To ask how to get a cat to use a catflap?

[Bottleup]

Fitted last week. Have tried luring her with treats and things to chase but to no avail.

We ‘posted’ ours through it till she got the knack

I got it fitted the day before I left for a 3day break, did have a cat sitter coming in to feed her but she had no other way to get in or out of the house. She popped her head in when I returned.

Ha ha! I was contemplating doing this but hoped there might be a less 'scratchy' way...

One of ours just used to sit and meow by it until someone held the flap open. She was happy to go through the hole, but never really liked head-butting the flap

I taught the dog to use a cat flap by putting delicious treats on the other side of the flap, and holding it open at first and gradually holding it less open. But I don't know if cats are bribeable in that way.

Also if you make a flap in a cardboard box and shut her in the box she might use the flap to get out of the box?

Posting them backwards and forwards is great fun. Seriously. Wear gloves.

I used loads of sellotape to hold ours fully open at first, then once the cats had got the idea of going in and out, I gradually lowered the cat flap bit by bit every few days until eventually it was shut. They got the idea. Best to start this tactic in the summer as it's freezing having a cat flap wide open in the winter!

We taped ours open with sellotape when we were in so they got used to going through it. We also tried leaving treats in a trail on the other side. We then went away on holiday and prayed they'd learn how to use it as we had a cat sitter coming each day. One of them uses it fine to get in and out but the other still prefers A human slave to open the door or window for him. The only time he tries to go out is at night when it's been locked to keep them in!

We taped ours open and fed the cat through slowly during the day, closed it at night. Took a week or so but he was a bit of a slow learner. Once he realised he could go through it all was fine and we removed the tape. Eventually he also learned how to head butt it open when it was locked so had to block it at night. Never let him out at night as it wasn't safe, even worse now with the cat killer about.

He would still go and sit by the patio door at lunchtime and wait to be let in though but that was our routine, and he would sit on me for a cuddle for an hour before going out via the catflap.

I used a clothes peg to peg it wide open at first with ham on either side. Then progressively pegged it less closed each day. Occasionally used a treat. Refused to let him in any other way after a few weeks. He got the message when I got tough!

We started off by holding it open with a rubber band, hooked around the edges of the frame. Then as they got confident that this is the way in/out, we switched to a larger rubber band so the flap was only half held up and they had to push it with their heads or duck up underneath. That teaches them that they have to use their heads or paws to open it. Then remove the rubber band and voila.

Our little smart cat got it straight away, in fact we were wondering where she was when she just popped her head through as if she had been doing it for years.

Our fat floofy stoooopid cat took MONTHS. Dreamies helped. I still despair that he hasn't quite got the hang of it as he sits outside the french doors (next to the cat flap) looking forlorn and miaowing at us.

I used bits of sliced ham trapped in the door to encourage them to use the cat flap. They had to push the door open with their head to get the ham. Both caught on after about 5 goes each (spread over the course of a day)

Similar to above, when we put a cat flap in I initially propped it open and then tempted him through with either treats or toys. It took a while but he got it eventually.

Dreamies

We also propped it open for a while. We started off by posting her through a few times . Then dh called her through (flap propped open) with me on the other side, gently shoving encouraging her through. We did this at meal time so her food was on the other side of the flap and she was hungry. Then we just left her to her own devices but with the flap still propped open. We gradually lowered the flap until it was shut and she got the hang of it eventually. She was a 7 year old rescue who had never used a flap before. If she can grasp it, I'm sure yours will too. Good luck!

I also posted mine through numerous times. They aren't scratchers though so I came to no harm.

Thank you all very much! Lots of helpful suggestions. I'm off to trying taping it open 😀

Yep - we 'posted' our cat too. Unceremoniously, admittedly. But it did the trick.

We did the treat thing and our cat decided it was a chicken dispensing device. Was most upset when it malfunctioned

We posted ours through too!

From my experience of cats, tell her it’s forbidden and she mustn’t go anywhere near it!!

Ours was a total refuser for weeks - she'd go though it if it was taped open, but wouldn't open it herself. I tried closing it whilst she was the 'wrong' side (it only went from kitchen to utility, so she wasn't shut outside!) which resulted in a stand off. In the end, I emailed the rescue place we got her from for some 'professional' help, and they said "she used one perfectly happily here" - so I knew we were being had! From that point on, we just untaped the flap and she had no choice but to use it. Only took a day before she realised we weren't going to give in!