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Join our community of cat lovers on the Mumsnet Cat forum for kitten advice and help with cat behaviour.

Original poster

Reluctant cat flap users

38 replies

polly567 · 12/09/2022 08:48

I have a pair of 1 year old siblings who are not yet roaming freely between inside and outside.
They have been very nervous if the outdoors and it has taken a lot to get them going out at all. I have been leaving the patio door open over summer so they can come and go as they want, as far as I know they have not yet left the garden, but will spend 30/45 mins exploring out there now.

However they will not use the cat flap. If I don't open the door then they don't go out. Any tips on how best to encourage them?

OP posts:
Bestcatmum · 14/09/2022 14:51

polly567 · 12/09/2022 09:28

Could some one show me how you prop the cat flap open?

They might need a step for getting back in, especially the smaller of the 2. I mean she definitely could jump it, but she might not know that Smile

I prop mine open with a longish bungee cord attached to the door handle inside.
I'm at work so can't send pic.

Original poster
polly567 · 14/09/2022 16:09

Thanks all, I've had the cat flap open using a piece of string tied to the door handle and they are using it now! The weather has been terrible here so once it is dry I will try something delicious as a treat and closing it down!

OP posts:
DontKeepTheFaith · 14/09/2022 19:28

Fluffycloudland77 · 14/09/2022 13:50

“She wouldn’t use the catflap when we first got her and it was only when DH who was wfh couldn’t get to the door in time that she eventually got fed up and used it to get out.”

Its so hard to find the staff these days isn’t it?

It absolutely is, Dcat thinks it’s most disgraceful we expect her to use the ‘tradesman’s entrance’🤣🤣

She sits by the back door and looks as if to say, well get on with it then😻

JelloFishy · 14/09/2022 19:42

We cellotaped our open too. It took my cat 6 months to master it. 🤷‍♀️ So yours are doing better than mine! 😂

Dexterdoo · 14/09/2022 22:27

Our smallest cat had quite weak hips as she's a rescue. We had to get these for her. It was too much to jump up and go through the tunnel of the chip cat flap.

www.catflapstep.com

We have them on the inside and out. Brilliant.

I nc to post here. Its not my company, I don't work there or know anyone there

www.catflapstep.com

Edieunion · 16/09/2022 11:30

I have a reluctant cat flap user and I use a peg to hold it open. She now uses it as she only has to poke her head under to get out and I'm slowly moving the peg down until it's closed. It's letting too much of a draught in now!

Reluctant cat flap users
Original poster
polly567 · 16/09/2022 13:01

@Edieunion mines currently wide open so they can go both ways easily and it is freezing!
My thermostat tells me that it's still 20 degrees in the house but it doesn't feel like it 😂

OP posts:
Fluffycloudland77 · 16/09/2022 14:00

The cats are wearing fur so their ok.

Dreikanter · 16/09/2022 21:00

My tortoiseshell was smart enough to refuse the cat flap on the basis that staff were available to open and close doors on demand.

Fluffycloudland77 · 17/09/2022 18:54

That’s torties for you. I mean, what did you do with your days before you had a tortie?

Dreikanter · 18/09/2022 09:23

Fluffycloudland77 · 17/09/2022 18:54

That’s torties for you. I mean, what did you do with your days before you had a tortie?

Had nice things and a life.

Fluffycloudland77 · 18/09/2022 11:07

😹 don’t worry, none of us have nice things either. We have things that are slightly fucked 😃

Dreikanter · 18/09/2022 11:34

And I made it ten times worse by adding the world’s clumsiest Siamese into the mix. So then I had one deliberate vandal and one accidental one.

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