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Unsure how his cat had gotten locked in the bathroom, a pet owner slid his phone under the door to crack the case. What happened next left viewers on Instagram in stitches. In an August 11 video posted to the Instagram account @ianrgrau, owner Ian Grau noticed the bathroom door was ajar, but when he tried to push it open, it wouldn’t budge. A cat’s meows came from within, and it dawned on him: the cat locked himself inside—again. Grau told Newsweek that this was the second time his cat, Smokey Bear, managed to open the bathroom vanity drawers, which ended up blocking the door. He slid his phone under the door to check on the cat, only to find Smokey Bear crying for help. Grau said his cat was probably in the bathroom for about 10 minutes before he and his wife, Lizzie, noticed. The last time this happened, Lizzie was home while he was at work. She made a contraption using a yardstick, tape, and cardboard to close the drawers from the outside of the door. Unable to control himself from exploring, the couple’s cat did it again. This time, Grau stepped in and grabbed extra aluminum flat stock he had in the basement. He bent the piece into a 90-degree angle, allowing him to slip it under the door and push the drawers closed. The door opened, and Smokey Bear walked free. He tried walking back into the bathroom as soon as he was out. Screenshots from an August 11 Instagram video of a pet owner making a contraption to help free his cat, who got locked in the bathroom. “He luckily has not done it since the video, but he’s always full of surprises!” Grau said, but noted that he kept his handmade contraption just in case. The couple’s 7-year-old cat likes opening the kitchen cabinets to “inspect” what’s inside. While he might not be as hyper as a kitten, he’s still very curious and unafraid. He’ll intensely watch as they vacuum the house or sniff every item they bring inside. Viewer Reactions The Instagram video amassed over 1.6 million views, 112,000 likes and 1,002 comments as of Tuesday, with viewers flooding the post to react to Smokey Bear’s nonchalant walk to freedom. “I think he likes the drama of being stuck,” commented one viewer, while another wrote: “He has zero remorse, will do again.” A third user wrote: “It’s not his fault, whoever designed your bathroom did it wrong.” Several viewers suggested the couple purchase child locks for their cabinets to keep Smokey Bear out. Stopping Cats From Opening Cabinets As naturally curious creatures, felines can be insistent about getting into areas of their home they shouldn’t be, including cabinets and drawers. Drawers especially grab their attention because they like getting into small spaces, according to Catster. They want to figure out what is inside, or they simply find it fun, but the cat’s habit can be frustrating and a safety hazard. Catster offered ways to stop cats from opening cabinets, which include child locks, as viewers suggested. Other options include double-sided tape, tin foil, and motion- or scent-activated deterrents. Owners could block the drawers or cover the knobs. Also, try increasing the cat’s playtime and enrichment with scratch posts, a tower, perches or new toys to prevent boredom and frustration. This will keep them busy and their mind off opening drawers. Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? Send them to life@newsweek.com with some details about your best friend, and they could appear in our Pet of the Week lineup.
