Off-Topic: How to keep cat from climbing metal spiral staircase?

[dgm]

I've started looking at apartments for the fall. Because I have a cat who likes to pee on things (plastic bags, any clothes or bedding left on the floor, and sometimes my bed... sigh), I've decided I need a 1 bedroom as opposed to a studio, so I can limit her access to my things while I'm out. I saw an apartment I really liked yesterday, but there's a bit of a problem: the bedroom is up a spiral staircase from the living room, so there's no actual door between the two. Anyone have any ideas how to block her from going up the stairs? Loved the apartment, but if I can't come up with something I will have to pass.

(Just to be clear... they look kinda like this)

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[twelvetigers]

Uhh, a plywood, makeshift trap-door type thing? Like, at the very least, a piece of plywood that you scoot into place as you go downstairs. Still sounds like a pain though.

Is there not a door to the bedroom itself?

ETA: Ohh, I just looked at the link. I was picturing it going up through the ceiling. That looks like a much tougher situation to remedy. Aside from locking the cat in a room...

 

[Angelo84]

Depending on the nature of your cat I wonder if one of the invisible fence indoor systems might work? I have heard of people using them for this type of purpose.

Other than that some sort of double baby gate at the door itself?

 

[psjlg2]

You should hot-wire the staircase and electrify it!!! Just kidding. I have no good advice. Some sort of barricade in the form of a trap door I suppose. You could buy one of those things that make a loud noise when your cat goes near it so it gets scared and will hopefully run back down the stairs. I think they are called scranimals? as in scare your animals haha

 

[Minnerbelle]

I would try putting double sided tape on the first few steps for a little while with maybe enough space open for you to step, but not enough space for your cat to jump on without touching tape. Usually that keeps cats from going anywhere you don't want them to be.

In the meantime, work on your cat's peeing problem? Have you talked to your vet about it? I'm not sure if this falls under "behavioral/vet advice" so I won't say anything in particular, but there are a lot of things you could do to work on it. It may seem like you've already tried different things, but sometimes it can be as simple as using special types of litter that your cat absolutely adores.

 

[BeagleOne]

What about shutting her in the bathroom while you're gone? If you set up a nice comfy cat bed in there and put some toys in with her she might not mind too much. Or she might punish you for the rest of your life... 🙂

 

[dgm]

In the meantime, work on your cat's peeing problem? Have you talked to your vet about it?

Working on her peeing problem may be a never-ending quest, and I would be ecstatic to find a true solution. I've been to several vets, begging them to find a health problem. I just bought her an automatic litterbox, in case it just comes down to me not scooping the poop fast enough for her liking. Fingers crossed. But I really think she'd be in heaven if I just lined her litterbox with my clothes. (She's been known to run around the apartment collecting them, and putting them in there.) When she doesn't have clothes, bedding, or a plastic bag to pee on, she uses her box, so until I can find and correct a root cause, limiting her access to temptation saves me a lot of frustration.

I've tried sticky tape in the past, and while she seemed annoyed by it, it wasn't enough to deter her from going where she shouldn't.

I wonder if one of the invisible fence indoor systems might work?

Interesting. I didn't realize they had some that you could use inside, or that they were appropriate for cats. I guess I'll have to do my homework on that.

I realize it's not ideal, but I spend wayyyy too much time away from home to exile her to the bathroom while I'm gone. If it came down to that, I would have to choose a different apartment.

Thanks for the help! And still open to new ideas, if anyone has others...

 

[susiewaits]

I had a very old cat, who started to refuse to use the litter box at all (he was great about it for years).

Disclaimer before advice: this worked for me and maybe if its not a medical thing it could work for you.

I bought this kitty litter, catattract. Kind of expensive, but the second I put it in the litter box my cat used it every day! After a while I was able to switch back to normal litter without a problem.

 

[LLIPPY]

If she really loves plastic bags what about just lining the litterbox with plastic litterbox liners? I do this, but my cat won't go without the litter 🙂

 

[dgm]

If she really loves plastic bags what about just lining the litterbox with plastic litterbox liners? I do this, but my cat won't go without the litter 🙂

That's how I get urine samples from her! 🙂 The only problem is that a plastic bag is only good for one pee (wouldn't want to put her feet in urine) and she pees much more frequently than I could exchange the bags.

 

[VAgirl]

I had a staircase exactly like that in the living room at my old apartment and the staircase went up to a loft. Our TV (CRT, not flat screen) used to sit on a tv table nearish to the stairs, and my cat used to jump from the top of the TV up onto the stairs over halfway up them. She'd get down the same way. Other cats that lived with us (roommates cats) never did this, so not all cats appeared to enjoy that activity, but if your cat is inclinded to jump up on stuff a lot (mine is) then you'll want to factor that in to your thinking about the problem. I honestly think we could have moved the TV away from the stairs and she still would have found something else to jump up from. Just something to consider for your cat.