Training Your Cat to Use a Cat Flap

By Michael Moyssidis

If you do allow your cat to go outside, you know how frustrating it can be when your cat wants to go in and out and in and out throughout the day. To avoid having to get up all the time to open the door, you may just want to invest in a cat flap.

It is a good idea to buy a cat flap that allows you to lock it when you want your cat to remain inside. If you also have a problem with your cat bringing friends over, or even if unwanted guests like raccoons or opossums like to enjoy the inside of your house, you may even want to get a cat flap that is connected to a remote controlled collar.

Still, if you get a cat flap, you will need to teach your cat how to use it. For the most part, cats will not automatically learn how to use a cat flap, and often your cat will be fearful of it at first. To train your cat to use the cat flap, you may want to enlist the help of a friend or another member of the family. You will also need a treat that your cat just cannot resist.

1. Your friend needs to sit on one side of the door with the treat, while you sit on the other side with your cat.

2. Your partner should be visible through the cat flap, and he or she should be a person your cat trusts.

3. Have your partner call your cat's name through the flap and show him or her the treat.

4. Your cat will probably edge forward to check out the treat, and he or she may even nudge flap. Often this will be enough to get your cat to go through the flap, but many cats will not go all the way through.

5. If your cat is still nervous, you may need to open the flap a little to show off the treat. You may have to start off by holding the flap wide open and letting your cat walk through it a few time, letting the door down a little more each time.

6. Make sure you offer your cat the treat and a ton of praise when he or she passes through the door successfully.

7. After your cat has gone back and forth a number of times, your cat will learn that the cat flap is nothing to be afraid of.

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