Dear Critter Corner: My cats keep getting into a fight whenever my kids and I get home. It’s always chaos at the front door. Any ideas about what we can do to address this?
Door thresholds can be a little tricky as there’s so much excitement, especially since it’s usually where the family is arriving after not being home during the day. For pets left at home on their own, they might be extra excited when everyone gets home and hurry to the door for snuggles, attention, treats, food, playtime, etc.
Try determining if your pets might benefit from some extra activity during the day when you’re not home. This could include leaving the TV on to a cat-friendly show or channel, setting an automatic feeder to break up their meals during the day instead of free feeding, or even having a pet sitter check on them during the day to provide care, affection, and exercise. Some cats enjoy going on a treasure hunt in the home, looking for their kibble or treats around the house. If your cats enjoy swatting at toy balls, you can also try putting kibble or treats in these or puzzle toys to keep them mentally stimulated during the day.
To help lessen the excitement around the door, try leaving and returning to the house with as little excitement and fuss as possible. You may even want to leave a few treats around as you leave so that your cats are less focused on the door and more on the treats. When you do leave or return, try to keep things calm and quiet, making it a game with the kids to see who can be the quietest and get the furthest into the house without the cats even realizing you’re home.
A barrier can also be handy at the front door, like an x-pen or baby gate. This will help your cats to see and greet you through the barriers but not bombard the door with everyone trying to come inside. This will also give you time to settle in, close the door, and then greet your cats. It can be helpful to also greet your cats away from the door. Choose a spot that you’d like to use daily further away from the door. As they get used to this, instead of coming to the door they will realize there is a special area for them to get lots of pets and affection from their family.