My cats can't work out the flap...

[StrawberryLocks]

Hi all,

I have two kittens, recently turned 6 months, in good health, chipped, spayed, vaccinated, and other than the odd climb up the curtains, altogether perfect.

We've recently started letting them out. They love it, have gone wandering over our garden fence but know their way back, come if we call them, and if we leave the back door open, will happily come and go with no issue.

They will use the flap IF I hold it open but they CANNOT work our how to open it if it's closed. I've shoved them through, called them from the other side, tempted them with chicken and dreamies (they just look at me until I open it and they hop through). If they're inside, they're interested in it but mostly just look at it or occasionally give it a light tap with a paw.

I'm happy to start letting them come and go but HOW DO I TEACH THEM HOW TO DO IT??

Have you taped it open for a while so they are using it independently but without having to push it?

Saying that, 6 months is very young to go out unsupervised, especially this time of year when it gets dark early. The charity I adopted from said kittens shouldn't go out unsupervised until they are at least 10 months old. They are not aware of dangers yet when they are young...

protectapet.com/shop/cat-products/cat-fencetop-barriers/

Look into cat proofing, we live in a road with speed bumps, right on the edge of a quiet estate & I lost my boy on Monday. I used to justify letting him out because he loved it so much but now I realise I was so, so wrong not to have protected him more.

Ours took a while to fathom the cat door , it has the micro chip activated "Click" and they didn't realise they had a given timespan to get the door open

It took them about a week or so to twig. They kept pushing round the edge of the door until they sussed they need to push the base of the door . They really wanted to go out (this was July time) so they made it work.

Our female gets her front half through, then back legs in turn then The Tail like a serpent slides out .
The male gets his front half through then both back legs plus tail , like a rabbit

It's the only way we can tell who has left the building , if the door closes nicely or slams shut .