Cat flap intro

[cannaecookrisotto]

Hi! Any advice would be appreciated.

How did you introduce a cat flap to your gang?

I've got 2. A 12 year old and a 1.5 year old.

Just had a cat flap installed into the French doors, (yesterday) really happy with how it looks but now just wondering how I get them using it.

I've had a look online and done the usual, strung it open so they are learning it's an entry point, luring then through with tuna etc.

But as soon as I close the flap, even holding it open and showing them the "other side", they just sit at the other door staring at me. Guilting me into opening it for them.

Any tips? 🐈‍⬛

I just pushed mine through a few times each way and they figured it out 😂 bits of tasty cheese and meats as lures too! And don't open the other door, they'll use it when it's the only option I find.

The cat flap dilemma!
My boy took weeks to use it. He approached it as if it was an unexploded bomb, and tapped it with a tentative paw.
We physically pushed him through it a few times, and he screamed like a baby each time.
He's a big 5.5 kg boy.
Eventually he went out through it and sat shaking on the outside, hated the click.
2 years later he uses it all the time to come in, but won't use it to go out. Ah well that's cats for you. 😅

Honestly going to should horrible but post them through a few times and refuse to open the door for them. If they are stubborn go through the door without letting them in and post them through. They do get it eventually but cats are very stubborn. Mine can use the cat flap perfectly but will still sometimes wait outside for us to open the door for him when the cat flap is right next to it!

I'm glad you've all said physically post the cat, everything I've read online says to avoid doing that but how else are they supposed to know?! 😂.

I do agree that they'll come through when they know I'm not trotting up and down to let them in. I'm determined to make them use it as I had to have a new panel of glass made just for the cat flap. I need to be strong and insist they use it rather than opening the door.

I honestly didn't even think about this aspect, just thought they'd see the cat flap and trot through it!

I do keep wafting tuna around the door too.

Waiting for one of them to come back now so I can post it 😆.

My little Pepper is a total pain with her catflap! She is nearly 3 and never taken to it. I posted her through it at first, used treats etc... I did find it helped a little putting some weebox lickelick on the other side so she could smell it. She now reluctantly uses it to come in, but makes a racket and it still takes her 3-4 attempts to finally get through. My other cat stares at her in distain! This is all except when it rains, when it rains she hurtles through it like a bullet..

Our cat took bloody ages to get used to it. There was me smearing food, tempting her, encouraging her, she would just look at me like WTF and eat the food but refuse to go through it🤣🤣

Eventually it was a case of DH stuck on a work call and unable to let her out so she decided she could manage it after all🤷‍♀️

This took weeks, before that, she would resist and wait for DH.

She doesn’t mind it now but would still prefer the patio doors be opened for her🤣 She is a proper princess, our cat!

Yes this.. post the cat 😂

I guessed the internet would say not to do it, but my cat is fine, doesn't have post traumatic stress and uses the cat flap every day now.

Update!

So managed to post my 1.5 yr old, seemed to have done the trick and she is now tentatively using it. She does it when she thinks I'm not looking.

The big cat has now taken to sitting next to the FRONT door making a racket instead 😂. She will use it if I hold the flap open but hasn't done it herself yet. I tried to post her but it just ended up with the cat pretty much making herself as wide as possible with her arms and legs and hissing at me. Hopefully she'll come around... 😬.

Every time I see my little one slipping in and out I feel a waft of motherly pride.