# Using a cat flap



## Cookieandme (Dec 29, 2011)

I have just had one fitted to an internal door, so I can keep the heat in and cookie can come and go. 

I have sat on the floor and held open the flap for her so she can hop through but she hasn't realised that if she pushes it, it opens. 

How do you get them to have the confidence in the flap. I tried to hold it open with some line but she realised the flap and was more interested in the string


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## pinkbetty (Dec 9, 2011)

We propped it open with a broom so it was just a hole so they would go through it a few times to get the idea. Can you take the flap off for the time being? Then when you put it back you just hope they make the connection...


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## Cookieandme (Dec 29, 2011)

Oh I don't know I'll check if the flap will come off, problem with that is I don't want her to have access to the lounge room at night.


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## pinkbetty (Dec 9, 2011)

Is there a treat Cookie likes so much she'd climb through with it held open, just to get the hang of it? Then wave some more treat and see if Cookie will try and push it. 

Zarco hasn't really got the hang of the cat flap after sevreal months, he just kind of mangles it with his paws, sticks a head in investigate, then it clicks for his microchip and he fumbles through. They all learn their own technique!  He threw a proper hissyfit during the learning phase though. Imagine a 3 year old toddler in full on strop mode, but in a cat!


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## Cookieandme (Dec 29, 2011)

A friend on FB just recommended food 

She is still a little under the weather so might have to wait a few days, but will give it ago. Cheers.


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## Paddypaws (May 4, 2010)

try a favourite toy such as a feather stick _waggled_ on the other side of the flap, she should soon work out how to get to her prey!


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## Ian B (Jul 19, 2011)

For months after fitting a back door flap, #2 cat Fudge, would only use it to go out, no amount of persuasion would get her to use it to come in. Even now, years later and no matter what the weather is like, she'll have bouts of sitting on the doorstep stubbornly waiting for me to open the door for her. When in one of these moods the only time she'll use it is silly o'clock or later and I'm not around to let her in.

Ian


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## Ms Scarlett (Jan 31, 2012)

it took my old lady TWO YEARS to get the hang of the cat flap, long after all the other neighbourhood cats had figured it out! I spent hours tempting her through with ham and chicken (her favourite human food) and had totally given up on her. Then out of the blue she just popped through one day and was fine forever after. As ever with our feline friends, patience is probably the key. It is frustrating though. My house is v cold and it helps to keeps doors closed. It felt like I was up and down every 5 minutes to let her in and out of the front room! :mad2:


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## Golgotha_tramp (Feb 27, 2011)

with our flap we had the hole first with the door taped up. After a good month we tried putting the door down and she wouldn't use it.

We would half hold it open and tempt her through with food this took another 2 weeks and she would freak if the door touched her. As it links our conservatory with the lounge we then put her in the conservatory (where her food and litter tray is) and wouldn't let her in (no matter how much she howled!). About 4 hours after she came though but would still not use it the other way.

As her stuff was in the conservatory we were a little more reluctant to use the same approach in reverse so we spent another week with food and toys trying to get her to go through. the best way was with a long feather stick fed through the flap, get her really animated and excited (the point where they would run into a wall if the waggler went on in) and then pull it through and she shot through! It still took a few days of this to get her confident but once she did it once we *never* opened the door for her again.

3 months on she uses it like a pro!


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## McSquirtle (Jan 13, 2012)

Do you have lidded litter trays? That definitely helped mine figure it out as they were already used to pushing with their heads. When we first had ours I spent absolutely ages just holding it open with my hand. One got the hand and was in and out with ease the same day. The other was more wary and it took a few days of me opening from both sides and encouraging. The kitten got it straight away and leaps through! Not so good for her head when it's locked :lol: She will work it out in no time, try just sitting there and holding it, or put her in the other room and see if she'll walk through to be with you.


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## Cookieandme (Dec 29, 2011)

Sort of glad it could be a long process . I sat on the floor last night holding the door open and she is fine hopping through, so she isn't afraid of it. I will pick up a feather stick later and see if that works.

I did hold it open with some line but she was more interested in the line and put her feet on the flap and it fell closed, so not sure it taping it open will work but might try later - I'll dig out the duct tape 

Thank you for the suggestions.


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