Training a cat to use a cat flap?

lisajane

How do i train a cat to use a cat flap?

We have a 2 year old cat and he's an inside and outside cat. He likes the best of both worlds! I like to keep my bedroom window open for him but not everyone here at home likes having the cat in and he sometimes wakes people up in the middle of the night with his miowing. So i got him a lovely wooden cat kennel with a flap.

His bed is in there so he'll be able to pick up his own smell and possibly figure it out. I took the flap out of it for a few days, so he might try it without a flap. I threw him in a few pieces of chicken into the back of the kennel to force him in. But he just keeps coming out. I really feel sorry for him sitting outside the bedroom window and really want to let him in but if i do that he'll never learn.

How do i train him to go in and train him to push the cat flap open for himself? Any experiences of other people?

hullaballoo

Re-training a 2-year-old cat is not an easy task. It will take time and patience, from both you and the other members in your house.

Try putting something warm in the kennel with him. Some source of head in there will make things easier. Obviously, portable radiators are a bad idea, but a hot water bottle under a blanket in his bed might do the trick. It will definitely take time for him to learn that house cat is no longer house cat at night, but it's doable.

mymo

First off where's the kennel?
Cat won't go in it if its close to the ground, they like to be up high.
I only have experience if training a cat to use a flap in a door, whatever you do don't force the cat through it or shut him/her in it.
Food usually works best, use a bit of card or something to prop flap open slightly and leave the cat work it out.
I have a kitty house inside the boiler house, its warm in there and the house is up on a high shelf. Theres a cat flap in the door to the boiler house but none on the kitty house as they just refused to use it.
My cats are indoor mostly, including nights but there is the odd time they go out in the morning and they're not back when we're going out. I always find them in their house when we get back.
If you have somewhere like this even a shed, you could try that.
My cats were over a year and about 2 or 3 when we introduced the flap and it didn't take long, but a cat will always prefer the house if thats what it used to.