07/18/2026
. Well, Dusty can bypass a baby gate blocking my entrance and use round doorknobs. Be afraid; I took for granted how ridiculously smart she is.
Last week, while I was at work, I get a call from my neighbors saying that Dusty got out of my apartment and was wandering the building (pictures from my neighbors attached). My door was open, so they put her back in past the baby gate and closed the door (every time I leave, I place a baby gate in front of my entrance because Dusty has a habit of licking and scratching the door, and considering how old my building is, I don’t want her to get some sort of lead or chemical poisoning).
An hour later — as I was coming home from work — a different (and recently new) neighbor called me saying that Dusty was once again wandering the halls. I chalked up both incidents that I was in a rush and forgot to close my apartment door and the first set of neighbors didn’t close the door all the way. That, or either a or ghost in my apartment. My neighbor also has a dog, and I met him, his dog, and Dusty at Community Garden across the street.
The next day, as I was leaving for work, I made sure my apartment door was properly closed and locked. As soon as I was about to walk down the subway station, I get a call from a DIFFERENT neighbor that Dusty was out. With my upstairs neighbor watching her, I rushed home to see my apartment door open. I thanked my neighbor and decided to bring Dusty to work with me.
When Dusty and I got home and were inside my apartment, I noticed she was curious about something outside the door. Then it happened: SHE TRIED TURNING THE DOORKNOB WITH HER MOUTH (swipe to see the video). Living in this apartment for 5 years, she’s observed me enough to learn how to use doorknobs. She really is smart or simply the reincarnation of .
Now I’m trying to figure out to keep her inside my apartment when I leave for extended hours, without crating her. My deadbolt doesn’t lock from the outside, and clearly she can bypass two lines of defenses. Any tips would be greatly appreciated! And I owe four of my neighbors gift cards watching over Dusty.
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