How do you get a cat to use a cat flap?!

rjc73

Hi all,
Just wondered if anyone had any words of wisdom.
We have 2 lovely girls who are now approx 7/8 months old. Had them spayed at the beginning of May and waited for them to heal then let them out in the garden for the first time. They were very nervous at first but just let them have 5 to 10 mins at first. They are now loving being outside but just sit and wait for me to open the door!!
We have tried putting them out, showing them how to push the door with their foot, bribing with treats, waiting till they were hungry and now I am at a loss!
They are happy to go through the gap as I had it sellotaped open for a couple of weeks but other cats started coming in and so I shut it.
It is just a regular catflap by staywell. (and I fitted it myself in a upvc door!!:money:)
Any ideas on how to get them to use it properly most appreciated!!!!

zzzLazyDaisy

Two people, one on each side of the door. Pick the cat up and push it through the cat flap to the person waiting on the other side with a treat. Do it a couple of times - If they still don't get the message, then they don't want to come in that badly, so leave them out until they decide to use the cat flap.

Honestly they will use it when they want to come in.

paddypaws101

Mitzy was ( thankfully ) very slow to work out the cat flap so I was able to contain her till post-spay. I then 'taught' her how to use the flap by using her favourite feather waggle stick toy to tempt her in and out. She got it in about 5 minutes.

Fire_Fox

Put the cats outside when they are hungry and securely prop or tape the catflap open. Serve a very smelly favourite snack such as prawns, sardines, warmed cat food right inside the flap. Leave the cat flap propped open until used a few times, then try to only half prop or half tape it open. The noise will scare some initially so make sure the prop or tape method does not mean the flap clatters shut behind them. During this period you cannot cave and open the door - they have already trained you to do this.

zzzLazyDaisy

Fire_Fox wrote: »

- they have already trained you to do this.

:rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl:

rjc73

Thank you all for the suggestions! I'll spend some time on it this weekend and keep trying! I have just realised how I have been 'trained'...by stealth!!!
Any other ideas welcome too!!
Will try them on prawns too...they have never had anything except jwb and some wet kitten food ...once nellie snaffled a piece of penne with pesto when I wasn't looking...

Fire_Fox

rjc73 wrote: »

Thank you all for the suggestions! I'll spend some time on it this weekend and keep trying! I have just realised how I have been 'trained'...by stealth!!!
Any other ideas welcome too!!
Will try them on prawns too...they have never had anything except jwb and some wet kitten food ...once nellie snaffled a piece of penne with pesto when I wasn't looking...

My darling boy (now at the Bridge) after picking all the bacon out of red pesto pasta. http://apps.facebook.com/catbook/album/viewphoto/?photoid=13715694 Another time he disappeared an entire pork chop without disturbing the mediterranean sauce in the pan. I just wondered why he didn't eat his supper. :rotfl:

JWB is very low meat content for the price. Cats are obligate carnivores, they must eat meat but have no nutritional requirement for grains such as rice: the lion's share of JWB.

Bunny

I have one cat who thinks the door only opens one way, he comes in fine, but when he tries to go outside, he pulls the flap towards him using his claws, gets his nose under it, then goes out (got to admit, this takes a few attempts)
The other cat no problems, however he would gladly jump out of a high window again if he had the opportunity.

I don't have the brightest kitties, love them to bits though!!!

Mayflower10cat

My three have me well trained. If they see me in the conservatory, they sit by the door looking appealing, doing the silent meow until I let them in. If I've dared to go AWOL, they use the catflap! Our adopted adult tabby has taken months to actually use the catflap. He's been pushed through it, coaxed out of it, he's patted it and watched the other two experts swaggering in and out. Until one day, I was going out and it was starting to rain. Sir wanted OUT but I wasn't going to let him out as he hates rain and once out, he'd be stuck out until I got back. I finally managed to evade him and headed down the path to my car - to see a certain tabby cat streak past me with great delight. Needs must, eh!!!!

Mrs_Z

Hi,

One of ours (no longer with us) was very clever and she picked it up in an instant. I basically showed her that the flap was not fixed, held it up and she poked her little nose through and that was that. She never needed to be shown again. However, she must have been about 12 weeks at the time.

One of our current ones knows perfectly well how to use the catflap, but 'forgets' from time to time, because she prefers the door opened for her! She sits by the flap either inside or outside, bangs it with her paw making noise, in the end I get so fed up that I have to let her in/out (!). Sometimes she just does it for attention, I get up to open the door and she runs to her bowl in the hope of extra food !!! However, take out the hoover and she's out in a flash - no problems! She's quite a bit girl, so perhaps she thinks she might get stuck :rotfl:

rjc73

Thanks for all the ideas and anecdotes! Lovely to read:)
I was a bit mean this morning and when I left for work they both scooted outside so I locked them both out. When I came home, One of them had used the cat flap and was fast asleep inside!!
Will do a bit of 'posting the other one through with some prawns this weekend...hope fully they'll both get it in a while!!
I really want them to get used to it as I'd like to get rid of the litter trays at some stage!!
Thanks all again:)