Cat Flap Training

13th May 2017 By Cuddles Leave a Comment

“How can I train Fluffy to use the cat flap?”

is a question I’m asked again and again.

Some cats take to using their cat flap straightaway and require no training whatsoever. These are in the minority, so be grateful if you have one of these! For the majority of households it is not all that easy. Some cat flaps are noisy, some have very strong magnets that cats find difficult to push open, some open too freely, i.e. they flap back and hit Fluffy when she is going through, and the microchip-activated cat flaps make a loud click when unlocked by Fluffy’s microchip. It can be quite difficult to encourage Fluffy to go through these flaps in particular. Many cat flaps also have lock catches which your cat might like to fiddle with and this can cause a problem, particularly if Fluffy locks herself in or out by mistake! Of course we all know that Fluffy would actually prefer to have her human stand by and open and close the front or back door (or window) at her whim so that she will never have the need to use a flap! This is not always possible. What we really want is for Fluffy to want to use the flap.

How to start

A good way to start is to put Kitty’s favourite food or toy one side of the flap and then gently push her through from the other side. This is easier when you have two people. If there is a lot of resistance to this it is best not to persist as you may only end up putting her off altogether. If encouraging her through fails initially the next thing to try is to tie up the flap (or better still remove the flap altogether) for a few days so that Kitty can go through the door without having to push the flap. Once she is confident jumping through the hole in your door in both directions (which may not be practical to leave open 24/7), you could put the flap back in place and try again to put the food on one side of the flap and Kitty on the other and gently encourage her to go through. Then go the other side and hold the flap slightly open so that Kitty won’t have to push quite so hard for the flap to open. Do this several times in and out. Quite often at this point you may consider your cat trained!

My cat is refusing to go through the cat flap, having previously used it no problem. Why is this and what can I do?

Some cats will never use a flap and others will suddenly stop using it for no apparent reason. If your cat refuses to use a flap or suddenly stops using it, there’s always a reason (in Kitty’s mind anyway!) It can mean your cat has been ambushed or frightened by someone or something after going out or in the flap. In a multi-cat household there will often be “Top Cat”. Top Cat likes to be in charge of everything, including the cat flap, and decides whether he wants to allow Kitty to go through it – or not! This can be quite a big issue for Kitty. One way around this problem can be to build a cat-sized see-through porch around the flap (inside or outside depending on which side causes the problem) so that Kitty can see through the flap and be able to see what’s happening the other side and have a secure area after going in or out without being ambushed. Our Ted used to sit with his head half way out the flap for quite a while before going out through it. I think there was a cat hanging around the garden at the time and Ted wanted to be sure he could get out without being intercepted by “Mr. Interloper”. Another issue could be if there is something directly outside the flap that another cat can hide behind and jump out when Kitty is using the flap, e.g. a dustbin, flower pot, etc. It may help to remove any objects so that Kitty has a clear view of the area outside the flap.

The aim of the exercise is to make Kitty feel confident going through her cat flap. We want her to want to use it after all! Regarding the noise of a flap, most cats will get used to that in time… but it may take quite some time. Be patient and good luck! Feel free to post any particular difficulties you may be having and I’ll do my best to address them.

Why is my cat so fussy?

29th April 2016 By Cuddles 1 Comment

“My cat is terribly fussy”

A new customer called to view Cuddles recently. She decided to make a reservation for her cat and we were going through the booking form. When we got to the section on “Feeding” this lady stood back and said: “I’m afraid my cat is terribly fussy.” I replied: “I wonder why that is?” We both laughed.

Chancing his paw!

Cats do not become fussy by themselves. We humans are the providers of their food and therefore it is totally up to us how fussy or otherwise they are/become. Many of our customers (feline of course) will chance his paw exactly the same way a child will chance his arm. An easy way to explain this is by using the following example:

A proper Charlie

I’ll use one of our regular clients, “Charlie”. Here’s what happens when I serve up Charlie’s current favourite food (per his owner’s information). Charlie sniffs at the food and looks at me expectantly. If I don’t remove the food straight away Charlie sniffs at it again and paws the air above the bowl, while loudly complaining that this is not what he ordered.

If I change the food he may repeat the same process for a second time, and even a third. Occasionally he will cover the food with some of his bedding. Sometimes his complaining can be in the form of “caterwauling”. I often have to say to him: “Charlie, eat that” – which was a hint from his owner! He usually does eat the food at that point when he realises the options are not limitless! It can be a real battle of wits. The more you give in, the more a cat will demand.

Ways to encourage fussy cats to eat

I find one easy way to keep a cat interested in his food is to vary it. If feeding dry food exclusively, I sometimes vary the flavour or the type of kibble depending on the cat. If feeding wet food it can be useful to open two or three boxes at the same time and change brand as well as flavours at least daily. This method works to some extent with Charlie, who has a huge appetite, rarely touches dry food, but eats two to three pouches of food at a sitting!

What about treats?

Treats, particularly the packaged, promoted ones, in my opinion are unnecessary. Cats only learn to accept them when introduced to them by us. However, at Christmas we make an exception, when guests at Cuddles are treated to warm roast turkey. “Yum”, many of them say, but there’s always one or two who will not want any. We often also serve chicken to our guests on a Sunday.

Some cats will happily eat one particular brand and variety of dry food (kibble) all his life and if you’ve got one of those LUCKY YOU!

How to put a difficult cat into a carrier – Part 1

8th February 2016 By Cuddles Leave a Comment

Here’s one simple way of putting your cat into a carrier, that I call “The Towel Method”. Make sure to have all your equipment to hand. You will need a hand towel, the carrier (lined with a newspaper unfolded on the bottom of the carrier) and of course your cat!

Ensure your cat is relaxed (preferably asleep) and that you are calm.
Have your carrier ready on a counter top with a wall directly behind it. (Do not let your cat see or hear you doing this.)
Ensure the door of your carrier is open but attached.
Get a hand towel and approach your cat from behind.
Wrap the towel around the cat from his back and then underneath him, making sure his legs and paws are enclosed in the towel.
Pick him up in the towel and push him gently but firmly backwards into the carrier.
Do not remove the towel at this stage, as your cat will probably exit at the same time if given an opportunity!
Cover his eyes if necessary with your hand. Cats dislike having their eyes covered and will usually walk backwards when you do this.
Close and secure the door immediately. Do not reopen the door under any circumstances.
Good luck!