Cat Door

[LisaM 0]

We just moved into our new house and put the litter box in a closet under the stairs. We put in a cat door that has magnets at the bottom to hold it closed (makes it close faster and a bit noisier too). The cats can't seem to figure out they can push the door open. I have showed and gotten them to push it once I release the hold of the magnets.

Advice?

~ Lisa
~ Do you Rigminder?

[Glitch 0]

Well... you can either get rid of the magnets, get a different cat door, move the litter box, or get rid of the cats. The choice is yours...

Randomly f'n thingies up since before I was born...

[Broke 0]

Or make a cat launching gun

Divot your source for all things Hillbilly.
Anvil Brother 84
SCR 14192

[normiss 622]

plunger
slingshot...
or if you want to be nicer...food on the other side of the door...stinky food...

[LisaM 0]

I tried treats.... that's how I got one of them to go through with me pushing it past the magnets.

If they were smart, maybe they made the magnets easily removeable then I could put them back when they figure it out.

~ Lisa
~ Do you Rigminder?

[normiss 622]

yarn as a cat fishing line???
having them chase it through??

cats take a LOT of time to train usually....I think they're smarter than we are in that regard...

[airdvr 197]

Pussy problems

Please don't dent the planet.

Destinations by Roxanne

[skydivegirl 0]

Try putting tuna on the other side of the door a couple times. My cats would knock through a brick wall to eat some tuna.

Pink Mafia Sis #26

[LisaM 0]

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cats take a LOT of time to train usually....I think they're smarter than we are in that regard...

See and my husband says it's quite the opposite that they must not be too bright to figure it out.

I like the string idea. They love to chase strings.

~ Lisa
~ Do you Rigminder?

[LisaM 0]

Just straight tuna? They have never had tuna.

~ Lisa
~ Do you Rigminder?

[PLFXpert 0]

Put them in the closet and shut the door.

They will figure out how to get out.

Paint me in a corner, but my color comes back.

[LisaM 0]

My fear there is they will then to hate the closet and not use the litter box. Think that is possible?

~ Lisa
~ Do you Rigminder?

[skydivegirl 0]

Yep, just put some tuna on a little dish on the other side of the cat door. It's so fragrant that they'll definitely want to get to it once they get a whiff. It will at least give them some motivation to push through the magnets.

Pink Mafia Sis #26

[Nightingale 0]

Take the magnets out until they're using the door regularly. After that, give it another month, and then put the magnets back in. They'll be so used to pushing the door open that they probably won't notice.

[tetra316 0]

I would take off the plastic cover at first and just leave a hole for them to go back and forth from. Then when they get used to that put the door back on without the magnets. You might have to do the tuna or sting thing but they should get it soon enough.

My cat uses a plastic dog door to go outside and come in when ever he wants. Took about 5 seconds to get him to use it. But then again he really wanted to go outside.

[PLFXpert 0]

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I would take off the plastic cover at first and just leave a hole for them to go back and forth from.

That's what we've always done for our cat closet. I fail to see why a flap is important enough for me to try and train kitty to use it.

Paint me in a corner, but my color comes back.

[Shell666 0]

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I would take off the plastic cover at first and just leave a hole for them to go back and forth from.

That's what we've always done for our cat closet. I fail to see why a flap is important enough for me to try and train kitty to use it.

I've done the same to the door to the basement. I have to keep the dog from going down there and finding the litter box. He seems to think it's a "candy store".

'Shell

[MikeJD 0]

If you're around and you've already helped them once, they're probably expecting you to do the same thing again. They're just messing with you - it's their job.

I like the idea of something appealing like tuna on the far side of the cat door, but I'd leave it there and make myself scarce to give them time to figure it out for themselves. Unless your cats are spectacularly dumb, it should just be a matter of time.

One thing - the magnets do just help to close the door, don't they? The magnetic cat door I have also requires the cat to wear a magnet on its collar to release the catch.

[PLFXpert 0]

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My fear there is they will then to hate the closet and not use the litter box. Think that is possible?

Fear not. My cat has been shut inside our master closet (which does not have a kitty door) on numerous occasions by accident. Yet he continues to go in when the door is open.



Most people I know with flaps did the "shut kitty in closet and let kitty figure way out" method to teach them. I see no harm in that.

But, again I have to wonder why the flap is so important? (Edit: Unless one has a dog or cat door leading outside.)

Paint me in a corner, but my color comes back.

[AggieDave 6]

I got a CatHole for my cats and put their litter box in a hallway closet.

http://www.cathole.com/

They (the cats) love it.

--"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline."

[LisaM 0]

Yes the magnets are to just keep the door closed.

I'll bet they are messingw with me. I would not put it past them. They like to cause trouble.

I have a can of tuna here ready to take home with me. I can't wait to try it.

I'm just debating whether to put them in and the tuna out or vice versa. I don't want to freak them out and make them hate the litter room. But they might get bored if they are outside and can't figure out how to get in.

~ Lisa
~ Do you Rigminder?