Train cat to use cat door..

Hi..

I have the best one year old cat in the world, Dimitry. He's very well behaved and so much fun to have around.

Recently we moved to a new condo (one month ago) .. I put his litter in a small utility closet and have been leaving the door open.

I installed a cat door, expecting him to be able to smell out his litter and kept the utility room door closed, but that only resulted in a few accidents. Over the past couple weeks I've been trying to introduce him to the idea of the cat door to access his litter with absolutely no success. I've tried catnip on the door, keeping it taped open and throwing treats through and even going on the other side to speak with him.. he just won't use it.

Any other ideas?

thanks!
Craig

Maybe he considers it a trap or something. Have you tried a few treats in a trail leading to the door? Maybe he feels too confined in the closet/litter pan. I'd keep the flap open for awhile - try putting the pan about 1/2 in and 1/2 out of the door flap.

How about removing the cat door and just have the hole there. Then when he is comfortable walking thru that, then put the cat door back in.

removing the cat door sounds like a good idea. They even sell this thing that's more of a dome opening at the bottom of the door with a brush edge that brushes them as they walk through it. I just added two cats doors (one going out to my screened porch, the other down to the basement where one of the litter boxes is). Mine used them by the end of the day the day I put them in but I think this might have been because my new cat, Aspen, went through them first and the Pumpkin seemed to copy her. I wondered if she had used them before. One thing you could try is to put him in the closet and close the door so he has to go through the door to get out which may help him get used to going through it.

I have 11 cats and I have a cat door leading out into a cat enclosure and for the first few months I removed the door and everyone had no problem learning to go through the opening until I replace the door. My two bengals can not for the life of me learn to use the opening with the door in place!! No matter how long I leave it off and then replace it, they just will not use the door to go into the enclosure.

My advise would be to remove the door (don't tape it) that swinging door just spooks my boys even taped. I've tried all the tricks you have with the treats and it just didn't work.