Have you tried a coffee can full of marbles, shaken when you
go to the door?

Or--a similar noisemaker that hangs on the door knob--but
that would get on my nerves.

many thanks! excellent ideal will tell hubby in am new plan of
action...we do the squirt gun thing for other probs but didn't work on
the door

Hodge got out last night and was sucking up to the guy next door, who
was leaving just as I came back. He'll suck up for a few minutes, so
when I say, "Be careful, he will bite," no one believes me. (Although
once at my old place when he got out and someone retrieved him and I
said that, the moment she said, "This sweet kitty?" ::: pet pet ::: he
chose that moment to chomp her on the hand. :O)

Once he got out while I was taking trash to the chute. I let him follow
me because I figured it wouldn't hurt anything. The woman at the end of
the hall, however, was also taking trash to the chute, and her SO was
holding the apartment door open, so Hodge zoomed and made a beeline into
their apartment. The SO had to catch him, which took a couple of
minutes. Was my face red . . .

Poor cat. That's so sad.