My neutered cat keeps running out the door. Is something wrong?

Unfortunately it’s very difficult to train cats. Unlike dogs, most of them do not have a desire to please their humans. Other than just be extra cautious when leaving the house so that he does not slip through an open door, you can purchase electric fence type devices for the house. Roxzy, would wear a special collar that will give a static correction if he approaches the boundary. Meanwhile you would set up the boundary around the door. Most cats respond very well to this system. I hope this is helpful and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Good on you for keeping them indoors! I keep my cats indoors all the time as well, it's much safer for them and better for their health. I would make it a habit to check where Johny is every time you have to leave or open the door before opening the door. Then he has less of a chance to sneak out. You can also get a screen door, which adds an extra barrier to prevent him from getting out. I hope this helps!

If it is an abrupt change in behavior, it could signal some kind of discomfort, physical, such as a bladder infection or some other ailment making him painful, or something mentally distressing him, like a strange cat outside, being in a new place. If he seems fine physically, i.e. eating, drinking, eliminating normally, being his usual self, I would keep an eye on it. If you see any symptoms of illness, get him in to see your vet as soon as possible. Check around and see if you can identify when/where it is happening and if there is anything that might be causing him to vocalize.

Dexter may be craving extra attention! It is unlikely that this behavior was caused by him being neutered. As kittens get older, they become more and more adventurous and brave. Try to find activities for him inside to burn off some of that energy. You can find cat toys that you hide food in that he has to play with to get the food out, feather toys, crunchy sound toys, or balls with bells. He may also enjoy being able to sit in a window to watch the people outside - you can try a cat treehouse/condo or a window perch.

Cats who are not neutered are generally more interested in fighting and breeding than they are their human family. I recommend to have him neutered as there are many health and behavioral benefits: https://www.petcoach.co/article/benefits-of-neutering-castrating-male-cats-kittens/ I hope this helps.

It's likely that getting him neutered would help - "spraying" or urinating on objects in the house and wanting to roam outside are both very normal behaviors for intact males, so this is definitely the first thing I would suggest. These two things are the main reasons that almost all indoor male cats in the US are neutered :) Since he's almost two years old, there is a chance that neutering may not resolve these issues completely - behaviors like this can become a learned habit if they go on for long enough, so I would recommend having the neuter done as soon as possible.

Since Jerry gets into fights when let outside I would definitely recommend keeping him as an indoor kitty. To help decrease his tendency to roam I would recommend having him neutered. You should also increase your interactions with him by doing things such as playing with a laser pointer and grooming him. If he is stimulated enough in the home he will be less likely to want to go out. I hope this helps. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Best of luck.