baby gates and cat

NowDNAtoo

We have a problem I don't know how to solve.  Our cat litter box is downstairs in the basement and we are at the point of needing to put up baby gates because Nicholas is all over the place.  However, if we put the gate at the top of the stairs how is the cat going to get down to her box?  I can just see her hurting herself as she tries to take a flying leap over and landing on a stair wrong.

I know the logical solution is to put the box on the main level, but we have a split level house and the main level is all open.  The main room is a great room (dining/kitchen/living room) and the other room is a small family type room that is Nicholas' main play room.

Upstairs is not an option either as it's our bedroom, his bedroom, the (small-no space) bathroom (where he takes his bath), and the third bedroom which is literally crammed with things as a storage room.

Sofka

can you get a gate w/ mesh and cut a small hole for the cat to crawl thru? maybe you can sew around the hole so that your son does not also crawl thru

JenGK

A quick google search came up with this -- a gate with an animal door. 

 https://tinyurl.com/cofrhc

I imagine there are other companies that make a similar product also available on-line.

Agrippa

JenGK:

A quick google search came up with this -- a gate with an animal door. 

 https://tinyurl.com/cofrhc

I imagine there are other companies that make a similar product also available on-line.

I don't know that I would trust this, unless you can lock the animal door and train the cat to ask to go through or something.

My DS is already starting to figure out how to open our baby gates.  If there was a hole he could crawl through, he would have done it a long time ago...

spiffyone

our cat has had no issues with baby gates.  they are amazing when it comes to getting over things and not getting hurt.  i hope you solve the issue.  we still need to get about 4 more gates.

Sam78

The gate idea has pretty well been covered, but what about setting up the litter box in a bathroom or the laundry room? you could then put a regular gate up in the doorway and have no problems either keeping Nicholas our or flying kitty missteps

HikerBride07

You could install a pet door in your basement door so the cat could go up and down as it pleases and the door would be shut so there wouldn't be a need for a gate. 

I agree w/pp that the cat should have no problem jumping up and over it though, unless it's an old cat.