Getting a cat to use a cat flap...
Discussion
We moved house in October of last year and the house came with the previous owners cat, which was great, we agreed to take her as they were moving abroad at were currently without a cat.
We had a pane of glass replaced in April and the cat refuses to use it, instead sitting by the door wanting to be let in and out and using a litter box, which is not great.
Any ideas on how to get the cat to use the flap? It is a microchipped door so from outside takes a second to open, but from inside you can just get out.
We had a pane of glass replaced in April and the cat refuses to use it, instead sitting by the door wanting to be let in and out and using a litter box, which is not great.
Any ideas on how to get the cat to use the flap? It is a microchipped door so from outside takes a second to open, but from inside you can just get out.
Danm1les said:
We moved house in October of last year and the house came with the previous owners cat, which was great, we agreed to take her as they were moving abroad at were currently without a cat.
We had a pane of glass replaced in April and the cat refuses to use it, instead sitting by the door wanting to be let in and out and using a litter box, which is not great.
Any ideas on how to get the cat to use the flap? It is a microchipped door so from outside takes a second to open, but from inside you can just get out.
Prop the door open/ remove the flap for a few days so the cat can get in and out unimpeded. Once it has got used to that i might me more inclined to use it.We had a pane of glass replaced in April and the cat refuses to use it, instead sitting by the door wanting to be let in and out and using a litter box, which is not great.
Any ideas on how to get the cat to use the flap? It is a microchipped door so from outside takes a second to open, but from inside you can just get out.
Even so, you might get nowhere.I've got two cats: one uses the flap to come in and go out; the other will go out of the flap fine, but knocks on the front door to be let back in. Basically you are there to make their life easier.
You 'post' them through it a few times so they get the idea.
Thats what we did with ours when we first got a microchip flap... It seemed to work fine and the cat got the idea
Has the cat never had a cat flap before, or just never had the microchip flap?
Put the litter tray outside to make them realise they poo outside now.
Our cat is 18 now, and we only ever had a litter tray briefly while they were a kitten. Absolutely hateful things. How anyone can have a tray of s
t and piss in their house is absolutely baffling.
Our flap is a Sureflap and I would never ever buy anything else. The quality of the product is absolutely outstanding. The old one lasted over 12 years in our last house until we moved, and was perfectly working still when we left. We fitted the same model of Sureflap in the new house, and perfect yet again.
Thats what we did with ours when we first got a microchip flap... It seemed to work fine and the cat got the idea
Has the cat never had a cat flap before, or just never had the microchip flap?Put the litter tray outside to make them realise they poo outside now.
Our cat is 18 now, and we only ever had a litter tray briefly while they were a kitten. Absolutely hateful things. How anyone can have a tray of s
t and piss in their house is absolutely baffling. Our flap is a Sureflap and I would never ever buy anything else. The quality of the product is absolutely outstanding. The old one lasted over 12 years in our last house until we moved, and was perfectly working still when we left. We fitted the same model of Sureflap in the new house, and perfect yet again.
Edited by Le Gavroche on Tuesday 27th May 15:10
We have two rescues. The first is catflap trained and just uses it as it should.
The second was a long time stray and whilst I am sure it could pick the lock and be away with the Beemer, it cannot fathom the flap.
The solution, given I am not keen on leaving the door open for it, was to get one of those clips that are used to stop toddlers going in the drawer and eating drawing pins.
Use this to hold the flap open, then it can just get used to going in and out. Later, you can start to introduce it to the flap closed. It just clips in and unclips.
https://www.argos.co.uk/product/1959071?istCompany...
The second was a long time stray and whilst I am sure it could pick the lock and be away with the Beemer, it cannot fathom the flap.
The solution, given I am not keen on leaving the door open for it, was to get one of those clips that are used to stop toddlers going in the drawer and eating drawing pins.
Use this to hold the flap open, then it can just get used to going in and out. Later, you can start to introduce it to the flap closed. It just clips in and unclips.
https://www.argos.co.uk/product/1959071?istCompany...
Le Gavroche said:
You 'post' them through it a few times so they get the idea.
Thats what we did with ours when we first got a microchip flap... It seemed to work fine and the cat got the idea Has the cat never had a cat flap before, or just never had the microchip flap?
Put the litter tray outside to make them realise they poo outside now.
Our cat is 18 now, and we only ever had a litter tray briefly while they were a kitten. Absolutely hateful things. How anyone can have a tray of st and piss in their house is absolutely baffling.
Our flap is a Sureflap and I would never ever buy anything else. The quality of the product is absolutely outstanding. The old one lasted over 12 years in our last house until we moved, and was perfectly working still when we left. We fitted the same model of Sureflap in the new house, and perfect yet again.
The cat used a flap in the house its currently in for 7 years... we have just moved it to the rear of the house as the front of the house was altered a bit. I have 'posted' her through it twice, maybe needs another couple of goes! This is a sureflap flap, no issues with the flap.Thats what we did with ours when we first got a microchip flap... It seemed to work fine and the cat got the idea
Has the cat never had a cat flap before, or just never had the microchip flap?Put the litter tray outside to make them realise they poo outside now.
Our cat is 18 now, and we only ever had a litter tray briefly while they were a kitten. Absolutely hateful things. How anyone can have a tray of s
t and piss in their house is absolutely baffling. Our flap is a Sureflap and I would never ever buy anything else. The quality of the product is absolutely outstanding. The old one lasted over 12 years in our last house until we moved, and was perfectly working still when we left. We fitted the same model of Sureflap in the new house, and perfect yet again.
Edited by Le Gavroche on Tuesday 27th May 15:10
Castrol for a knave said:
We have two rescues. The first is catflap trained and just uses it as it should.
The second was a long time stray and whilst I am sure it could pick the lock and be away with the Beemer, it cannot fathom the flap.
The solution, given I am not keen on leaving the door open for it, was to get one of those clips that are used to stop toddlers going in the drawer and eating drawing pins.
Use this to hold the flap open, then it can just get used to going in and out. Later, you can start to introduce it to the flap closed. It just clips in and unclips.
https://www.argos.co.uk/product/1959071?istCompany...
Thats a good idea, and we have some of those clips at home already, shall stick her through it a couple of times and then prop it open on a day when I am there for the day. Don't want another cat coming in, that is a different problem! She already has a male cat that loiters outside for her that we keep her away from. She is an old lady, and the boy is quite a young cat... The second was a long time stray and whilst I am sure it could pick the lock and be away with the Beemer, it cannot fathom the flap.
The solution, given I am not keen on leaving the door open for it, was to get one of those clips that are used to stop toddlers going in the drawer and eating drawing pins.
Use this to hold the flap open, then it can just get used to going in and out. Later, you can start to introduce it to the flap closed. It just clips in and unclips.
https://www.argos.co.uk/product/1959071?istCompany...
A microchip cat flap isn't easy for a cat to use. It goes 'clonk' which deters them. There's a delay before it works. A few seconds later it locks again. Cat is stumped, gives up.
I would get a simple cat flap and start again.
My cat had to migrate from normal flap to microchip because of a very aggressive Siamese. She can now get in - but getting out is beyond her...
I would get a simple cat flap and start again.
My cat had to migrate from normal flap to microchip because of a very aggressive Siamese. She can now get in - but getting out is beyond her...
Simpo Two said:
A microchip cat flap isn't easy for a cat to use. It goes 'clonk' which deters them. There's a delay before it works. A few seconds later it locks again. Cat is stumped, gives up.
I would get a simple cat flap and start again.
My cat had to migrate from normal flap to microchip because of a very aggressive Siamese. She can now get in - but getting out is beyond her...
Sadly we got a chipped flap as a few times she had a bundle with a cat from down the road in our kitchen getting in via the old non chipped flap. I would get a simple cat flap and start again.
My cat had to migrate from normal flap to microchip because of a very aggressive Siamese. She can now get in - but getting out is beyond her...
Simpo Two said:
A microchip cat flap isn't easy for a cat to use. It goes 'clonk' which deters them. There's a delay before it works. A few seconds later it locks again. Cat is stumped, gives up.
I would get a simple cat flap and start again.
My cat had to migrate from normal flap to microchip because of a very aggressive Siamese. She can now get in - but getting out is beyond her...
Sadly we got a chipped flap as a few times she had a bundle with a cat from down the road in our kitchen getting in via the old non chipped flap. I would get a simple cat flap and start again.
My cat had to migrate from normal flap to microchip because of a very aggressive Siamese. She can now get in - but getting out is beyond her...
Simpo Two said:
A microchip cat flap isn't easy for a cat to use. It goes 'clonk' which deters them. There's a delay before it works. A few seconds later it locks again. Cat is stumped, gives up.
I would get a simple cat flap and start again.
My cat had to migrate from normal flap to microchip because of a very aggressive Siamese. She can now get in - but getting out is beyond her...
Sadly we got a chipped flap as a few times she had a bundle with a cat from down the road in our kitchen getting in via the old non chipped flap. I would get a simple cat flap and start again.
My cat had to migrate from normal flap to microchip because of a very aggressive Siamese. She can now get in - but getting out is beyond her...
Danm1les said:
shall stick her through it a couple of times and then prop it open on a day when I am there for the day.
Rather than 'sticking her through it', which might traumatise, I would hold the flap open from inside when she wants to come in, call her and rattle a packet of biscuits. That way she goes through under her own steam rather than being shoved. Lowering the flap onto her back when she's over halfway through might help her get used to the feel of it.We recently had a cat flap fitted and Waffles preferred to wait by the door and have us open it, but we pretty much refused to do so.
He is able to use the cat flap at home to access his litter box so we knew he wouldn't have an issue with using the one to go outside.
He would happily go out but would never come back in through it. It took a few weeks but he finally understood we wouldn't be opening the door for him. Though I admit we do open it when he is already outside and it's raining heavily, he usually sits under the pergola and least by opening the door, he can quicky run in.
I guess we kinda trained him like the poster above. We would hold it open from inside and have a bunch of treats waiting for him. I even put my arm through the flap into the garden to entice him once
He is able to use the cat flap at home to access his litter box so we knew he wouldn't have an issue with using the one to go outside.
He would happily go out but would never come back in through it. It took a few weeks but he finally understood we wouldn't be opening the door for him. Though I admit we do open it when he is already outside and it's raining heavily, he usually sits under the pergola and least by opening the door, he can quicky run in.
I guess we kinda trained him like the poster above. We would hold it open from inside and have a bunch of treats waiting for him. I even put my arm through the flap into the garden to entice him once
Edited by EmilA on Wednesday 28th May 11:27
I've recently trained a feral kitten to use a chipped cat flap, it took a few weeks. I started with holding the cat flap open when she wanted to go out which she got used to reasonably quickly (3 or 4 days). Coming back in as others have said is more tricky due to the delay between the cat presenting itself and the flap activating. I held her up to the flap and gently posted her through a few times and she got the gist but was still reluctant.
What really worked (unsurprisingly) was I waited until dinner time when she was shouting to be let in and I poured the biscuits into the bowl so she could see it through the flap. This resulted in her bashing against it with more determination and after a few more days got the hang of it. She now crashes through it day and night to the point I half expect her to be wearing it one morning.
Edited to add - just remembered. The other thing I did was when she was pushing against the flap from outside I had a screw driver on hand to gently prise the door open when she activated it which got her used to the process.
Shameless pic opportunity.
What really worked (unsurprisingly) was I waited until dinner time when she was shouting to be let in and I poured the biscuits into the bowl so she could see it through the flap. This resulted in her bashing against it with more determination and after a few more days got the hang of it. She now crashes through it day and night to the point I half expect her to be wearing it one morning.
Edited to add - just remembered. The other thing I did was when she was pushing against the flap from outside I had a screw driver on hand to gently prise the door open when she activated it which got her used to the process.
Edited by Venisonpie on Wednesday 28th May 12:34
Shameless pic opportunity.
Edited by Venisonpie on Wednesday 28th May 12:38
We have 2 cats, brother and sister both 2 1/2 years old now.
It took some time for them both to use the cat flap, although they do generally appear by the patio doors and stare at you begging for you to open them. The girl took to it much sooner than her brother, he still to this day struggles and annoyingly he will sit there inside pushing the flag with his paw making a racket.
It took some time for them both to use the cat flap, although they do generally appear by the patio doors and stare at you begging for you to open them. The girl took to it much sooner than her brother, he still to this day struggles and annoyingly he will sit there inside pushing the flag with his paw making a racket.
Simpo Two said:
Nice photo. How many hours were you trapped like that for? 
I realised this week why my cat knows so little (absolutely useless at University Challenge for example). Whilst she's 15, she's only been awake for about one month of that...
I get trapped for several hours most nights!I realised this week why my cat knows so little (absolutely useless at University Challenge for example). Whilst she's 15, she's only been awake for about one month of that...
Le Gavroche said:
Our flap is a Sureflap and I would never ever buy anything else. The quality of the product is absolutely outstanding. The old one lasted over 12 years in our last house until we moved, and was perfectly working still when we left. We fitted the same model of Sureflap in the new house, and perfect yet again.
I wish we had your luck with sureflaps, we must of got a lemon one. Had to get one cat re-chipped in order for it to work, his existing chip was too far down his body for it to pick it up to let him back in (works fine when leaving)...Edited by Le Gavroche on Tuesday 27th May 15:10
... then discovered if the cat pushes the door while locked hard enough the batteries dislodged and the flap resets itself automatically unlocking...
We were on holiday and got a ring doorbell notification of our cat sunbathing on the driveway while he was meant to be locked in!
Have now got a replacement one to fit, but wouldn't say I would buy another.
It did take a while to get them used to using it, starting off taping the flap open each day, then after a few weeks had the flap down but unlocked, and a few weeks later set it to read the chips then unlock.
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