Cat seemingly chronically terrified of catflaps??

[Jux]

We have 4 cats, two elderly girls and two young brothers about 2 years old. Have had all since kittenhood.

We got the boys September 2022, and while we love them, they did come with challenges. We got them after the death of our beloved elderly male cat, who had been keeping the cheeky unfixed neighbours cat at bay. Since he died, Neighbour Cat had been coming through the catflap at night and spraying indoors, harassing the girls, pooing on the floor and generally being a pain. We hoped the two boys would be able to help with this.

This did not work. NC is huge and seemingly completely shameless. Our boys (M and H) just aren’t able to keep him at bay, so we got a microchip catflap and installed it on Tuesday.

Next problems
1 – we aren’t entirely convinced it’s worked, as DD thinks she may have heard NC’s meow outside her bedroom earlier this week.

2 (BIG problem) – it seems that H is terrified of the catflap itself. He seemed to be equally terrified of the previous one too, but we hoped a new one might be different. He always wants to go out, he knows how to use the catflap, but he will beg for you to open doors/windows. If you don’t, he just won’t go outside, and will poo in the conservatory (or elsewhere, if you’re unlucky). It’s becoming more and more of a problem, and it’s getting very disheartening for everyone having to clean this up every day.
Does anyone have any ideas on what to do here, with teaching him to use the catflap and that it won’t eat him?

We have tried just pushing him through it, covering the whole area in catnip juice, leaving treats around, and we’ll be planting catnip outside it too, but he will fight tooth and nail not to go through it and will even sit outside in pouring rain to avoid coming back inside through it.

Thank you. All ideas gratefully received.

Anyone? Please?

We have a Ragdoll on one side and really grumpy Maine Coon on the other. My smaller-than average moggy hates using the cat flap because she doesn't have a good view of who is waiting to ambush her.

Has he got access to a litter tray?

It can take a while to get used to the microchip flap, I'd make things easy for him for now.

Thank you both.

Ibiza the wall is thick and there's a tunnel, you're right, he can't see out before he gets to the end of the tunnel. It's maybe 6-8inches? Perhaps if we were to put the flap on the outside it would help. He could go down the tunnel and then look out when the flap opens and retreat if he doesn't like the weather!

drSpartacular Yes, we do have to go back to awful litter trays but we are risking ALL of them using them. I know at keast one of the others will jump at the chance. Can't see any other way though, so we've already got one set up. I was really hoping we wouldn't need it for much more than a week, and now it looks like we'll probably need at least one forever!!. Bother.

Imagine that you had to access your toilet by climbing up through the loft hatch every time. And that there were rats or a wasp nest in that loft somewhere. And no light.

Would you be keen on sticking your head through there, knowing that what's up there might be waiting for you - or would you look for a handy bucket somewhere safer?

Personally I think if a cat prefers to use a tray, then a tray should be available.

But, yes, your flap doesn't sound ideal.

Cat proof your garden to keep the neighbours cat out?
Not sure what is wrong with using litter trays, it saves you or your neighbours gardens being left with unwanted cat poo deposits.

Litter trays forever it is then. I've never ever known a cat behave like this before and I've lived with cats for over 60 years. It's extraordinary.

Thanks to all for your help.

If there's a bully cat about then a tray is really necessary - cats can get really stressed if they can't toilet in peace, and urinary retention = expensive vet bills. Paper and tofu-based litter is really good at dealing with smells, if this is your objection to the tray :)

Thank you, leChatChat. My objection to the flap is that, having MS, I am frequently unable to get out of bed which means dh would have to deal with the tray. Except, he has stated he won't. He didn't want the 'extra' cats and 'was shouted down' by dd and I. I know from experience that he won't deal with the tray and I shall have to, whether I can or not.

DH, btw, does love the boys he's just refusing to do the litter tray as it's only needed because H, whom dh did not want, won't go through the flap.

As per PP, one problem could be the lack of visibility as to what's on the other side of the cat flap.

My (gentle unfighty) cat is/has been terrorised by two neighbour bully cats, and was once very fearful to go outside after a particularly nasty attack. He'd sit staring at the cat flap for ages as though gathering courage to go outside (he won't use a litter tray - provided just in case).

After this incident, he also hid in a dark corner for two days, and when he came out he peed on my bed one morning. Something he'd never done before and hasn't done since. It took about a month before he started to go in/out as he had normally before the attack. (He's still a bit anxious, but that's his nature).

Your NC actually coming INTO your house would have been truly terrifying for your cats, in what is supposed to be their safe home territory.

It's no wonder they're ambivalent about using the cat flap, in the circumstances. The portal for the psycho-cat next door. So I think you have to approach the problem on the basis of understanding their (very valid) fears.

Don't be disheartened. Do be utterly gentle and patient with your cats. Go outside with them. They'll feel safe if you're outside with them.

Get a power water sprayer-pistol thing - I have one from Amazon - and use it on NC if it ventures into your garden. I basically police my garden on behalf of my cat, but I'm at home a lot and my computer looks over the garden so I tend to see most attempts at encroachment, and nowadays I only have to open the garden door and the bully cat flees.

P.S, the main thing is patience. It may take weeks or months for your cats to settle down, and you must always always be gentle with them.

@Jux He always wants to go out, he knows how to use the catflap, but he will beg for you to open doors/windows. If you don’t, he just won’t go outside,

I suspect this is because if there's a human around to let him in/out, it feels safer.

Sorry, but I think your DH's attitude is unacceptable, lazy and uncaring towards you, because YOU care about the cats.

If he genuinely 'loved' the cats, he'd help.

Is DD too young to help?

Or do you have enough money to pay a cleaner to come by twice a week to help? - just in the meantime, until the cats hopefully settle down. It really is early days.

Your "D"H is the problem here. Pets are the responsibility of everyone in the household and he needs to do his share of looking after them - especially as you're often too unwell to get out of bed.

We have three cats and while they're definitely "mine" DH will always care for them if I'm away or unwell. Because that's just what normal people do.

My cat is nearly 9 and can’t use the cat flap. He has a litter tray but never uses it. He’s in and out all day and his staff a (my DH and I) let him in and out of various doors and windows.

Do you know the neighbours? Have you asked them to have the cat neutered? I think that might solve a lot of your problems.

Have you tried doing this at breakfast time. Prop open cat flap using a stick. Put cat outside. Put food in cat bowl on inside side of cat flap. That's how I taught my cat to use the microchip cat flap.

If that doesn't work, prop open the cat flap and remove the batteries, so it doesn't make the "clunk" sound. Once cat will use it like that, reinsert batteries.

You can get robot litter trays that self empty on amazon. They look like cement mixers.

I had a cat that was scared of cat flaps as well. I think she was really anxious about who was on the other side .. though she didn't seem to be anxious in other areas, bless her. Out of my two now, one is stubborn and the other is a bit dim so they refuse to use it, they also refuse a litter tray which is fine but the constant up and down for the door can be a bit much 😂cats are funny creatures

That's such an obvious this and yet ONE I HADN'T THOUGHT OF!!!!!!! Thank you.

When I put the litter tray down he used it for a few days and then the weather got warmer and I've had windows and doors open most of the last few days so he's not used the tray, nor anywhere else in the house.

When the weather gets colder again it'll be difficult as I have MS and feel cold badly, nor can I keep getting up to open a window or door.

I look forward to tryinng Waffleson's ideas.