To think it would be easier to train a dragon?

[PoppyFleur]

We have finally installed a cat flap in our house, I thought my beloved cat would be gleeful at having the freedom to come and go as she pleases. It turns out I was very wrong.

So far she has clawed at the bedroom window at 4am, after traversing garden fences, garage and porch to our first floor window (shocking the life out of me not to mention waking half the neighbourhood with the caterwauling) and leapt in through any ground floor window that is left a crack open but point blank refused to use the cat flap. I have tried treats, enticement and relocating her feeding bowl near the cat flap. I am at a loss.

AIBU to think this is a little ungrateful of my cat or is she just mocking me and secretly using the cat flap when I am out?

Have you tried shoving her back in through the catflap a few times? So you are sure that she does actually realise that it works both ways?

One of my mums cats never used the cat flap........or so we thought. After years of her never using it and having to be let in and out, my mum caught her using it the other day and then once she saw my mum she sat at the door crying to be let in.

They are sneaky!!

Our bun goes out of the cat flap...

...but can't work out how to get back in. So sits on her hind legs by the patio doors looking sad and forlorn until someone lets her in.

Definitely try shoving her in and out a few times. Wear gloves though.

Yes post kitty manually a few times.

Do you need to wrap her first and put a stamp on Donkey ? that made me giggle.

She has you trained to let her in. She has no use for the cat flap!

Don't manhandle her through - she will associate the flap with bad things. Can you fix it open so she doesn't have to push it? Do that for a few days then lots of luring her through with treats. Ours took a couple of weeks to get it 100%.

wolfie I think you have hit the nail on the head.

Thank you for the suggestions, I am off to the shed to find the heavy duty gardening gloves to shove gently manipulate her through the cat flap. I don't know how many times I will be able to it though, she is a smart one & I suspect after I do it once she won't let me anywhere near her again.

Came her to say you post them through but I see others are here before me. :)

Kick her out in torrential rain, and sit inside by the flap calling her. Open the flap to look at her getting soaked, so she sees you then let it shut again.

can you peg it open for a little bit so its super obvious.

ours were really scared out it to start with, but they got used to it.

Our cat was always too stupid to use the flap on his litter tray and used to choke himself on the door, was almost impressive how wrong he would get it

Do you have someone else you can rope in (and another set of gardening gloves) so that you play pass the parcel with her though the cat flap?

We used to keep it propped open with a rolling pin because flatmate's cat wouldn't use it otherwise.

I still remember the ice around my ankles in the winter

YABVU. She is entitled to come in and out of the door. Its her house as much as it is yours.

If it was a new kitten prior to introduction to your home it would be different - you get a Pre-Nup drawn up by a competent feline solicitor. But grown up cats are different, they are clever and they know their rights and psychologically its her house in her mind, you just happen to live there and serve her. If you start shoving her through, She will likely get an injunction against you and claim a constructive trust exists over the property which will be swiftly followed up by divorce proceedings. You will lose the house.

The basis of the divorce will be unreasonable behaviour. How would you like to be shoved outside, via a plastic hole, head bumping against the plastic flap, just because someone else wants you out of your home?

Our three cats have created similar merry hell for us. In summer all our downstairs windows are open most of the time and this has created 'rights of way' which all of them have reinforced each day. The cat flap, if anything is an inconvenience for them. They use these rights of way to establish economic support for us, bringing home a contribution to the household food, such as small mice, the odd rat and once a small bird. As such they have established proprietary estoppel over the home. We have tried counselling but to no avail, they just chased blow flies round the solicitors office or rolled around on the floor and played with his shoelaces.

You cannot reason with cats. Either continue as you are or leave.

Agree with sleepsoftly. One of mine frequently uses two different windows to climb in and out of. This in no way reduces my duty to open the door as and when she wishes to enter or leave. The other will sometimes hop in and out the front door, but will only enter or exit through the back door.
Seriously though prop it open, many cats don't like stepping into the unknown, and with a closed flap they can't see or hear or smell what's beyond it. And/or put some natural cover round it so the cat isn't immediately exposed on going through.

Post the cat through a few times and don't let her in any other way. Once she has failed to 'train' you to open doors she will work it out.

Post her thru every single time she's waiting at the door instead. It's being firmness in order to be kind long term. (Gawd cats are thick)

I stuck mine open with gaffer tape for a week abd posted both cats through. It takes time. And treats for the cat and wine for you