Turns out my cats are not intelligent

[Ginger4justice]

We've just put up a baby gate as DD is getting more mobile and our cats are perplexed by it. I know they can jump over it, they jump on to and over higher things all the time. But so far they just sit there and mew pathetically/cutely, occasionally trying to fit their heads through (never going to happen, the bars are far too close together). We've ended up opening it or pick them up so they can jump from our arms. It's just the first day so I guess they may get the hang of it but has anyone else had this? Anyone got any tips in how to train them to jump over it?

I've had intelligent cats, but the three we have now are dumb as f*#k!

Can you put a chair near the gate, or a box, which they can use as an intermediate step just to get them used to the idea? They'll probably only need it for the first couple of times they go over so you could sit on the stairs with a book and 'supervise' (and ensure dd doesn't use said chair herself).

Do not, under any circumstances, lift them over. You will only reinforce the idea of humans as staff, and they will never look back.

Oh your cats ARE intelligent! They are smart enough to know that you will lift them over the gate- I swear they are sniggering behind your back right now

you're right it's probably me that's the unintelligent one. I do have pfb tendencies towards them and they looked so pathetic and confused!
Right I'll try to put chairs either side. Might make it difficult for humans to get past but hopefully only for a short time. Just hope they get it and don't get stuck the wrong side away from the litter tray.

How lovely. Another human been taken in line by a cat .

Pathetic and confused? you means the "I'm staaaaaaarving, I haven't been fed for weeeeeeeeeeks....." sort of pathetic and confused? ROFL (literally). Oh, they're good...

(ours do it all the time; never have we been known to fall for it, twice a day at least I suspect never I tells ya )