Advice For Training Cat To Use Cat Door?

[matai88]

Does anyone have any advice for training a cat that has the attention span of a goldfish to use a cat door?

Pebble is still young (almost 1) but I'm not having much luck. We installed the cat door a week ago and I've been leaving it taped open. He's fine going through it when it's open but I'm having trouble showing him how the flap works.

He's not interested in any of the treats I try to entice him through with, not even smelly cheese. I'll hold the door half open with my hand and hold a treat in the other, he'll come through and I'll let the door drop gently on his back but once he's in or out that's it, he just gets distracted by something outside or in another room and won't try to come in again.

I want him to be a mainly indoor cat but I also let him have access to the garden when we are home. I got the cat door so that we won't need to leave the sliding door partially open in the height of summer (bugs + heat) or winter (cold air).

Any tips?

 

[Mamanyt1953]

I gots nuttin. What treats are you using? Most cats will do backsprings for Temptations, although they really aren't good for cats...However, a few to lead him through the closed cat door won't hurt a thing.

 

[matai88]

I'm using temptations, kangaroo treats, bits of dried kangaroo and cheddar cheese. I've also tried his favourite toy and a catnip toy.

 

[rubysmama]

Well, I was going to say try treats. That's what worked for my Ruby. But she was so food motivated when I got her, she'd go nuts over anything edible.

What about tuna? Or sardines?

 

[Mamanyt1953]

Sardines might just do it...they're so nicely stinky...

 

[Willowy]

I think now that he knows it's there, if he wants to get through he will. My cats tore through a screen to get out so I'm pretty sure the cat door isn't too complicated for him, he'll use it when he wants to

 

[Caspers Human]

Cats can be neophobic. (Afraid of new things.)

Casper is often like that.
If you bring home a new toy, etc., he'll ignore or even avoid it for a while. Then, suddenly, we'll see him start playing with it, out of the blue.

It's just because the "new thing" looks or smells different and Casper just doesn't like new things but, once he gets used to it, he's fine.

Casper's favorite mouse toy is getting all chewed up. He's had it since we adopted him and, frankly, it's getting pretty grody! We decided to get him another one of the exact, same toy so that we could get rid of the old one and he could still have a favorite toy.

Well, Casper sniffed it, played with it for a minute then went right back to his old, dirty one.

We are going to leave the new cat toy right where Casper left it because we figure he'll eventually take to it. Once he does, we'll get rid of the old one and hope that he starts playing with the new.

So... Getting your cat to use the cat door... I suggest you do the same we do with Casper...
Just leave it alone. Your cat will eventually get used to the cat door and decide to start using it on his own.