Cat whisperer?

[sheilarose]

Does anyone know of someone with a special gift for getting cats to do things? My cats point blank refuse to push open the door of their cat flap with their heads. We tried all kinds of things to get them to do it, but have ended up removing the flap altogether. I can't face another winter of icy draughts in the scullery so really need some help. Any ideas?

[Otta]

woodrot is very good with cats.

[computedshorty]

My cats have always used a cat flap to train them prop open the flap, put cat in front of the flap so that it can see out leave it for a while, then if not gone through put some food outside so it can see and smell it, and try again once it has done it you can close the flap just propped open a bit, it will soon use it.

[Annette Curtain]

Easy one that !

Lightly starve said cat

Put cat one side of cat flap

Put food on t'other.

If it doesn't work instantly, starve cat further.

[The Minkey]

I had this for a week with my older cat who'd been an indoor cat before coming to me at 20 months. It took a lot of intensive two-person encouragement - one to hold a stinky treat, one to push the flap open from the other side. A lot of letting her see and smell the treat through the opened flap, letting it close again as she drew near then pushing it open a bit, and repeat.. For days she'd only come through for the treat if the flap was opened for her. It was really quite frustrating and I really began to doubt she was ever going to go through without one of us on each side but eventually, she just did it when I was playing with the kitten on the other side and she wanted in on the action. Is your catflap a microchip reader that makes a beep and how old are your cats now?

[civilservant]

why does the cat need to go out?

so that it can be attacked by other cats, poo in someone else's garden and try its paw at killing birds?

[Saffron]

Have you tried spraying Feliway around the cat door? Feliway is sythetic cat pheromone, which can help cats feel soothed in stressful situations. It migth encourage your cat to be more confident with exploring the door. xx

[Otta]

Because it will think it might get it's leg over on the other side?

[maxxi]

wait until cat is near flap, creep around behind wearing dog mask and scare the fur off it with realistic barking. cat will use flap.

ETA: whispering not best option with this tactic.

[woodrot]

Saffron Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Have you tried spraying Feliway around the cat

> door? Feliway is sythetic cat pheromone, which

> can help cats feel soothed in stressful

> situations. It migth encourage your cat to be

> more confident with exploring the door. xx

bloddy hell

[KidKruger]

The cats know exactly how to use a cat flap and how it works, but they'd rather see you open the door for them.

The starving strategy is the correct one - works every time !

[LondonMix]

Show them, tempt them with food and give it a few days. Also, if there is a magnetic latch, disable it at first so there is as little resistance as possible. They'll try it when you aren't watching them intently.

[Annette Curtain]

My starving method works for other pets which are fussy about food.

Mind you, it works for children too. Thus my children will now eat Liver curry.

(see Catholic boarding schools for further training methods)

[the-e-dealer]

Catnip on the otherside of the door

[KalamityKel]

Would you want to stick your head through a hole in what would normally be a solid structure to who knows where? Would you?

Hmmmm and to assume we're the ones with the brains?!!!

[KidKruger]

Any cat that doesn't know that on the other side of the back door is the garden (or from the outside, the kitchen) is thick. If the cat has been let out/in at all he presumably will have usually been let out through same door for ages before the catflap is installed.

Putting a catflap in the door doesn't recreate what's on either side of the door, it's not Narnia !!

Any cat that can't suss this out, needs to go straight to a rescue centre, unless it's known for mental health issues.

BTW - "Would you want to stick your head through a hole in what would normally be a solid structure": yes I would want to actually. Doors are 'human flaps' are they not ? And we spend a lot of time going through them, vene when we're not entirely sure where they go.

[Saffron]

woodrot Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Saffron Wrote:

> --------------------------------------------------

> -----

> > Have you tried spraying Feliway around the cat

> > door? Feliway is sythetic cat pheromone, which

> > can help cats feel soothed in stressful

> > situations. It migth encourage your cat to be

> > more confident with exploring the door. xx

>

> bloddy hell

Indeed. Shall I come spray some around your door?

I bought mine from the vet, but it's also available online. xx

[the-e-dealer]

Windows!

[the-e-dealer]

Actually Sheila the other thing is to get them to come in from outside first!

[LondonMix]

Animals aren't very good at this to be honest. At Yosemite they have CCTV footage of a bear breaking in to someone's car who had locked food away in the trunk. The bear ripped of the driver's side door and walked through the entire car including the back seat and then out again. Confused he couldn't find the food, he decided to rip off another door to see if it might lead somewhere different. He proceeded to rip off all four doors of the car before finally shredding the back seat to try to reach the trunk!

KidKruger Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Any cat that doesn't know that on the other side

> of the back door is the garden (or from the

> outside, the kitchen) is thick. If the cat has

> been let out/in at all he presumably will have

> usually been let out through same door for ages

> before the catflap is installed.

> Putting a catflap in the door doesn't recreate

> what's on either side of the door, it's not Narnia

> !!

>

> Any cat that can't suss this out, needs to go

> straight to a rescue centre, unless it's known for

> mental health issues.

>

> BTW - "Would you want to stick your head through a

> hole in what would normally be a solid structure":

> yes I would want to actually. Doors are 'human

> flaps' are they not ? And we spend a lot of time

> going through them, vene when we're not entirely

> sure where they go.

[KalamityKel]

KidKruger Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Any cat that doesn't know that on the other side

> of the back door is the garden (or from the

> outside, the kitchen) is thick. If the cat has

> been let out/in at all he presumably will have

> usually been let out through same door for ages

> before the catflap is installed.

> Putting a catflap in the door doesn't recreate

> what's on either side of the door, it's not Narnia

> !!

>

> Any cat that can't suss this out, needs to go

> straight to a rescue centre, unless it's known for

> mental health issues.

>

> BTW - "Would you want to stick your head through a

> hole in what would normally be a solid structure":

> yes I would want to actually. Doors are 'human

> flaps' are they not ? And we spend a lot of time

> going through them, vene when we're not entirely

> sure where they go.

and we choose to use those doors or not. wots the big deal if your feline has other plans. are you only annoyed because they wont do what you want? shouldnt have gotten a cat if you expected such "obedience"

[The Minkey]

Here we go again, lol. There's a cold wind blowing through the hole in the door.

[Voyageur]

The Minkey Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Here we go again, lol. There's a cold wind

> blowing through the hole in the door.

Agreed - edf threads beings filled up with the usual useless garbadge.

[the-e-dealer]

Yeah loads of spelkling misteakes! (sic)

[sheilarose]

Thank you for all the suggestions. I shall certainly try some of them.