Yes, you heard right, I am the true successor to a certain Houdini who was famous for escaping from all kinds of situations! Let me take you back to yesterday so I can explain.
#1 brought me back a new PURPLE Puppia harness from the United States (Extra-Small so as to be Extra-Snug and thus Extra-Difficult for me to get out of. Ha!). She also brought a splendid matching coloured leash with elephants on it. Yesterday, we had our first little bit of sunshine in days (and the last...) so she decided to take me out and put the harness on me. I thought I looked most handsome in it:
We went for nice little walkies in the garden...
Tommy was hanging out too, munching on an apple...
But we had to come back in because a man came to install our new TV and satellite dish. As he was going in and out, #1 thought I might escape so she left my harness on and tied me to the leg of a very heavy table. Ha! Double HA!!!!! Behold the evidence:
The Master HOUBIBI at work!
So I was loose, unbeknownst to #1, and as soon as the man opened the door, I shot out. That time, #1 caught me within 3 minutes, but, Dear Friends, I got out again this morning when #1 and Tommy were going out for their walk. It was raining and the winds were howling but I did not care!
#1 then spent almost an hour running after me instead of throwing Tommy his ball. I eventually sauntered back in when she opened the kitchen door. She was NOT happy. Tee Hee Heeeeee!
#1 here. He is driving me CRAZY! Does anyone have any helpful suggestions, other than locking him up in a room every time I go out?
Oh, Bibi, you are really giving #1 a run for her money. We don't want you to get lost. Please be a good boy and stop the escaping.
ReplyDeleteYour purple Puppia looks very manly on you. I don't know how you managed to Houdini out of it.
At least you stand up straight in yours! I do the belly crawl in mine.
Oh noes...a true contortionist just like Houdini! Maybe a straight jacket would be escape proof?
ReplyDeleteYou could try this harness:
http://metpet.com/shopsite_sc/store/html/walkingjacket.html
oh HouBiBi - you is mine IDOL!!! - Billy
ReplyDeleteBibi, I suppose it would not help if I told you the story of a handsome Aby that used to belong to a friend of my human's. He was an escape artist like you, and persistent. Finally, his human gave up and let him go outside... and eventually he was hit by a car and killed. My human's friend was heartbroken and felt terrible and she does lock her indoor-only kitties up now when people are over. Maybe the harness Teri suggested will work.
ReplyDelete#1 - Have you tried shaking the coins in the tin can (soda can) every time the door is opened? It is loud and startling, but has worked on keeping mine away from the door. It will unfortunately disturb those who are not so curious too but short of finding a steel safe in which to hold himself, it may work.
ReplyDeleteGood luck.
Some khat is channeling their inner Siberian -
ReplyDeleteJust imagine the two of us together?!?
I don't think there would be enough beer and wine fur our moms -
Hugz&Khysses,
Khyra
PeeEssWoo: Hi Tommy - KHATS!
Bibi! How did you escape your harness? Please tell me so I'll be able to escape mine!!
ReplyDeleteWally
Has this escalated since he was with the pet sitter? Maybe when he ran out, she let him stay out and now he wants out all of the time.
ReplyDeleteHas he been fixed? If not, there.may be an intact female in the area sending his hormones into overdrive.
We would have loved to see how he got out of the puppia. Amazing.
Negative conditioning (like shaking coins) seems to be the only way. Plus, it would be good to only take the little Houbibi outside through a different door that the main entrance so he associates the good times with another door and maybe stops being so keen on the front one. Good luck, mom says she knows what this is like. Luckily, our Chillihoudini can only escape into the stairway, but she does it whenever she can.
ReplyDeletePurrs,
Siena
Oh my...you are very good at getting out huh?
ReplyDeleteSorry...we don't really have any words of advice. Our kitty sisters don't go outside.
Bibi, we can't believe you managed to escape out of that harness!
ReplyDeleteWe are having problems here with Tinkerbell too - she has always been an outdoor cat - infact she was a stray that just wandered in to us when we moved in to the house. She is not happy at all that past few days - being kept in - and the vet has said she needs to become an indoor cat totally! But everytime the door opens she makes for it ... thankfully she is still not strong or quick enough to get out ....
But in a few weeks time we fear she will be doing something similar to you Bibi!
take care
Clive and Murray
Oh dear, we are not very well-versed in cats, but we wonder if the idea of shaking a can mentioned above might help. Bibi, behave now, you can't keep doing this.
ReplyDeleteWoos ~ Phantom, Thunder, and Ciara
dear houbibi
ReplyDeleteI must say you are furry resourceful and I admire you fur it. san does not allow me to get out. Once I just walked out when the gate was opened by Cousin R but she got me in again pronto.
My bruffer Bujang managed to escape twice even wif the walking jacket that teri suggested. We have 3 walking jackets just like that. It was put on furry snug but he managed to back up and pulled himself through the neck opening (even though it was also buckled). It was a good fing san managed to catch him again as they were in the park.
I fing just hang out in the cat run houbibi. At least you get to get out, unlike me :(
Your friend
Tanaka
We use the aversion technique of shaker cans with coins with our dogs. The cats, however respond well to a spray bottle of water. It may sound cruel, but I taught them all as kittens that a squirt of water and a mouth noise (I think sounds like a mad squirrel or parakeete's squawk "CH-CH-CH") means "stay back".
ReplyDeleteThis helps them not get burned on the stove, keeps them from the open door and off the counters when I'm cooking. Now I just make the mouth noise and they go...well, all except Snafu.
You may want to try it.
Good Luck!
~Lisa Co9T
Oh that is a way to scare your human! Please don't do that again!
ReplyDeleteOh Bibi, don't scare #1 like that, we want you to be safe. Mum is furry careful when she opens any door to the outside. Makes sure neither of us are nearby. If work guys are coming over, we get put into a room until they are gone.
ReplyDeleteI'm an indoor/outdoor kitty. When Georgie and Gordy go outside I often slither out too. Staff has learned that saying "crabcakes, crabcakes" and shaking the treat jar will always bring me indoors. Crabcakes is our secret word for treats. Can #1 put you in the cat run so you can't get outside but can't run back free range into the house either?
ReplyDeleteGood for you Bibi-Chan! The first time mom let me out, there was NO looking back. I try to slip out every time the door opens. If the door doesn't open enough, I sometimes leave...um....a gift by the back door. Mom is NOT happy about that.
ReplyDeletecheers,
Cookie
Bibi you are rather clever!
ReplyDeleteAnd a note to #1:
Appartently I was a bit of a monkey at running off outside too. My Abbey has discovered that if she lets me out when I'm hungry I come back quicker and once inside I get a reward of Temptations, which I expect every time.
Go Bibi!!!!!
ReplyDeleteAnswer: a huge huge catio at the front of the house :)
abra cadabra..poof...outside you go. BOL. Sounds like you are going to be in jail next time
ReplyDeleteBenny & Lily
Oh no you litle tinker you frightening your mum like that. I dont know how you managed to get out of a harness like that. Maybe locking you in a room will be the only answer. Hope you find a solution. Hugs GJ xx
ReplyDeleteWow, that's impressive Bibi! We don't have any suggestions for #1 because we never try to run out the door.
ReplyDeleteBibi, this is the Rumblemum. You must NOT do this to your poor human!! Rumbles has only just learned he can run out the door and into the apartment hallway and I'm worried SICK that he'll come to harm... and that's only to an apartment lobby! Your poor human has the whole WORLD to worry about you in!
ReplyDeleteOh, Bibi, how you are worrying #1! we have no advice for you because we are indoor only kitties.
ReplyDeleteWe hope you stay inside where it is wonderfully e
Warm and dry!!!
Purrs,
9 and Chani
HouBibi that is too funny! But, you should be very careful about running away because you might get in danger.
ReplyDeleteHouBibi ... could yoo teach us efurrything yoo know please? MOL!
ReplyDeleteWell done, Bibi. I have managed to run outside a couple of times myself. I have not been able to escape from my harness, though. Mom has heard of very many cats being able to escape the puppia harnesses, though, but if the main issue is running out the door (not escaping the harness) then it might not matter much.
ReplyDeletePurrs,
Virus
I keep a water pistol at each door. If Miss Phoenix comes close as I start to go out, I squirt her. She seems to enjoy the game while at the same time has become much less confident about an exit plan. I try to be very subtle so that it appears the door is the perp - LSB in WNC
ReplyDeleteHoubibi indeed! How on earth did you manage to get out of the harness?!?!
ReplyDeleteFrom the mum:
Is it possible to use a seperate door for Bibi's excursions and when you go outside for any other reason like Siena and Chilli suggested? I have the same problem with our three in that we have one back door to the enclosed courtyard, and our washing line is in the courtyard. Whenever I need to hang out some washing, the cats think it's play time!
HouBibi, I do the same thing. I back out of my Puppia harness and slip it over my head! I am 13 and NOTHING stops me from trying to escape!
ReplyDeletexx The Baby
MomKat here: The Baby is a horrible escaper...we've just learned to always watch for her. She's a real pain sometimes...too smart for her little fur britches, if you ask me.
HouBiBi, you are a hoot! What a little rascal you are!
ReplyDeleteGandalf got out of his harness while Momma was still holding the leash. In a split second.
We use to be able to go Outside, but that ended about 18 months ago. While we had a very quiet neighborhood at the end of a cul-de-sac with little to no traffic, there were too many dangers lurking outside in the way of stray cats and dogs. Momma made us come inside forever, even though we never left our yard.
Momma uses a short sound for anything she doesn't want us to do.... we do not even know how to type it, but it sounds like a throaty, firm first part of uh-uh.
Our Mom worries that we will run out too sometimes, so when she is going out somewhere, she gets the treat bag out and throws several treats out on the floor and, of course, we run to get as many as we can...during this time, Mom sneaks out the door. We have a HouMommy!
ReplyDeletehi my name is Brutus
ReplyDeletei know i am a little late to join this conversation, but i have alot of feed back on this subject. i dont have a harness and my mum does not let me out and i really want out or did, i have other things to amuse me these days, but that is another story. i used to bum rush the door all the time till mum got a water bottle and squirted me by the door, or even if i looked at the door, or if the door was open and i moved or even thought about it. it was really quite rude sometimes she would just kennel me when she knew she had to open the door. i did not mind this because i was a cat in a huge dog kennel and everyone noticed me, and admired me for my badness.
but there were times i got out mah ha ha stupid chimp. but she set loose the hounds on me and they would chase me around the yard tackle me or herd me inside. i like the attention and i send everyone one on a merry old chase 4 against 1. all the dogs and the human have there tongues hanging out of there mouths by the time i am done with them and the human turns a attractive shade of purple i like it when she turns different colours but i can not do it to much in one session cause her eyes start bulging out and she starts to yell, and its not quite as much fun. but they always seem to get me inside. shh dont tell anyone i feel sorry for them so i show them a bit of mercy. i dont want to break them so they can not play anymore.
Brutus