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Need Help training Lucky going through a magnetic Cat Flap

post #1 of 5
4/9/11 at 12:22pm
Thread Starter 
Hi,
I need to train Lucky to go through a magnetic Cat Flap - don't worry, she is not going outside
She is actually having her Feeding station with a Microchip Cat Flap . Since her blockage,she was put on a hairball diet which Hope and Bugsy can't eat, so my solution was to microchip her and create a feeding station that comprises of a box with a microchip cat flap that only lets her in.
At this point, she is trained to eat inside of the box at all times already... I just installed the microchip cat flap yesterday, but she only goes in and out if I manually open the flap for her - she has no concept that she needs to push her head through .

How do you teach a cat who never used a Cat Flap to push through one?
Any tips?

For those interested, here is my setup:
This is the box: Cat Washroom - I turned Upside Down so it could fit the door properly
This is the microchip Cat Flap: Sure Flap Microchip Cat Flap

I also bought Home Again microchip at amazon for $23 and had my vet apply it for free
Anyways, I am doing this as I am going to have trips back to back now and I am paying LOTS of $$$ in petsitting for extra trips to feed Lucky, since she can't have her food laying around. In 2 trips, this setup will pay for itself.

So... any tips? My next trip is next Sunday
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post #2 of 5
4/9/11 at 12:35pm
Thats really smart, I didn't realize they had those microchip cat flaps!

I have magnetic doors on my litterbox stations, and what I did that worked like a charm (may have to adapt to your purposes) was to first start with the door wedged open.

I had greenies treats which I broke in half. When they came through the door they got a greenie treat. Then I'd throw it through the hole out of the closet and they'd get it, rinse and repeat.

After that I left the door open a week to use on their own.

Then we did the greenie treat thing again, but this time with the door closed.

They still hesitate a little going through and always look through it (its clear) to make sure no monsters are inside before proceeding, but never any issues, and thats been six months or so.
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post #3 of 5
4/9/11 at 12:55pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ducman69 View Post
Thats really smart, I didn't realize they had those microchip cat flaps!

I have magnetic doors on my litterbox stations, and what I did that worked like a charm (may have to adapt to your purposes) was to first start with the door wedged open.

I had greenies treats which I broke in half. When they came through the door they got a greenie treat. Then I'd throw it through the hole out of the closet and they'd get it, rinse and repeat.

After that I left the door open a week to use on their own.

Then we did the greenie treat thing again, but this time with the door closed.

They still hesitate a little going through and always look through it (its clear) to make sure no monsters are inside before proceeding, but never any issues, and thats been six months or so.
Thanks!
Her food is inside the box, and she does go through the hole, but I have to open the flap for her, as she doesn't know she has to push her head to open. When she is inside, she paws at the flap for me to open it for her, then I push it open and she comes out...
I have to teach her pushing her head = opens the flap.

Yep, the microchip flap is pretty great, and SO easy to setup too!
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post #4 of 5
4/9/11 at 1:33pm
We trained our cats to use a cat door to go out to the sunroom by leaving it propped up for a week. Then we did a week of them going to the door, we'd open it, then let them get their noses in and then resting the flap on them. (They didn't like the door on them at first) Then we did the thing where we were on one side with a treat and they were on the other side and we enticed them through the door like that.
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post #5 of 5
4/9/11 at 3:57pm
That microchip cat door is really cool! Good luck training Lucky!
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