How do you get two nervous kittens to use a cat flap?

[bakewellfizz]

We have two kittens that we rescued when they were about 12 weeks old from the cats protection league - they had been dumped in a shed when they were found and as a result are a bit nervy. They're lovely kittens (about 8 months old now) and are much more confident - they are very affectionate with us but aren't big fans of other people.

We are trying to encourage them to use the cat flap at the moment and are failing miserably. They have both been outside through the door and have enjoyed exploring but just can't get the hang of the cat flap. We have tried everything - taping the cat flap open and just being in the garden, bribing with treats, being encouraging and have also picked them up and pushed them through either side a few times but they don't seem to be getting the hang of it.

Does anyone have any tips for convincing them that the cat flap is a good idea? We have been trying over the course of a few weeks but are just going round in circles at the moment. Any advice would be appreciated!

Can you tape it open for a while? They can practice with just a hole for now maybe? We just shoved ours through but adults without any past trauma though. .

Do they use it when your not there?.

I would tape it open as much as you can , and as you are doing encouraging them in with dreamies. But be patient, some cats are, erm , a little slow on the uptake! I would also try putting them outside before they are fed and then having the food inside, hunger is a great teacher.

Once they are confident coming in through the hole the next bit will be getting them through the door! Back to treats and bribery, but also make sure that the cat flap is not too high for them, expecting them to be brave and athletic could be a step too far. we had to make steps out of bricks to get our spoiled rotten lazy beasts through.

Cat flaps with microchips are another issue, there is sometimes a delay between the nose pushing the flap and it opening and some cat flaps make a buzzy noise which some spoiled rotten beasts found very off putting.

Just a though DCatatnumber7 took ages to use the cat flap as a kitten until we realised it was too far off the ground outside, which is lower than the kitchen floor.
We put a few bricks as a step outside of the door and hey presto! They got the hang of it almost straight away.

We know that they don't use it when we're not there although they do stare at it occasionally...

I think taping it open and persisting with treats sounds like it might be the way forward. We will also try putting them out there in the morning and putting their food on the inside to see if that motivates them through. It is a cat flap with a microchip (lots of cats in the area!) and there is a delay between them appearing at the cat flap and it clicking open so that might be putting them off a bit

I will check the height as well that's a good idea - it's definitely ok from the inside but there is more of a step on the outside. I'll see if we can put some bricks under it or something to help!

Another cat flap here with bricks on the outside to help them use it. Especially if it is a microchip one, because they have to be able to stand so the chip is read, if its too high this won't work easily.

Also wait until dinner time. Don't feed them for an hour or two past dinner time and then put dinner on the other side

Also wait until dinner time. Don't feed them for an hour or two past dinner time and then put dinner on the other side

They like to hide a bit too so might be worth sticking a plant outside the cat flap

Second leaving it open and then lots of treats - and it could take quite a bit of time - a few weeks.
For my older nervous cat I had to give her a lot of ham (her favourite).
I actually removed the flap bit for a couple of weeks (top tip - don't fit a flap in the the middle of winter -like I did !!!) and left a treat just inside it.
I also left a trail of treats through the flap and held fed her treats from my hand stuck through the flap gradually bringing it in (over time) ...once she would use it open -it took another week before she would use it closed. I also tried not to give in and open the door for her...
She was fine then for years until I upgraded to a chipped flap - she was a bit nervous of it for a day or so - had to tape it open the first day ..
Now she is less keen on going out the flap cos it is in the back door and our neighbours have got a dog and if it is out in the garden it barks at her through the fence...
She now stands at the front door meowing pitifully to go ...
She will stand and wait to be let in too -but if I don't see/hear her after a while she will go round and use her flap ...