Cat Flap Training!

[Gill (sneakiefeline)]

I think if they want to get to the otherside enough they will, like the visiting neighbourhood scrounger 

[Millys Mum]

Mine have a flap into the shed and i didnt think they could use it until i went in to transfer a bird from pot to cage and several popped through!
They taught themselves

[deniseb90]

I've propped it open with some masking tape (nice!) and they're using it!!!  Had new kitchen fitted today too - new black glossy worktops, not too great with 12 lots of paw prints all over it!!  And Nero is going to his new home tomorrow!!!!

Dx

[blackcat]

Or you could try placing a plate of particularly odiferous, but favoured food on the opposite side of the flap to the cat. Mine would have gone through steel walls to get to fresh liver.............

[Rosella moggy]

Bottle of Claret (empty) did the trick with Freddie.....eventually



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[COSMIC CREEPERS]

i prpped mine open wi a chop stick for a day

then after that sounds awful but pushed em through till they got used to it opening as a result of pushing face against it

[deniseb90]

Have stuck it open today and Missy went through it.  Nero (one of my fosters) is the only one that uses it properly!!!  He used to have one in his previous home - hopefully they'll get used to it - so I'm happy for it to remain open for the time being!!!

Dx

[Purrlishious]

I left mine open/stuck up so they got used to coming & out that way. Could you try rubbing one of their blankets over the lid & on bese, or put food at the other side to lear them in.
Hope whatever works.

[Gill (sneakiefeline)]

  and what any true cat slave would do

[blackcat]

Some cats dont like it when the flap comes down on their tail and all mine have different methods for opening the flap 

Good luck 

We ended up trimming about half an inch off the bottom of the flap as one siamese we had had such a long tail she could just not avoid having the flap drop on it. She considered i highly unacceptable, so we just had to put up with the constant draft, but she was happy .......

[Gill (sneakiefeline)]

You start by proping it oopen so they get used to going through the hole.

next step when they happy with that is to close it and try and tempt em thro!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!, hold it open from the otherside and tempt em.

Its just a gradual learning process and some cats learn quicker that others and some just want you to hold it open for them when they flap it 

I thought Sasa couldnt use it cos her legs were shorter than Misass but the fateal day when she returned from the cattery  she broke out during the night and ran away for a week.........so she knew how to use it!!

Some cats dont like it when the flap comes down on their tail and all mine have different methods for opening the flap 

Good luck 

[Catjane]

Treats!  That's how I did it with my three, two of which had been used to going outside but had never used a catflap.

Put kitty outside (or wait til one wants to come in) then fiddle the flap open a bit (towards the inside ... you're inside, hence the 'fiddle' bit) then offer kitty a treat by offering it through the catflap and letting them smell it.  Then before they can grab it, let the flap fall shut, still offering the treat where they can see it through the cat flap!  It's amazing how quickly they'll learn when treats are involved!   Do this with each one until they consistently get the idea   You may find that once one of them susses it out, the others will anyway.  Good luck!

[Mark]

I did that to get willow used to it. OH said she never used one and there was no way I could train her. I sellotaped it open for a few weeks and she uses it now (not that she goes out much) her litter tray has a cat flap as well and she uses it no problem

[CurlyCatz]

hey denise 

Well cody started off using his hooded litter tray that has a swingy door like a cat flap then when he went through to the big boys area of house where the cat flap was he was quite unsure of it for a start, poked his nose then face through and kind of gradually got the idea.  The first few times he seemed to take a while coming back in, i think he expected the door to open back the same way    perhaps you could jam open the flap and let them come and go through it as they please then then try the door down.

[deniseb90]

Hi all

Have just had a cat flap put in for the first time and am now trying to convince my three to go through it - without much luck!  I used to leave the window open and they would happily come and go, but the window has now gone and been replaced with french doors, hence now the cat flap!

Any good ways of making them use it???

Thanks!

Dx