Cat flap & very stubborn (or very thick) cat

Jack B. Badd

Sigh...we knew things would progress slowly with regards to training her highness to use a cat flap as she was adopted as an adult (approx. 1.5 years old) and hasn't responded particularly well to cat flaps in the past - we think she was a stray previously so probably wasn't introduced to them at an early age.
Since March we have progressed to the point of propping the flap open with some card and gradually reducing the size of the card but haven't really gotten beyond that. There's a point at which she seems to decide that the gap is too small and just won't go out and I can't figure out whether she's being stubborn or just stupid. Treats don't seem to entice her and I'm sure she'll develop a complex if we try to push her through - probably just to spite us.

We made a breakthrough this weekend when she actually came indoors despite the flap not being propped open at all and has repeated this trick a couple of times since. So in the past few days we've tried to encourage her to go out through the closed (or almost closed) flap as well as coming in - putting food outside for her and depositing her in front of the flap when she starts meowing for her dinner. Unfortunately it seems that the interest we've shown has caused her to regress and now she's acting very skittish about going near the flap.

Part of the problem is that being consistent is difficult as the flap is locked while we're at work during the day so she only gets to go out in the morning and evening unlike at weekends when she can go out all day if we're around. Would it be best just to build up the habit of coming in via the closed flap and continue to prop it open for her going out until she has that established? Or will that just create extra problems when we eventually try to get her to understand that it's a "two-way mechanism"? Has anyone encountered similar problems and found a solution? I've trawled the net looking for advice but the majority of it (mainly posted by cat flap manufacturers) is that it "is a quick and simple process" - they lie! :rolleyes:

Cheers,
Jack.

mymo

No advice, just keep trying.
I had the same when we introduced the flap, they'd use it to go out no problem, and bawl like mad to be let in, one day I got mean about it and put the food on the floor by the flap and walked away, it was raining heavily and quite cold, but took about 10 mins before they came in, one-first then other one followed immediately.
They still bawl to be let in if they can see me, but will use flap, eventually:rolleyes:
I think its best prop it if necessary, but ignore it as much as you can. The urge to go in or out will win eventually.
Best of luck.

Mine was also locked when we were out, but they figured it out eventually.

muppet_man

Jack B. Badd wrote: »

....I'm sure she'll develop a complex if we try to push her through....

My story differs in that I taught my lad while he was still relatively young but here's how i got him to use his cat flap. I hope it helps. Cats are smart and will learn if it benifits them.
I used a combination a treats and actully push him through the flap.

At the start I had food on one side and held the flap open, when he went through he got the food and praise. I done this both going in and out.

After a few goes of this I pushed him through to show him he could use his head to push it open. Again he got food and praise on either side he went through. Didn't like it a lot.

Then I held the flap slightly open so that as he came through the flap ran down his back but still had to slightly push with his head. Food and praise again given went he came through.

Finally I had the flap closed and left food on one side and him on other. I kept calling his name and and he came through and got his food. I done this a few times on either side again giving loads of praise when he came through.

That was him trained, took about 30-45mins maybe less.
The first few times I seen him coming home through the flap I made sure he got some food/treats and again plenty of praise and rubs.

Suggest you try this early in the morning when your cat is most hungry and really wants his food.

ttm

Not sure if your cat like playing "dib dab" but I've never found one that won't. What I mean is you take something like a long knitting needle and waggle it around near the cat and the cat dabs at it with a paw. Anyway if your cat will play like that you can open the cat flap a little and waggle something the cat will play with in the gap and get you cat to take a dab at it, then once the game starts try getting the cat to dab at the "toy" through the gap and slowly draw her through.

muppet_man

mymo wrote: »

Mine was also locked when we were out, but they figured it out eventually.

This reminded of when I locked my lad in on halloween night. He had food and a litter tray but when I got up next morning he had broken flap completely off. I can no longer lock it 'cos he broken them off.

morgana

Maybe you are making a bit too much fuss about it? Our royal snottiness deigned it below her to use the flap provided solely for the comfort of the attendant humans who seemed to go to extraordinate length to make her use it. They know how to use it, and will as you saw too. Then we just left her get on with it, food was inside as usual, and we let her out when she wanted too but would not open the door back for her. After many hours there was a clack and in she was. :P No bother. She still tries to get her staff to open the door for her but will use the flap if human help is not forthcoming :P
Maybe she likes all the attention and ignoring her will make her use it if no other option is available?

kildareash

Sounds like all cats are the same..
My parents cat will only use the flap if there's no one around to let him in through the door!
He will sit on the front window sill looking in at you until you finally get up and go towards the back door to let him in.
Same when he's going out, if there's any around he'll stand at the flap (which he could have come in and gone out through a hundred times that day already) and meow for someone to open the door and let him out.

I think they'll eventually get used to it, it's just a case of perseverance

planetX

I leave a window open for my cats, and they still prefer to make the human open the door for them. I should get myself a uniform:D

izzydumpling

We bought one of the flaps where the cay is supposed to wear a magnet code attached to their collar - stopping strays having access to all the treats... However, our royal dippyness insisted on opening the flap with her paw (not her head) so the flap now back in box (broken from her headbutting it) and the saga will not be revisited until they attach the magnets to feline bracelets..... Blooming cats

hadook

Ha, good luck OP. I reckon it'd be easier to wash a cat than teach the stubborn yokes how to use a cat flap!

Last winter I spent two weeks trying to teach my seven sighted cats how to use the newly installed cat flap into the run but they insisted on bludgeoning open the window every. single. time. instead. One evening I brought Lily, my blind cat, in and put her down in front of it and swung the flap for her. One swing of the flap later was all it took for her to figure it out and she was outside (it sounds pretty similar to the litter tray door and she's blind, not stupid) without a second thought.

I swear it was like a lightbulb moment, you could see the others go "ohhh, that's how it works" :rolleyes:

I'd say just leave her to it and let her figure it out herself.

Jack B. Badd

Thanks all. I guess ignoring her will probably be the way to go - at least she'll still come in via the closed flap at the moment. I suspect she isn't half as stupid as she pretends, she's just digginf her heels in. Glad to know she's not the only one!

piskins72

haha mine is the exact same! he couldnt figure it out, was able to manage coming in through it but forget it for getting back out, we had it in a barna shed for him at night time, anyways he used to paw at it to try to pull the flap in towards him instead of pushing itm :rolleyes: but no amount of training or treats would work in getting him to figure it out proper LOL, he still tries to open doors by pulling at the bottom, has not grasped the concept of standing up and pushing them and he is 5!!

Jack B. Badd

Hallelujah! Turns out all you need is some very hot weather to motivate certain people towards learning how to use the cat flap

mymo

Jack B. Badd wrote: »

Hallelujah! Turns out all you need is some very hot weather to motivate certain people towards learning how to use the cat flap

Congratulations, but now you've won this battle watch out for revenge attacks:cool:

Jack B. Badd

mymo wrote: »

Congratulations, but now you've won this battle watch out for revenge attacks:cool:

No revenge attacks yet unless you count the couple of dead baby birds she's brought in :-s I think those were meant to be gifts though...