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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

Microchip cat flap... Heeeellllpp!

38 replies

JorisBonson · 15/10/2022 17:42

We've been having a lot of visitors sneaking into our house lately so upgraded to a microchip cat flap.

Totally solved the visitor problem, but our 2 just won't use it 🙄 girl cat just sits outside or crying, boy cat is scared of the "click" noise. They used our old one no bother.

Any tips??

OP posts:
ABrotherWhoLooksLikeHellMugYou · 15/10/2022 17:45

We got our first cat flap when the cats were 9. It was a microchip one. They weren't fans. They still aren't, but a dreamie or two on the other side of the fall and an urgent need to kill small innocent creatures pee usually persuades them to be brave.

Have they actually worked out that it is a flap? Maybe holding it open with a piece of string for a day or two would help encourage them to use it and get familiar with the noise?

DelurkingAJ · 15/10/2022 17:46

Treats outside and another person shoving them through. Then the reverse.

Original poster
JorisBonson · 15/10/2022 17:51

@ABrotherWhoLooksLikeHellMugYou it's exactly the same brand and size as their old cat flap 🤦🏻‍♀️

Treats and shoving sounds good!

OP posts:
Igmum · 15/10/2022 17:53

Another vote for Dreamies here. Ours figured it out with lots of daft cooing noises from me and a liberal application of Dreamies (I suspect one of these was probably redundant Grin)

Original poster
JorisBonson · 15/10/2022 19:56

They won't even go near it tonight, I think they've decided to be inside cats now 🤦🏻‍♀️🤣

OP posts:
BIWI · 15/10/2022 19:57

They do get used to it eventually!

Dreamies always help ...

RandomMess · 15/10/2022 19:58

Mine got used to it, shoved them outside when hungry and food on the inside.

You could always prop it open so they still here the click when they walk through.

Original poster
JorisBonson · 15/10/2022 20:13

Tried to shove boy cat out, he is quite stupid and very sensitive and did not appreciate it 🤣 going to leave them alone tonight and do lots of positive reinforcement tomorrow (what's the betting one of them locks themselves out tonight?).

OP posts:
Original poster
JorisBonson · 15/10/2022 20:22

🚨 boy cat went outside 🚨

OP posts:
RandomMess · 15/10/2022 20:23

🥳

Original poster
JorisBonson · 15/10/2022 20:46

🚨 boy cat will not come back in 🚨

OP posts:
QuebecBagnet · 15/10/2022 20:48

Yes we propped it open for a bit. They get used to the click.

Original poster
JorisBonson · 15/10/2022 21:05

QuebecBagnet · 15/10/2022 20:48

Yes we propped it open for a bit. They get used to the click.

I think I'll have to do that. He came back in through the propped door (with a lot of coaxing) and the click scared him again but the promise of treats was strong!

OP posts:
Borris · 15/10/2022 21:22

I taped it open for a few days and then he got used to it and now no problems. Also used lots of tuna and dreamies but had to shut the dog away as she kept sticking her head through it to snaffle them

Original poster
JorisBonson · 15/10/2022 21:25

I'm going to tape or down tonight (and hope the click scares our many visitors off) and try again tomorrow. Don't want to keep it unlocked for too long because we seem to be a well advertised all you can eat buffet for the local cats and it's costing a fortune!

OP posts:
RandomMess · 15/10/2022 21:26

It won't click for the visitors!!

Just wait until tomorrow, cats outside, tape it open and you will have supervise that visiting cats don't come in

Original poster
JorisBonson · 15/10/2022 21:26

Also boy cat is an absolute wuss and wouldn't survive being locked out for too long 🤣

OP posts:
Original poster
JorisBonson · 15/10/2022 21:27

RandomMess · 15/10/2022 21:26

It won't click for the visitors!!

Just wait until tomorrow, cats outside, tape it open and you will have supervise that visiting cats don't come in

Good point! I have covid brain. Looks like a night indoors for everyone!

OP posts:
Blowyourowntrumpet · 15/10/2022 21:31

It took mine a couple of weeks to get used to it. He's in and out all day now.

BayCityTrolls · 15/10/2022 21:34

Dcat wouldn’t use ours for many days. I used to smear cat food on the outside and hold it open to tempt her.

They all get it eventually but after a long hot summer, Dcat is now used to the much more comfortable open door access and feels strongly that it should continue through winter. She will come in the cat flap happily enough but wants the door open so she can assess the weather conditions before venturing out. She really does not do rain or wind! She also doesn’t seem to understand or care about the rise in heating costs😜🤣

Original poster
JorisBonson · 15/10/2022 21:37

We're going away in a couple of weeks so really hope for our house sitters sale they're used to it by then!

OP posts:
RandomMess · 15/10/2022 21:41

Within a week they will be fine.

WhatsitWiggle · 15/10/2022 21:48

This was my girl when we got a new back door and cat flap. She was also scared of the click. We initially disabled the lock but ended up with unwanted visitors eating her food.

I propped it open with a large clothes peg, and rattled her food to encourage her in (she's allergic to dreamies!). It took a couple of days for her to get over her fear of the click. Then another couple of days to work out she had to stick her head into the tunnel for the flap to unlock.

She did figure it out eventually. The neighbourhood cats who were visiting still come right up to the flap hoping it's unlocked, over a year later!

Microchip cat flap... Heeeellllpp!
Original poster
JorisBonson · 15/10/2022 22:00

@WhatsitWiggle I'm getting the same face tonight 🤣 (and boy cat is also ginger and also can't have dreamies!).

They're both locked in for tonight (and driving mad), tomorrow is another day. They have to figure it out eventually.

OP posts:
Snailsaresweet · 15/10/2022 22:16

I'm at the stage before this, as I can't even get Small Cat's microchip to register, as I'm used to setting the catflap to receive and then rattling the dreamie bag so the cat rushes through the catflap -nope, not working with her. I've also stuffed cats through the catflap before, but she's somewhat non-compliant in that respect.