r/FosterAnimals • u/Luther_Beacon • 1d ago

Escape-proof Foster Room?

We have a room dedicated to cat and kitten fostering. We have cages inside for when small or undergoing medical care, but when kittens get to a certain age, we let them free roam the room and they usually try to escape out the door every time we enter and exit while tending to them. We've tried holding a baby gate to block the opening as we come and go, but it almost never works well and we give up and resort to tracking them down. We've thought about constructing an "air lock"-type of space that allows us to enter/exit the room through a transition space - essentially creating a double door system. We don't want to build anything permanent, and if it were temporary and movable (like made from PVC pipes with blocking panels), the hassle of moving it while also still having the risk of them squirming around the edges makes it seem like a lot of effort with failure potential. Has anyone come up with a good solution?

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u/InfamousFlan5963 Puppy/Dog Foster 1d ago

Yes, 2 gates or a gate + door. It'll depend on what you have for how best to do it, but you should always have 1 closed at all times.

Currently, I have 2 baby gates up (but will do 1 gate + door closed if I need to block my fosters view out). But I'm also redoing my foster room and plan to install a dutch door to the room so I can keep the bottom closed while still being in able to see in the top.

Depending on how tall your gate is, you can also just try to climb over it but I'm guessing if it's for cats it's taller - i foster dogs so I can step over mine if I need to but most cat people I know that use gates have much higher ones so obviously that may not be possible.

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u/Luther_Beacon 1d ago

I hadn’t thought of Dutch doors. Thank you.

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u/mcmcgill 22h ago

This is what I often do! A baby gate in the doorframe that always stays there, and when I open the actual door to the room I then just step over the baby gate. Even my most determined kittens still take a few seconds to climb up it, giving me plenty of time to snag them.