Training kitten to open cat door

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Boppy - 14 Apr 2007 22:32 GMT

Every cat I've ever lived with has had a smooth transition from indoor
kittenhood to outdoor maturity - eg become in/out cats. They live with
us inside but go outside for the toilet.

But this latest kitten will only use the catdoor if we have propped it
open for her with a bungy cord. She absolutely refuses to climb or be
put through the flap and would rather sit in the cold than come inside
and eat. Holding treats on the other side hasn't worked.

We are getting tired of her litterbox and would love any advice on how
to train Tiggie to open her own door.

Thanks in advance,
B

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Ted Davis - 15 Apr 2007 01:36 GMT

>Every cat I've ever lived with has had a smooth transition from indoor
>kittenhood to outdoor maturity - eg become in/out cats. They live with
[quoted text clipped - 7 lines]
>We are getting tired of her litterbox and would love any advice on how
>to train Tiggie to open her own door.

Some cats object to pushing the flap with their noses. I make my own
flaps and make them so that they cam be pulled open: there is what
amounts to a handle that they can pull to open it toward themselves,
then wiggle through, opening it with the back part of their heads and
their bodies.

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T.E.D. (tdavis@gearbox.maem.umr.edu) Remove "gearbox.maem" to get real address - that one is dead

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Fred G. Mackey - 15 Apr 2007 05:40 GMT

> Every cat I've ever lived with has had a smooth transition from indoor
> kittenhood to outdoor maturity - eg become in/out cats. They live with
[quoted text clipped - 7 lines]
> We are getting tired of her litterbox and would love any advice on how
> to train Tiggie to open her own door.

Dunno if this would help, but my cat has no problem pushing doors open
if they're not latched. Perhaps putting the hinges on the side rather
than the top would help. Yeah, you'd have to have springed hinges
rather than relying on gravity to close the door after her (or him), but
it might help.

> Thanks in advance,
> B

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Boppy - 15 Apr 2007 06:51 GMT

> Every cat I've ever lived with has had a smooth transition from indoor
> kittenhood to outdoor maturity - eg become in/out cats. They live with
[quoted text clipped - 10 lines]
> Thanks in advance,
> B

Thanks both for the suggestions.
B

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Ted Davis - 15 Apr 2007 17:02 GMT

>> Every cat I've ever lived with has had a smooth transition from indoor
>> kittenhood to outdoor maturity - eg become in/out cats. They live with
[quoted text clipped - 13 lines]
>Thanks both for the suggestions.
>B

I woke up in the middle of the night an remembered something from
years ago: about half my dozen or so cats refused to use the new flap
in the kitchen door though they had been using the old one. It turned
out that they didn't like the extra effort required to break the
magnetic latch open - removing the magnet helped, but I would up
having to cut the steel bar off the bottom of the flap (the gap
doesn't matter since the flap leads to the mud room, not the outside).

I've also noticed that some (or most) cats are reluctant to go through
a dirty flap - they want to be able to see what's on the other side.

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kate - 15 Apr 2007 09:14 GMT

I've never tried this myself but I've seen Dr Harry (TV vet in
Australia) doing it on TV. Replace the door with something very light
such as a bit of paper or light plastic. Once kitty is ok with that
replace it with something a little heavier and continue to increase
the weight until you are back to the original door.

All the best with it.
Kate

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Boppy - 17 Apr 2007 00:17 GMT

Thanks Kate and Ted, both excellent suggestions.
B

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