How long did your cat take to understand a cat flap, and any tips?

[largeprintagathachristie]

So. I have installed a catflap for my recently adopted cat.
At first I taped it open and he soon got good at coming in and out.

Next stage is for him to realise that he can go though the plastic flap. I can tell he thinks it is “closed.”

Have tried with me on the other side with dreamies, but no dice.

DP is working away this week so I can’t have one person each side.

did try “posting” the dreamies from the inside to the outside and lifting the flap up for him a bit - he did hop through but I don’t think he “got” it.

It’s a chip cat flap but I haven’t put the batteries in yet or recorded his chip as I thought we should do basic training first.

the cat needs to be using it confidently within 10 days as well be away for a week and a friend is coming round to feed and cuddle (but not let in and out).

He was a stray (not the friend) and has a strong drive to access outside. But at the moment thinks the flap of the catflap is a barrier.

If there are no batteries in does it actually open for him ?

We did all you've done and stupid cat learned within a day

My cleverer Princess took a few days

BTW you can buy a disc from Amazon that you programme same as chip so will open flap. Great for training and cleaning the flap ( they get mucky) instead of posting' cat (ours don't like that

The flap is currently “floppy” - he doesn’t realise he can butt his head against it and it will open. (This is how it will work to go from inside to outside even when the chip function is activated).

When he goes to the flap expectantly, lift it with your hand slightly, but ensure he has to push his head against it to continue. They feel hesitant about the feel of the flap on their head to start with but they soon get over it. Some will push directly with their head, others will put a paw through first to open it.

But I am willing to bet if he wanted to go out and you weren't nearby, he'd give it a go anyway. If there is a human to help him, he will let them!

I don't put the batteries in for the microchip until they are happy going in and out of a closed flap. The microchip reader means the flap makes a clicking sound which can startle them and put them off a bit.

3 days with cat 1, 6 months with cat 2. Cat 2’s cat flap training involved lots of tuna and dreamies.

My cat learnt in 2 seconds when some enthusiastic toddlers rushed in to say hello.

My cats always needed posting through the cat flap themselves a few times before they worked it out

I posted chipped cat through chipped flap, in and out, didn’t open the back door for him and he got it by the following day.

she needed posting and will happily use it if we are out - if we are in she will sit at the door until one of us opens it

My cat is thick as mince. It took her about 5 years to go one way and a few more to go both ways. She had lots of training.

So we're in the same position coincidentally!!

Our cat knows what it does because we have managed to post her through it a couple of times like others said above. We've programmed the her microchip to the cat flap so it's all ready for her.

However,,,,, she just won't use it..... Hasn't used it at all...

I'm seriously actually wondering if she'll just never use it....

We just got hold of ours and crammed them through it . The dog however took over a year.

Cat1 - about 5 minutes.

Cat2 (her sister) - it has been 15 months and we're still waiting.

Same. We had a cat tunnel installed when we did a huge house reno. She lived in a mezzanine flat before we adopted her so I don’t think she knew how to use one. My husband posted her through a couple of times and she eventually got it.

She still stands by the bifold door if she sees we are around tho - she expects us to act as her concierge.

Exactly this, push the berk through to the outside and then you can attract them in again with food.

Or walk away and find them mysteriously back inside!

Oh man, it’s possible this might take a bit longer than I thought.

Will try “posting” him.

OK, so he extremely NOT keen on being posted.

Try propping it wide open with 2 pegs high up on each side of the flap. Once he becomes confident with that move the pegs lower on the flap until eventually there will only be a tiny gap at the bottom and he'll have to use his nose to push the flap up. You can lose the pegs when he gets used to using his nose. Successfully used this method for many foster cats.

I took in my Sisters three cats they had never used one before I showed it to them and locked it after they came in using the door. The next day it was smashed open and all 3 cats were in the garden

Three fucking weeks.

not joking.

stage 1 taped open
then I closed it and tried posting them through a few times. No dice.

what I did in the end was put pegs in the flap. To start with right near the hinge so it was basically open. Moved them down a very small but per day so they slowly had to use some force to open it. Took three weeks.

very, very, stupid cats

Agree with what others have said about gently posting them through and also letting the flap touch their back so they get used to it. We have a microchip one too and it makes a sound when it opens. DCat was scared of this at first and ran away every time it opened. It took a few days of me going out to help him every time he wanted to come in for him to be able to use it independently.

Why would I open the door myself when the staff are around?

Mine were tentative. It took a couple of days with dreamies, holding/propping it open and posting them through it.
They’re fine now but will sit in front of it until someone opens the door as they feel it is not befitting of them to use it when they have staff.

Mine took a good few weeks. Even now if there is a human around to open the door for him he will sit at the door and cry until we do his bidding. However when there is no one around he manages to get in and out of the cat flap fine.

We are more than a year in and neither cat can work out the cat flap so we have duct taped it open during the day 😂 it’s freezing in winter, but what you gonna do 🤷🏻‍♀️

I gently shoved her through it 😆 then I just left her to it and she was fine. She still doesn’t want to use it when I’m home, the devil.