I have had to sellotape the catflap open

[oopslateagain]

because my daft old cat just can't figure out that he has to push it with his head...

I have cold draughts round my ankles now. And my coffee is getting colder by the second.

I have tried offering him his favourite treats to tempt him through. I have tried holding it open and then gently lowering it just as he starts to go through. I have tried not feeding him and putting his bowl just inside the door... he just doesn't get it. But if it's held open for him he will happily just step through.

Ideas? Please? My coffee is now stone cold and I can't feel my toes...

Has he been able to work the cat flap before, or is this the first time he's had one? Not sure I can come up with any other suggestions though, except maybe just leaving him to it and hoping he starts to get it in time...

You could try sellotaping a cat treat to the outside of the catflap, so when he tries to eat it, he ends up pushing his head against the flap - although that sounds a bit mean...

Other than that, I can only suggest a microwave for the coffee and some thicker socks :o

My cat's not overly keen on the cat flap either, and tends to just miaow at me from the other side of the door to let her in so she doesn't have to go through the indignity of the cat flap. But she will use it if she has to.

He has never liked the catflap, but we used to have a larger one (the one for small dogs) and he would use it... under protest. He would sit and meow outside in the hope that someone would relent and open the door for him, but he would eventually come in through it.

We got one of the Sureflap ones as a local tom decided our house was The Place To Be, and started spraying in our kitchen. This is a lot smaller, and he has never used it - unless we hold the flap open for him to step through.

We are obviously his minions, just there to do his bidding.

If you have had it taped open for a week now it might be worth shutting it and seeing if he knows what to do. We had this problem with our cat and a Sureflap catflap. I tried all sorts of treats to persuade her to push her head through and she wasn't interested so left it taped open for a while. Then when it got cold we shut it. One morning I shoved her through when she didn't really want to go out and she came straight back inside! After that she used it all the time. It did help to have my toddler chasing her..... :o

I have the same problem! I'm so proud to have such an expensive hole in my door . I've shut mine now and have an expensive cat window in the door instead.

shut him out
then put a bowl of pilchards in tomato sauce just inside the door
they do not like the click
but they LOVE pilchards
microwaved coley was the other treat for my two once they sussed it