No amount of bribery - a Catflap dilemma

Mini , I expect you have tried this, but many years ago exdh & I had a cat that wasn't too keen on using the catflap, although his brother would whizz in and out with no problem.

We spent the best part of some time one day with one of us on each side literally posting the cat through and back again umpteen times.

I have exactly the same problem MiniMouse. Purdy Puss is happy to use the hole but will not push open the magnetised flap. My flap is exactly like yours and I have removed one of the magnets. The magnet on the flap is easily removed. Use a small screwdriver to ease up one end and pull it off gently. It is easy to put back if ever our cats decide it is ok. It does mean that it is not as tight as before and there is a bit of a draught but better than just a hole ! I may try cutting the removed magnet in half and putting it back in increments.
Hope this helps!

That only works phoenix if you have someone to push and pull with !!
Purdy Puss has inbuilt knowledge of when I am going to try some cat flap education and immediately runs away.

phoenix
Been there, done that - we had an exceptionally thick cat who eventually learnt. Trying to force a very bad-tempered feline with legs stuck out at all angles and bared teeth was not easy!

Thanks both of you!

I'm wondering if we've been a bit too gentle with her because we're so aware of the cruelty she endured in her previous life.

We've even tried 'encouraging' her by waving her favourite toy in front of the flap, but she just glazes over!

I think we'll go for the two-pronged approach - remove a bit of the magnet and also use the push-her/pull-her method!!!

Although she's about eighteen months old, she still displays strong kitten behaviour, so perhaps we're just expecting too much from her. No, just kidding myself there, aren't I?!

I'm off to wield the mighty screwdriver now!

Thanks again

We ended up taking the door off the cat flap ! Not quiet as bad as it sounds as the flap was fitted to the internal door of the lobby leading off the kitchen.
We tried all the above but no way would she push the flap open.

Good point tiggy perhaps you should seek the help of a cat whisperer!

loopy I know one shouldn't speak ill of the departed, but the cat in question was also unbelievably thick, but fortunately very nice natured.

He never got the hang of hunting, either. The crouch, he could manage, the wiggle prior to take off was also of good standard. However rather than pounce forwards he would go straight up in the manner of a Harrier Jump Jet.

His brother on the other hand was rather too good. I remember one occasion when I was presented with a freshly demised blue tit I was a bit busy at the time so chucked it out of the door to deal with later. I then forgot all about it. The thick one amazed me about 2 days later as he waddled in with something in his mouth. I think we were supposed to believe that he had just caught it, but the fact that rigor mortis had set in rather indicated that he hadn't.

That's brilliant phoenix!
Thomas lost all his 9 lives before he was 9 months old.....he lived to a ripe old age, through sheer luck, somehow!
He was so dim (I swear he had been dropped on his head) that even if an interior door was open he'd try to swing on the handle to come into the room and if he ever saw his reflection in anything he'd run under the nearest low object. He wasn't good at judging heights so more than once he'd get wedged

like others, we always push a new cat through the cat flap several times until it gets the idea.My DD said their cat wouldn't use theirs, so I went round and posted it through three times in a row, and that was enough, it was fine after that.

When I first saw this thread....my mind read 'bribery' and then 'cat flap' and I found myself thinking.......'here's yet more sleazy political shenanigans!'

Shows how yourmind works Hilda, I thought it was about bribing someone to fit one!

We did the same as Phoenix cat pushed through, back and forth.
Then tried pushing her in....with a little bit of tuna on the inside as a treat. After a few efforts with the tuna all was well.
it was strong smelling and worked.

Cat flap had no magnet.

How long have you had your little rescue? One of ours took about a year to master the catflap. Posting her through terrified her and made her worse.
It's always quicker with another cat to copy and helps if the cat is not being bullied by a neighbour's cat outside.

Is it a standard cat flap or electronic chip reader one? Our big cat will use an ordinary cat flap but not the chip reader one. Can't work out why.

HildaW

Rosesarered CoolG We've tried pushing her in/out, but she just ends up squished against the flap! Makes no effort whatsoever

Even when we partially open it, she's still refusing to go through. It's only when it's fully open that she'll attempt it.

apricot We've only had her since October. Her owner had three cats, but decided he didn't like ours, so he starved her. Bad enough doing that, but she had kittens before she was a year old and so the kittens thrived because she fed them, but she was so weak when she was rescued (with her kittens) that she could barely stand. She still only weighs 6 1/2 lbs even being fed on extra nutritional kitten food.

She's still quite a frightened little cat and follows me everywhere (yes, even the Little Room if I don't shut the door properly ), hardly going outside. Unfortunately, we do have several cats who wander into the garden - toms who fancy their chances!! - and I think that's scared her as well.

She's got such a wonderful temperament, quite unbelievable bearing in mind how she's been treated. She lets me do anything with her, more than any other cat I've been owned by, so at least she trusts me.

Will try removing the magnets from the catflap and see if that helps.

katek It's just a standard catflap. The magnets are just in the flap, the cat doesn't have a collar with magnets - she loses them too quickly to go for those! Our previous cats managed the flap without any trouble.

No, sorry loopy my late lamented Paddington was a true contender for Thickest Cat.

However the very much alive (I know because he moves occasionally) Digby is definitely the prime contender for the 2015 Thickest Cat of the Year award!

I'm beginning to think my cat's a pretty close runner-up! She never seems to learn that, if you're perched on the back of a chair, it's probably best not to roll over!

Mini and any others, don't you just love them anyway?!

I won't bore you with the latest doings of my two, suffice to say sanctions have been applied!

Cats rule OK!

KateK maybe someone has changed the pin number on the electronic cat flap and not told your cat? . I used to have one of them and a non cat owning colleague thought they had key pads........My cat has a cat flap, is perfectly able to use it but sees no need as there is a house full of servants whose sole purpose is to open the door for him, and fill his bowl.

Oh go on phoenix spill the beans