 29, 2022)

Tin foil is not a good idea.  Pieces of it could break off.  Cats are attracted to shiny things.  They will eat small bits of plastic or shiny tin foil. Can make them quite sick.

Also, if the screen is metal...as they tear that up, you can get sharp bits of metal there, that can harm them.

I love my cats. I have had cats my entire life. However, much I love them, they are like psychotic little kids, always getting in huge trouble.

Have to be super careful to keep them from harming themselves.

If nothing else works, I would try and call the vet and ask them if they have any ideas.

You could also call the Humane Society or the ASPCA...

sorry about the problems.

best of luck.


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## oldaunt (Mar 29, 2022)

Softpaws, to cap the nails, can help a lot. They aren't permanent, just slip-ons. You can also get 1/2" square wire screening, similar to what rabbit cages are made of, only smaller weave, to cover your screen. Doesn't stop the climbing, but will save the screen.


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## SeaBreeze (Mar 29, 2022)

RobinWren said:


> My kitten now 10 months loves to climb the screen and has already made holes, I only replaced it last year. Right now I have tin foil on it . I do have a cat repellent that I use on the drapes and furniture, that only works for a short time. She also loves to climb the drapes. If my first cat had acted like this she might have been my last. I now understand what everyone was talking about. But I love her to bits and laugh at her behaviour.


I'd try a squirt bottle with plain water in it on a medium spray.  That way you can break the cat of the habit and stop the behavior.  Have a bottle ready near the door where you can grab it quickly.  As soon as the cat even looks like she's about to start climbing, just wait and watch.  When she starts to climb, give her a quick squirt and simultaneously tell here "Off" or "No".  You don't have to shout.  Just the squirt should stop the kitty immediately and she should move on to somewhere else.  Good luck!  If it works for you, you can use the same technique for the drapes.

When my cat was a kitten, I bought a roll of Sticky Paws, a two sided tape made to put on furniture or drapes to discourage cats.  I put some strips on my speaker covers and drapes.  Turns out my cat never got into scratching things like that, shortly afterwards I removed the tape.  You could just put strips of it on the screen door, enough to work but not block the air, and see if that works.
https://www.chewy.com/sticky-paws-o...MI_b_916ns9gIVW21vBB2Czwa_EAUYAyABEgJrofD_BwE


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## JonSR77 (Mar 29, 2022)

SeaBreeze said:


> I'd try a squirt bottle with plain water in it on a medium spray.  That way you can break the cat of the habit and stop the behavior.  Have a bottle ready near the door where you can grab it quickly.  As soon as the cat even looks like she's about to start climbing, just wait and watch.  When she starts to climb, give her a quick squirt and simultaneously tell here "Off" or "No".  You don't have to shout.  Just the squirt should stop the kitty immediately and she should move on to somewhere else.  Good luck!  If it works for you, you can use the same technique for the drapes.


squirting with water is a very recommended disciplinary thing for kitties...


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## SeaBreeze (Mar 29, 2022)

JonSR77 said:


> squirting with water is a very recommended disciplinary thing for kitties...


When my cat was a kitten, before I started to train him to be outside in the yard, I used it to keep him from darting out the front door, worked like a charm!


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## oldaunt (Mar 29, 2022)

SeaBreeze said:


> When my cat was a kitten, before I started to train him to be outside in the yard, I used it to keep him from darting out the front door, worked like a charm!


Mine just played with the water, didn't mind it at all.


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## Murrmurr (Mar 29, 2022)

Can you put a child-gate in front of it?

To keep my cat from using the arm of my couch as a scratch-post, I dabbed some lemon juice all over it. It worked. Try wetting a cloth with lemon juice and then wipe down the screen door with it. You might have to wipe it down every so often, but maybe not.

Good news is the kitten will probably out grow climbing the screen.


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## Nathan (Mar 29, 2022)

> How do I protect my screen door from my cat.


Measure the lower half of the screen door, get a piece of clear plastic(not plexiglass, that's expensive)from the hardware store and screw it to the lower half of the screen door.


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## Ruth n Jersey (Mar 29, 2022)

I replaced the bottom part of the screen with a piece of cardboard that I painted the same color as the wooden frame around the door. Looked ok from the outside. I made a couple but I didn't even need them all.
My cat lost interest in climbing before she was completely grown. 
She moved on to knocking figurines off shelves.


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## Alligatorob (Mar 29, 2022)

Pinky said:


> Do they have screen doors that have the screen part at the top only?


Yes, I have one.  Good suggestion.


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## Gemma (Mar 29, 2022)

Just replace your old screen with Pet Screen.

Pet screens are designed with the destructive potential of pets in mind. The materials used are strong and resistant to the claws of a cat or the brute strength of a dog. The screen is constructed from polyester yarn coated with PVC, making it *about seven times stronger than regular screens*.

I did that with my windows by myself when we raised a raccoon.  Even my German Shepard bounced off the patio door screen without damage to it.  

If you don't know how to replace a screen, it can always be taken somewhere, where they replace screens and they can do it for you.


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## RobinWren (Mar 29, 2022)

Thank you all so much for the advice. I think the best thing for my cat will be the pet screen, not something that I had thought of. Just to let you know my cat has two cat trees with scratching posts, the round toy with the ball that has the scratch post in the middle, a sisal mat, a carpeted scratch post and a cardboard floor one. Yet my adorable cat insists on using the furniture , blanket box, area rug as her scratch post. She has also managed to pull up the carpet on the stairs. When she's naughty I use a spray bottle,  she just looks at me, dries herself and goes back. I use a pet deterrent which smells like lemon, spray it in various areas but only lasts a few hours. She is actually scared of the tin foil  and refuses to go near it. I laid it on the floor today and she just sat beside it. And when shes not doing all this she is bothering her brother my dog.  Life is good.


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## RobinWren (Mar 29, 2022)

Pepper said:


> Stop a cat?  It would be easier to re-program YOU!


You are so right


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## RobinWren (Mar 29, 2022)

Alligatorob said:


> Would something like this work?  https://www.amazon.com/Replacement-Upgraded-Thicken-Charcoal-Fiberglass/dp/B09B1S8NJ1/ref=sr_1_8?gclid=Cj0KCQjw3IqSBhCoARIsAMBkTb0V4e-aulPLX5oEQ36xnzJcPyoof14_GF-xEHPc4J65TeAPIA--cg8aAtkXEALw_wcB&hvadid=472008157879&hvdev=c&hvlocphy=9029787&hvnetw=g&hvqmt=e&hvrand=13094730178894825588&hvtargid=kwd-373322805791&hydadcr=7467_9611909&keywords=screen+door+guard+for+cats&qid=1648584434&sr=8-8&th=1
> 
> Or maybe this  https://www.amazon.com/CLAWGUARD-Scratch-Shield-Transparent-Protection-Protector/dp/B01MF64AXY/ref=sr_1_3?gclid=Cj0KCQjw3IqSBhCoARIsAMBkTb0N3iK_0YPM3HimxnkDySNDikZxrGADCGQ3eqMqSgdgCqleXa1SVK8aAk2gEALw_wcB&hvadid=472008157879&hvdev=c&hvlocphy=9029787&hvnetw=g&hvqmt=e&hvrand=5019555830450815126&hvtargid=kwd-373322805791&hydadcr=7467_9611909&keywords=screen+door+guard+for+cats&qid=1648584569&sr=8-3&th=1
> 
> ...


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## RobinWren (Mar 29, 2022)

JonSR77 said:


> Tin foil is not a good idea.  Pieces of it could break off.  Cats are attracted to shiny things.  They will eat small bits of plastic or shiny tin foil. Can make them quite sick.
> 
> Also, if the screen is metal...as they tear that up, you can get sharp bits of metal there, that can harm them.
> 
> ...


Thank you, it was actually a pet store that recommended it. I am lucky that she was not attracted to it and that this is the one thing that scares her.


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## Judycat (Mar 29, 2022)

I remember when my cats used to do that. They seemed so proud of themselves for climbing that high. Now they are reaching the end of their lives, and hobbling around, all they do is twang the screen with one claw when they want in.


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## Vida May (Mar 29, 2022)

Cats are good for making chop suey and dogs are good for making tacos.


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## JonSR77 (Mar 30, 2022)

RobinWren said:


> Thank you, it was actually a pet store that recommended it. I am lucky that she was not attracted to it and that this is the one thing that scares her.



Cat-Proofing Tips for Your Home​

*1. Aluminum Foil / Corks, etc.
Cats may love to play with an aluminum foil ball or cork on a string, but these objects can kill. I*f lodged in the throat, your cat could strangle; if chewed or partially eaten, they can cause intestinal blockage. Cellophane (including wrappers on cigarette packages) can turn “glassy” in a cat’s stomach and cause a painful death.

https://pawsbink.org/pet-care-library/cat-proofing-tips-for-your-home/


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## JonSR77 (Mar 30, 2022)

Cat-Proofing Tips for Your Home​

*1. Aluminum Foil / Corks, etc.
Cats may love to play with an aluminum foil ball or cork on a string, but these objects can kill. *If lodged in the throat, your cat could strangle; if chewed or partially eaten, they can cause intestinal blockage. Cellophane (including wrappers on cigarette packages) can turn “glassy” in a cat’s stomach and cause a painful death.

https://pawsbink.org/pet-care-library/cat-proofing-tips-for-your-home/


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## Nathan (Mar 30, 2022)

You could spend hundreds(or thousands) of $$ on "cat control" products or toys, but the one thing that's most effective and that cats love is:


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## Remy (Mar 30, 2022)

I'm sorry I have no useful advice but I understand. Picture of my screen below. All my tabby. She jumps to the top of the screen. She's a good natured wild animal. I had a sheer curtain on the slider and nice room darkening curtains on my bedroom window because I was working PMs. All had to come down with these two. They started climbing immediately.


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## squatting dog (Apr 4, 2022)

Didn't have a cat problem, but, when the dogs started scratching the screen in my motor home, I just put a piece of lattice on either side of the screen. That still allowed some fresh air to get in.


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## Mr. Ed (Apr 8, 2022)

Wrap your screen door in aluminum foil to inhibit brainwaves from seeping out. Cats have a tendency to follow brainwave emisión in this  case through your screen door. Wrapping aluminum foil around your screen door keeps those pesky brainwaves inside and prevents kitty from destroying screen door.

Or you can try spraying screen door with lemon juice?


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## Pepper (Apr 8, 2022)

In New Hampshire we had a squirrel who would come every day.  We knew her because her tail was mutilated.  We called her Squiggy.  When I would see her outside I would call for my cat "Squiggy's here" and my cat would run to the room.  Then Squiggy on the outside of the screen and my cat on the inside would both jump on the screen and climb up together at the same pace, nose to nose.  I loved to see that more than I loved my screen.

When Squiggy had babies, she brought them all over to meet us.  She probably told her squirrellettes "This is the sucker with the peanuts in the shell" which I bought specifically for her.


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