Any experienced kitten/cat owners?

[AGirlHasNoShame]

We have an adorable 7 month old kitten. She has been spayed and signed off by the vet and absolutely LOVES going outside.

We have installed a cat flap which opens with her microchip for days we are out and obviously don’t want to leave windows open but she just isn’t getting it

She will exit the cat flap with loads of encouragement every morning if I lift it three quarters of the way open but after I’ve opened windows etc she just uses them. She also doesn’t seem to understand that she has to push it with her head/paw to get out herself. Is it just a case of patience? We have had it for two weeks and I religiously spend time practising with her everyday but she just sits looking at me like I’m daft 😂 any tips?!

I was prepared for a cat flap training battle but my current pair (also seven months) actually taught themselves.

Day 1 - I propped it open and they were in and out all day. Locked it and covered it overnight.

Day 2 - I uncovered and unlocked it and went to the bathroom. I came out to see the cat's tail disappearing out of the cat flap while her brother sat outside waiting for her.

Job done

Mine took a lot of actually shoving them through it AND training with treats to get it. Look up tips on YouTube

If my cat can see me in the kitchen she knocks on the cat flap! She is 12 ! Cheeky mare.. i kinda like it

I had an adult rescue cat, he had never seen a cat flap. We taped it open and shoved him through, then gradually adjusted the amount it was open. He got it in about a week. He still walked past it every day at the same time and waited for me to let him in the patio doors for his lunchtime cuddle but would use it otherwise.

You've missed the point OP....we're not cat owners.....they own us!

Course she knows

Just pick her up and push her through the cat flap.

She's so adorable. As others have said, they are contrary creatures 😻
Great advice here - she will figure it out when she wants to.
We put our cat flap to n the wall, and no sooner had my husband cut through the brick, they were straight through the jagged dusty hole. They just love an opening 🤷‍♀️

Mine all stand outside shouting at me into I let them in all the while I'm home. If I kick them out before I go to work though, they're always curled up on the sofa when i get home.

I did find that one of mine was scared of the locking one though, as it makes a big click when it unlocks. It took a fair few dreamies to make it acceptable at the start.

Two years ago our cat flap was taped open for some months for our adopted cats.

I've had cats most of my life,and I've never yet had one that is unable to use a cat flap. Won't use it,yes,but can't,no! If you continue helping her,she will just learn (or probably already has!) that she doesn't need to bother because her human servant will help her! I agree with frostedviolets and Chilly567 that sometimes the only thing that will work us to actually physically post them through it a couple of times! In my experience,this usually does the trick.

Yeah I've had cat flap refusers too, I don't think they are thick, they don't see why they should if you are around.
My 19 year old cat has been through a phase of yelling at the back door 100 times a day to be let in and out and I became neurotic about her not being able to get back in again while I was at work, I thought she couldn't because of her arthritis.
However I came back from work the other day to find her leaping back through like a year old gazelle.
What I did with the others was spend a few hours shoving them in and out using their heads (gently) then treats. They got there eventually.

The tunnel cat flap through a wall in my last house, that was months of hilarious fun trying to get ANY of them to use that

I did the shoving the cat through the cat flap thing. Numerous times. Never worked.

Some cats are just determined that their humans should remain a slave to their every whim.

If you post the cat through and frighten her she’s not going to even try to get out of the cat flap.
We had one, an adult rescue, who took a year to start using it.

We just pushed our
S through it a few times they then understood what to do. But to be honest she is cat why o. Earth would she use a cat flap when a window is open or the slave will open it for her?
You have got to live cats.

Hi @AGirlHasNoShameAGirlHasNoShame how's the cat flap situation going - has she fully trained you yet?

this also may be the most unsubtle post in hopes of a cute kitten photo update