Training to use a cat flap

[LittlePenBigHeart]

We've been letting our kittens out for about a month or so now and Dylan has learned to use it pretty well, although he can't seem to understand that coming in doesn't require throwing himself at the flap at the speed of light! Anyway, Pepsi just cannot get to grips with it. At all. She LOVES being outside. If I let her out the back door she's happy out there for ages and I really have to persuade her back in sometimes. But She absolutely will not use the cat flap. I've shown her how to use it (I held her front paws and gently pushed them against the flap so she could see what to do), she's watched her brother and Gizzy use it...but she won't use it at all on her own, though she will jump through it if I hold it open.

She almost seems afraid of it. When I hold her paws against it so it opens, she backs away afterwards, as it swings a little.

What can I do!?

[Alice]

If you watch a cat using a cat flap you'll see that they push it open with their nose, not their paws, so you might try encouraging Pepsi to do that.

Also, have you tried bending down inside, where she can see you, with some very tempting food treat that might encourage her to try it for herself?

With the colder/wetter weather she may well soon decide that it's better to try it than stay outside cold and wet - hope so.

[MarySkater]

I had to teach Rocky (adult) how to use a cat flap. I know cats generally use the nose, but I didn't want to use force on his head, so I held his paws to push it open. He got the idea, but he still uses one paw to push it away from the magnet, before finishing opening with his head. Ria came as a kitten, and I never taught her. She just followed Rocky through, and she uses her nose.

If you tape a piece of string to the flap, so that you can part-lift it, maybe you can encourage her to try to squeeze through the visible gap, and finish the lifting by herself. Maybe use food bait, as Alice suggests.

[LittlePenBigHeart]

Thanks both!

The weather has been too rotten yesterday and today so I'll give both of those a try as soon as the weather clears up a bit and I'll report back.

[emmab]

I feel sure it will suddenly happen. Even now ours make a drama out of using the cat flap, especially if it is windy. Most of our cats picked it up quite quick but one took a little longer, then just one day it clicked. What your doing is great. It will happen.

[Crewella]

Not sure if this will be of any help ..... but here goes .....

The outdoor pen that I use for foster cats has a little heated house with a cat flap entrance. Most of the cats I foster for the rescue tend to be the ex-strays that have been living outdoors, so often I've no idea if they know how to use a cat flap. For the first day I usually leave the big side door open so they can see the nice snuggly bed and feel the heater, then once they've found that I close that door and put a big bulldog clip at the top of the cat flap door so that it sticks out enough for them to get their nose behind it, or hook it back with a paw. Once they've got the hang of that I gradually lower the position of the bulldog clip until the door is barely open at all, and then eventually remove the clip altogether. It takes some longer than others to suss it, but I've never had one fail altogether.

A bulldog clip might be worth a try, though it might also totally confuse the cat that uses the flap properly as it will then only open one way!

[Ruth B]

Some cats seem to be naturals with cat flaps others seem to have real problems coming to terms with the idea that they can be used to get in and out.

We had Freyja and Saturn for over a year before Freyja would use the cat flap, Saturn had taken straight to it and was in and out like a yoyo, Tiggy our resident grumpy granny, also used it happily and Freyja had watched both of them as the came and went. If we let her out she enjoyed the garden, but still wouldn't use the cat flap to come and go. Part of the problem was we couldn't handle her to help show her how.

One trick I read about and tried is to attach a clothes peg to the cat flap to hold it open. The then don't need to push it open but can still feel the flap rub over their back to get them used to that. Gradually lower the peg and they have to push it up a little to get in. If Pepsi will take treats from your hand and not run off when your reach out then this might help her learn. The problem is that as the peg is moved lower the flap becomes a one way system which made it tricky trying to train a cat that would run off at the sight of an out stretched hand, and two other cats that could be guaranteed to be on the wrong side if you left it pegged open in hope that Freyja would come in of her own accord.

The breakthrough came when she was due her booster jabs and we had to try and get her in the carrier. We failed and ended up badly clawed for our attempts. The cat flap had been fastened shut with a board over it to stop Saturn escaping. Having decided to give up on her and just take Saturn, I took the board away unlocked the flap so Tiggy could come and go and moved away to pick up Saturn. Next thing I know, the cat flap goes and Freyja is off down the garden. I made sure it was pegged open so she could get back in that time, but left it shut after she returned, if she could learn to use it to go out again, I figured she could get back in, I didn't want her trapped outside. She has never looked back, and uses the flap as happily as the other two.

I'm not suggesting that you chase Pepsi around to drive her out, but just to say, with the right incentive they can learn to use the flap. Try using the peg method, it might work if Pepsi will come to take food from your fingers and isn't scared of you waving it under the part opened cat flap.