Using the catflap

[RosesAndHellebores]

Advice please.
We have a microchip cat flap. It clicks as the cats pass through so chips have been read. However, if it is closed they will not use it to get in or put. They haven't twigged they can push to.door open.
It's currently held open a bit with pegs. If the pegs come off they don't use.

So far I have tried:

Putting their food or likelix on the other side.
Showing them how it works with a toy cat.
Closing it when they are out - a cat fight with a local bruiser almost arose.

Does anyone have any better ideas please?

They come and go as they please and cottoned on quite quickly to using the garden instead of litter.

I 'helped' mine through. Started with the flap open completely, then gradually closed it.

Eventually he would batter his way though if it was locked and he wanted to be the other side of it.

In the end he became an indoor cat because someone was trying to steal him and there was also building work where he would wander up to help, get in trailers, all sorts. He was a clumsy sod, he was always coming back injured or having his ID removed and sometimes his collar so built a catio so he could still go out but not get hurt or stolen.

I’m pretty sure they know how to use it. I’m also sure they’ll have you up and opening doors for them for as long as they can.

Id post them through especially from inside. Hopefully they will twig the games up.

I basically stuffed him through it! It wasn't entirely a new concept because he had a cathouse in the garden that also had a flap for access.

Yep another vote for posting them through. Mine can use the cat flap perfectly well but they still wait by the front door for me to let them out in the morning or demand a window is opened for them. Cats are not daft!

Loving that you did a demo for them with a toy cat!

We put ours in their cat carrier and held it up to the cat flap so that the only way they could escape was by pushing through it. Tempting them through with Dreamies works too.

Start with the flap pegged wide open for a good week or two so they get used to going in and out via the flap not an open door. Gradually move the peg nearer the bottom of the door so the flap is still visibly open but they have to actually start pushing it a little to get out. (Then reverse when they come back in.) Keep moving the peg down gradually over a period of days/ weeks until the flap's almost closed They'll learn to push it open

Our cat was like this. Completely played dumb when it came to using the cat flap. She couldn't go out in the garden until I was sure she would/could use it. We have another one between the kitchen and utility so she had that one to practise. She point blank refused. I was looking everywhere for advice.
In the end, I phoned the rescue place to see if they had any bright ideas. They said that she definitely knew how to use one as she'd had to use every day there to get to her food! So we knew we were being had. We went cold turkey and put her in the utility at meal time, so she had to come through to the kitchen for food. It was a battle of wills, but once she realised we weren't going to give in, it was fine.

She still asks at the patio door to come in, but doesn't always get her own way!

I think you need to physically shove them through it - cats don't really understand demonstrations with toys though I absolutely love that you gave it a go

Same problem here and yes to posting thro'

Altho' did notice how awkward it was doing it from outside as the cat-flap was higher on the garden side, Provision of a small step + posting solved the problem