Cat People - I need your help

[jlmiracle 7]

We recently installed cat doors. Anyone have any tricks on getting the cat to use them?

I'm really tired of her waking me up between 3-4 a.m. to go out. (She seems to prefer to go outside instead of using the litter box)

This is my first cat, she moved in with us a few months ago. I threaten her with the animal shelter if she continues to wake me but she doesn't seem to care because she probably knows I won't follow through with the threat.

Any suggestions will be tried as long as it does not harm the cat (or me).

Judy

Be kinder than necessary because everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle.

[shaiziel 0]

I know we shoved the first cats we had around for the cat door through it a few times and once in the garage we put them in the cat box. Just make sure they can see where you are putting them so they don't fear the cat door.

Ever since then the younger cats have learned from the older cats.

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6.8% - Almost there!

[ThunderCat 0]

Yeah, Catnip spray.

[jlmiracle 7]

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Yeah, Catnip spray.

This cat seems to have no interest in catnip. I thought of tuna oil but then I don't want every cat in the neighborhood to find the doors and wonder in.

j

Be kinder than necessary because everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle.

[Buried 0]

just lock them in the room where the cat door is..

you could always just close the bedroom door at night

Where is my fizzy-lifting drink?

[tigra 0]

Sorry, mine are pampered indoor cats with limited supervised yard priviledges. No kitty doors for them! Besides, I'd be worried that other cats might see a kitty door as an open invitation.

[simplyputsi 0]

Don't know if this works for cats, but trained a dog like this.
get on one side of the door with their food and make them go through the door to get to it. Might just want to use a treat since it's a cat.
It won't happen overnight. Of course I think you are at first gonna have to show them that the wall in front of them actually is soft and moves. Good luck with that.

Skymama's #2 stalker -

[SpeedRacer 1]

stick the cat in the cat carrier. place the cat carrier with the (open) hatch right up against the cat door. To get out of the carrier, eventually the cat will have to go out through the cat door.

Speed Racer
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[jlmiracle 7]

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you could always just close the bedroom door at night

She sits outside the door and meows loudly. When she is outside - she knows where the bedroom window is so she will sit right outside that and meow or squeak and make strange noises. She is very vocal which I thought was kinda weird.

Thank you all for your help - I will try it all!

Judy

Be kinder than necessary because everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle.

[jumpergirl 0]

We just shoved her through and eventually she picked it up on her own. Now, when we're at home, her litter box is on the back (screened in) back porch and the cat door goes out to the porch. She has no problem going in or out it.

[crotalus01 0]

hey Judy,
push her through the door gently, so she makes the connection that the door will open when she nudges it. Also try putting her food and litterbox on the outside, closing the door. When she gets hungry and/or needs to get to the box she should figure out how to use the door (unless you have one of those "special" cats, then you just have to get your ass out of bed at 4am when she starts yowling.....)

As for me and my house, we will serve the LORD...

[genitor 0]

I actually taped the door open for the first few days, and put the food on the outside. I then showed them where it was, and they eventually figured it out.

Once they started feeling comfortable going through the open door, I took off the tape and let the door close. It took another little while before they figured out they could open it themselves, but they did eventually.

[Squeak 17]

Quote

Quote

you could always just close the bedroom door at night

She sits outside the door and meows loudly. When she is outside - she knows where the bedroom window is so she will sit right outside that and meow or squeak and make strange noises. She is very vocal which I thought was kinda weird.

Thank you all for your help - I will try it all!

Judy

OK try this I have 2 cats it worked for them both.
Prop open the cat door so it's a hole, and have the cat go through it a few day with it being oped . The progressively lower the door so the cats have to push it to get through in about a week they have to push op themselves. It worked fine for me

You are not now, nor will you ever be, good enough to not die in this sport (Sparky)
My Life ROCKS!
How's yours doing?

[Shotgun 1]

Put a bowl of tuna, or some sort of food that she REALLY likes, outside the cat door. If she doesn't figure it out quickly, pick her up and stick her (gently) through the door, head-first. Then pick her up and put her back through the cat door, leaving the tuna outside. Repeat until she figures it out or gets frustrated, in which case you should let her have the tuna and try again the next day.

It helps if you have two people.

This has worked for me before, but sometimes just shoving them head-first through the door a few times seems to work.

[RkyMtnHigh 0]

cats seem aloof

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[MF42 0]

Aloof.
Or just stupid.
Sometimes both.

(Disclaimer: I'm certain each and every cat owner who reads this post has a loveable, personable, feline Einstein. Obviously, through some freak of probability, my experience with cats has been limited to the less advantaged representatives of the species, and thus my opinion is flawed. Plus, I am excused from appreciating the little terrors as I am violently allergic to them.)

Matt