Althouse: Don't have a cat door!

August 17, 2015

Don't have a cat door!

There's nothing about a cat door that restricts it to cats.

26 comments:

Original Mike said...: Looks like a taxidermist's joke to me.; 8/17/15, 7:39 AM
whitney said...: I know they are dangerous but that picture is insanely cute; 8/17/15, 7:43 AM
rehajm said...: Not sure if they work but There are some security doors with electronic keys your pet wears to activate the door.

The bear also left a large pile of poop in the living room.

So, no. The living room. Mystery solved.; 8/17/15, 7:50 AM
Mel said...: This guy came home from vacation to find the bear had broken in through a sliding glass door, left birdseed and soda pop outside on the second floor balcony and took pictures of the bears eating there. He is an idiot for continuing to leave food available and for not barring the door to the cat. These animals (mom at least) have lost their fear of humans and are trying to make a home in his condo and they would happily eat the cat or small dog that fits through that door. This is not safe for people, pets, or bears.; 8/17/15, 8:01 AM
PB said...: Living in a semirural area we always had an opening with a flap on the screen porch for our cats and dogs to come and go. They couldn't come in the house unless we opened the front door, but it was convenient. They let us know when they wanted to go out or come in. Occasionally, in the summer when we were sitting on the porch, the cat would come in to show us their latest prize... It helped our kids understand they were carnivorous animals to be respected.; 8/17/15, 8:15 AM
Jaq said...: First cat door I installed was to my screen room for the pool. A raccoon came in the first night and was up in the corner and when I came out and he saw me, he bolted for the cat door and quickly escaped. My point being that it took me several days and coaxing with chicken liver and pushing through to get my cats to understand that there was a door for them there.

But I am sure the cats were displaying their superior intelligence once again.; 8/17/15, 8:37 AM
Rocketeer said...: Oh contraire, that looks to be an extremely convenient contraption for trophy hunters.; 8/17/15, 8:40 AM
F said...: Either this story rings false or the owner keeps a far better inventory of his pantry than we do. He was able to list the bear's plunder as a box of brownie mix, a Toblerone bar and a can of Dr. Pepper? What's the likelihood I would know there was a can of brownie mix or a Toblerone bar missing from my pantry? Zero.; 8/17/15, 8:41 AM
dbp said...: "There's nothing about a cat door that restricts it to cats."

Okay, they only restrict things that are larger than cat-size.

They have these fancy ones that are magnetically actuated--the magnet is on you pet's collar. Unless some wild animal is smart enough to steal your cat's collar your home will not be invaded. Really, if an animal is that smart, it will pick your locks.; 8/17/15, 9:05 AM
Larry J said...: F said

What's the likelihood I would know there was a can of brownie mix or a Toblerone bar missing from my pantry? Zero

Finding a torn up brownie mix box or Toblerone wrapper might be clues.; 8/17/15, 9:16 AM
exhelodrvr1 said...: Tim,
"But I am sure the cats were displaying their superior intelligence once again"

Well, it got them some extra chicken liver!; 8/17/15, 9:20 AM
David said...: If a bear wants to it makes its own door.; 8/17/15, 9:36 AM
mgarbowski said...: Oh bother. I'm stuck. I just wanted some honey.; 8/17/15, 10:07 AM
traditionalguy said...: That may be a front line picture taken from the Ukranian Army's side looking across the cease fire line.; 8/17/15, 10:19 AM
bridgecross said...: Not to mention your cats dragging in ticks, dirt and prey. Have an indoor cat or an outdoor cat, depending on your environment. Don't choose both.; 8/17/15, 10:21 AM
Jaq said...: Well, it got them some extra chicken liver!

LOL, apologists for cat's intelligence remind me of the "wrestling's not fake" contingent. They know it is, but can't acknowledge it. It would take a Huey Long level of calculation to see a cat door and know that you could convert this opportunity to chicken liver if played properly. But whatever, I know that cats are dumb as posts, but I like them anyway, to a degree.; 8/17/15, 10:43 AM
William said...: People complain about bed bugs and mice, but there is absolutely nothing worse than a bear infestation.; 8/17/15, 11:15 AM
Rocketeer said...: But whatever, I know that cats are dumb as posts, but I like them anyway, to a degree.

Cats are likeable enough.; 8/17/15, 11:52 AM
HoodlumDoodlum said...: I'm really surprised at this one, Professor, you're way off base. It's called a cat door, obviously it's only good for cats.

Food stamps, remember? They're only good for food, it's right there in the name.
Gun free zones are the safest places in the world, there aren't any guns in them. Right in the name.

If you start going around telling people that words don't directly control reality, I don't know what'll become of the legal profession.
Won't somebody think of the lawyers?!; 8/17/15, 12:33 PM
HoodlumDoodlum said...: The ursine Constitution grants Smoky here the liberty to define his "own concept of existence, of meaning, of the universe, and of the mystery of" his life, so if he defines the door as a bear door you're legally bound to respect his wishes. It's his body.; 8/17/15, 12:37 PM
Jaq said...: "It's called a cat door..."
Exactly. And another thing I would like to know, why don't they move the "deer crossings" to safer places?; 8/17/15, 1:04 PM
richard mcenroe said...: Bridgecross, we've rescued a couple of semiferals and abandoneds on our property. Cleaning them up was an epic battle.; 8/17/15, 2:24 PM
HoodlumDoodlum said...: Clearly this "bear" as you call it self-identifies as a cat. It's TransFeline, and if you don't respect its identity you're the worst kind of bigot.

Don't be a bigot, Professor.; 8/17/15, 3:11 PM
Nichevo said...: Is that a good opportunity to give a bear scrunches?; 8/17/15, 3:41 PM
Scott said...: I wonder if bopping it in the nose with a hammer would make it go away?; 8/17/15, 4:04 PM
JCC said...: Let's see...you've already had a bear inside your living quarters, but you're too lazy to open the door when the stupid cats want to go out. So you leave your cat door available for other animals - and presumably human riffraff- to come and go as they please, help themselves to your pantry or your toaster oven, your TV, etc. And, as someone else mentioned, your inside-outside cats bring in ticks and fleas and other vermin to your home. And occasionally, you hear something and see this sticking in your cat door. And you say "I hope they don't hurt it." when I think most self-respecting homeowners in bear country might have already headed for the gun case.

Are you one of those people who hang out with and anthropomorphize large predators, insisting they're really cuddly and harmless...and then die surprised when they eventually eat you and your equally moronic girlfriend?

Dogs are open and loyal to a fault, cats sneaky and sefl-centered. Plus dogs bark at bears and hunt them. And dogs don't need some special door either. They're perfectly fine using the same one we do.; 8/17/15, 5:24 PM