Cat dismantling cat flap!

[Sparrowlegs248]

Rescue cat, had him over a year, knows about cat flaps as was with CPL for 8ish months and had cat flap from inner to outer pen. Has used ours fine since he started going out. Was poorly (diabetic) and got weak hind legs - stopped using it. Is better with treatmenr and uses it again now.

BUT DH in his infinite wusdom has started randomly licking the cat flap some nights to stop the cats going out, in heavy rain for example.

Now this cat will come in through the flap (they are never locked out) but always assumes it is locked from the inside. So he claws and ppulks at it until the flaap and frame fall off then goes out through it leaving a gaping hole. Just went downstairs and its bloody freezing!

How can i get him.to just use the bliidy flap rather than destroy it?

[cozietoesie]

Hmmmm. A cat with ishoos. What is he - a young puma?

What make is it?

I'd be tempted to get a new one via moaning at contacting the manufacturers and then putting a physical barrier there if he's not to go out - eg some sort of (sacrificial from the sound of it) chair - so that he stops associating being stopped from going out with the flap itself. New day, new flap, new challenge - that sort of thing. Just to break the link in his mind.

Still thinking though.

[shouldwestayorshouldwego]

Psml @ DH in his infinite wusdom has started randomly licking the cat flap

I agree with cozie though that you need to retrain him that when he can see the flap he can use the flap. I would go for a heavy box that would be hard to move.

[cozietoesie]

Sounds as if you have a bright cat there.

[Sparrowlegs248]

Oops! Laughing at my own typo. Sleep deprived......

He does resemble a puma. All black, 7kg and strong.

[Sparrowlegs248]

Cat flap isn't broken btw . He really does manage to dismantle it. I don't know what make but it is fairly substantial. Loathe to buy a new one, sod law says it would break.

[fenneltea]

My big black cat used to do this! He was impossible to keep in with 'just' a cat flap and we had to modify it so that there was a stainless steel flap hinged over it on the inside so that we could lock it.

[Penfold007]

Is there a reason your cats can't go out? Denying them access on certain nights must be very confusing for them.

[Sparrowlegs248]

Indeed Penfold. The small cat also often thinks its locked and sits looking at it.

I keep them in if there are fireworks, 'D'H sometimes keeps them in if it is very bad (wet) weather. I had words yesterday as he panders to their every whim then gets annoyed when they harass him. Eejit.

[CMOTDibbler]

My old cat used to take a cat flap apart if it was locked. Unfortunatly once he had worked that out he preferred no flap at all...

Current cats have constant access as they all have ishoos and evilgingercat would take the door off the hinges, not just the flap

[Sparrowlegs248]

He doesn't do it when its locked!! He rarely goes out at night around anyway (its precious baby cat that dh is keeping in.....) but at some point he's tried it, found it locked and assumed its still locked. He doesn't even try it first (he'd be able to go through) just takes it off its hinges.

[Penfold007]

We pander to the Penfold cats in fact they seem to rule us. Changing their routine causes them great annoyance and they are very vocal when telling us off. Fireworks are a very valid reason to shut the flap but not rain.

[Penfold007]

X-post I've just realised he's dismantling the open flap! Cheeky boy

[cozietoesie]

It's catching.