I watched our neighbor’s cat for about eight days starting the Tuesday before last. She had planned to go to Africa for an extended period, but that trip was delayed, however, she did decide to go out west and asked me to watch her cat, who is also named Frankie but is female.
Since Frankie is an indoor/outdoor cat, I suggested getting a cat door. In previous attempts at catsitting, I had trouble getting Frankie to come back inside the house so I was forced to put food outside, which drew ants.
My neighbor thought that was a good idea and bought a cat door which her son installed for her. Franke, with much hesitation and help, went out the cat door a couple of times but not in. Then she got her paw stuck in the door. It was lucky Frankie wasn’t alone when that happened.
The door my neighbor bought can be seen here. It has a hard plastic door. Fortunately, she was home when it happened and freed Frankie from the door. I went over to her house and discovered what probably happened. I pushed the door open with my finger while resting my finger along the bottom edge. Once my finger was out far enough and the hard plastic door rested on top of my finger, I pulled it back, but the door then pressed hard against my finger and kept me from extracting it.
I called the company and spoke with a friendly person who seemed surprised and sympathetic. I believe they sent a different style door out but I’m not sure if my neighbor used that one or bought a different one. In any case, what she has now has a flexible door. It was just in time, too. Frankie barely had enough time to get used to it.
When I started catsitting, I set a camera up near the door to monitor her progress. For the entire week, Frankie would leave the house through the door, although hesitantly, and then wait near the door for me to let her in when I showed up the next morning.
I don’t know why she had trouble going into the house, but I was just happy she now trusted me enough to let her in.
She would then spend all day inside, sometimes on a dining room chair but mostly on Mama’s bed. If I returned to pick up her wet food bowl and found it uneaten, I would give her a Delectable which my wife calls a squeezy tube.
I often sat in the living room for a bit so she would have company if she wanted it but she only sat close to me once.
All and all the cat door and Frankie’s more trusting attitude toward me made it a pretty easy job and I look forward to the next time.
Bad Cat Chris 
It was nice of you to watch Frankie. Having the cat door was a good idea and how nice of you to follow up with the company to figure out what was going on with it.
Thanks. Now we need to teach Frankie how to come in through the cat door.
Hopefully, by the time you visit again, Frankie will be more accustomed to the cat door and you. We are glad that she doesn’t stray after she gets outside. Setting up the camera was a very good idea! XOCK, angels Lily Olivia, Mauricio, Misty May, Giulietta, Fiona, Astrid & Sawyer, Lisbeth, Calista Jo, Cooper Murphy, Kizmet, Audrey, Raleigh, Gibbs & Tali
I’m not a fan of letting our cats out like that because I worry about them getting hit by a car but we do have a large area of nature in the front and she seems to stay either on our property or on the other side of our alley with people who are very friendly. I don’t think she ever crosses the main street.
I remember when your Frankie met HER Frankie…..nice you were able to take care of her while the neighbor went on what sounds like an amazing trip. I bet she will have some stories to tell. Glad you set up a camera to keep an eye on “the other Frankie” – that was brilliant.
Hugs, Pam
Thanks. I actually enjoyed taking care of her.
It’s great that the door company was helpful and fortunate that someone was there when Frankie got caught.
I shutter to think what would have happened if she wasn’t there. Personally I think they should stop selling that door until they can fix it.
You are a great spoiler of cats!
😁
Each time will get better, and she probably is afraid to try to come in, even if it’s a different door. As Mark Twain said, a cat will never sit on a hot pot lid again, or a cold one, either.
I never heard that one.
Glad everything worked out so well so you were able to take good care of Frankie II
Thanks 😊
Such a sweet Frankie and I hope she learned the door thing. You probably know this, but if you ever have to put food out, but water in a bigger bowl then the food in the water, make a mote. Ants can’t swim.
I did do that last time. We have bowls that fit inside silicone holders that catch the mess. I used one of those in poured water into the outside circle.
That was nice of you to call the company. I wish people would keep cats inside unless leashed like you do.
I agree but at the same time this is better than the cat living as a feral.
That first cat door obviously was dangerous for Frankie. Maybe that is why she hesitates to use it to come in.
I have very similar doggy doors, and while MJF they were bought for learned how to use them very quickly, Dalton took a bit longer, Benji was sort of in the middle road, between MJF a fast learner, and Dalton a more timid learner. Now they go back and forth like canon balls, LOL!
When we had a cat door Chris was the first to learn to use it but all of the Cats became very comfortable with it. In this case Frankie got stuck trying to go out which makes me wonder why going in is such a problem.