Teaching cat to come through a cat flap independently

mel.b

I had a cat flap (tunnel) installed into an external wall on Thursday last week. The tunnel is about 30cm that the cat crawls through to get in & out.

He will go through it if I call him but basically won't do it on his own accord. Only twice has he done it - once when he'd just come inside and got startled so bolted straight back out and then in again a minute or two later and then this morning when I put him out, he came in less than 5min later (probably because I hadn't fed him and that's what he wanted, rather than being put outside!). He was outside when I left for work this morning and still outside when I got home. I'm certain he didn't go inside while I was gone.

Since having the flap installed I have not let him come in a door or window and make sure he uses the flap. Now when I call him he comes through very quickly, but this morning he wouldn't go out - he will go to the flap and sit there and look at it. I left him there in the room with it for 20min and he was still sitting, looking at it until I went outside and called him and then he came straight away.

I really need him to do it independently ASAP as I'm going away this week and a friend will be coming in to feed him, so the cat flap will be the only way he has of coming & going.

Is there anyway I can 'hurry up' his learning?!?! Otherwise I feel like I'll be resorting to finding a tape recorder and automatic timer and putting my voice on it to call him twice a day while I'm gone!

Nody

Why not tape up the flaps for a few days and start serving food on the other side?

mel.b

He gets chicken every time he goes through it as a reward, although I could try tomorrow morning putting his food out there and not calling him to see if he will come through. Just wondering though then if he will only associate it with the smell of food, or am I over thinking it.

The part of the tunnel that is on the inside of the house doesnt have the flap, only the actual exit to the outside - going though the flap is not a problem, he's got that worked out now, it's just that he won't even really go in unless I call him.

taytobreath

If he is hungry enough and the food is in the room he will use the cat flap, just give him time, and dont be forcing him to use it. just leave his food in the room and he'll start using it in his own time, the amount of money i spent on cat beds and i never can get them to use it, ive about 80euro worth of 2 cat beds and none of them will go near them, i tried making them use it but i think it just makes things worse.
he is using the flap, so happy days, just do as you had hope to plan to do

taytobreath

he wont starve because he is too stubborn to go through the flap

angelfire9

Have u tried putting food into the tunnel? It's a foot wide so there should be space

The Sweeper

Leave him to it. If you start taping up the door, he'll only go through it when it's taped up. If he has the 'push the door with your paws or face' mechanism down already, he'll use it when he wants to use it (and is less likely to use it when you're either watching or encouraging him, because cats are awkward like that).

As long as the width of the tunnel is enough that he doesn't have to squeeze through, there's a low likelihood of him having any unpleasant experiences with the flap that would put him off. He'll get it eventually. Every time you're in and want him in, continue to call him and reward him without opening a door for him. When you're out, call him outside and reward him with pats or a game. Never give in and open the door instead. In another week it'll be like he's been doing it his whole life - but only if you leave it alone. If you start changing it by taping up the flap or opening doors and windows that's a whole lot of new things for him to learn - this way it's only the catflap. He'll get the hang of it quickly if it's his only route into and out of the house.

mel.b

angelfire9 wrote: »

Have u tried putting food into the tunnel? It's a foot wide so there should be space

The tunnel is a foot long, not wide - it's only just wide enough for him to get through...I don't need to worry about the neighbours (fat) cat coming into the house!

I did put food in the tunnel - he was smart enough to work out that if the food was close enough to the flap then he could just stick his paw in and swipe it out Food in there without me calling him doesn't seem to be enough yet.

The Sweeper wrote: »

Leave him to it. If you start taping up the door, he'll only go through it when it's taped up. If he has the 'push the door with your paws or face' mechanism down already, he'll use it when he wants to use it (and is less likely to use it when you're either watching or encouraging him, because cats are awkward like that).

As long as the width of the tunnel is enough that he doesn't have to squeeze through, there's a low likelihood of him having any unpleasant experiences with the flap that would put him off. He'll get it eventually. Every time you're in and want him in, continue to call him and reward him without opening a door for him. When you're out, call him outside and reward him with pats or a game. Never give in and open the door instead. In another week it'll be like he's been doing it his whole life - but only if you leave it alone. If you start changing it by taping up the flap or opening doors and windows that's a whole lot of new things for him to learn - this way it's only the catflap. He'll get the hang of it quickly if it's his only route into and out of the house.

Yep, that's pretty much what I'm doing. Absolutely no doors or windows and there hasn't been since Thurs last week. It's not taking him long to come through now when I call him - tonight was just a minute or two, whereas on Sat it was taking 30 - 40min as he also had to go over the gate and would just sit on the wrong side of the gate and meow. I don't lift the flap at all for him and he can push through it no worries. I just wish he would do it without me having to call him, but as taytobreath said, he won't stave because he's too stubborn. Once I'm gone and the neighbours are calling over to feed him, he'll work out that is the only way in and out.

srsly78

OP I thought the same with my cat.

He won't use it with you there watching, but as soon as you turn your back he will!! Little feckers... They know right well how to use the tunnel!!! They will use it when they want/need to.

mel.b

So this morning when the cat wanted to go out, i put a piece of chicken and the very end of the tunnel - cat crawled straight into the tunnel, got the chicken and backed out. I then decided to leave him the room to see if he would go out. 30min later my phone downstairs rings so i get up & get it and the cat is still in the room. He's now curled up on my bed :rolleyes: