Pro - Does anyone else's nest boxes get soaked in rain?

[Laura & CTB]

Spit the cat has been at home with us now for several weeks and well, I guess you cant teach an old cat new tricks because he STILL has not got the hang of the cat flap.

 

I've tried everything - tempting him though with bits of steak, holding it open for him, pleading with him - all thats left is booting him through which I dont think will assist matters! I've even removed the magnet so it swings easier but still no joy.

 

If anyone has any ideas on how to sort this please let me know - I'm having to hold it open with a bit of string so for weeks now I've had a howling gale blowing into the living room and to top it off yesterday Tiffany was nosing round the garden and decided to poke her beak through- shortly followed by the rest of her so I came downstairs to find a chicken wandering round the living room and a confused looking cat sitting on the sofa

Edited January 3, 2010 by Guest

[Tiggy]

says a lot for the intelligence of chickens verse dogs some cats just dont like cat flaps, we did mange to gently push one of ours through and she soon realised that that was how she could get to food.

[Alis girls]

Our cat used to reverse thro which was a bit distrubing for her brother if he were waiting to go thro Nothing worse than a large fluffy bottom coming towards you I would think if you were a cat

[docsquid]

Some cats never get it. I've had a lot of cats over my lifetime, nearly all of them have learned to use the cat flap reliably, except Willoughby. We tried everything - pieces of chicken and steak, one shoving and the other with a reward on the other side. He is 14 now and has just about learned but has crises where he forgets and just sits yowling pathetically on the wrong side of the cat flap until somebody lets him in.

 

We discussed it with the vet, who very politely pointed out that he has learning difficulties! It is just beyond his capability (as are most things in life), so we just put up with it, because he's a lovely fellow.

 

All the others got the hang of it without any prompting, indeed, Ozzy and Cindy (Cindy his sister who has now gone to the Rainbow Bridge) got the hang of it way too young.

 

The chickens know how it works, but don't have the little magnetic collars!

[Laura & CTB]

We discussed it with the vet, who very politely pointed out that he has learning difficulties! It is just beyond his capability (as are most things in life), so we just put up with it, because he's a lovely fellow.

 

 

oh dear - yes learning difficulties could well be the problem -seems I may just have to put up with a draughty room then, good job he gives me that cute look every so often!

[Olly]

So I'm not the only one whose kitchen is freezing! It was ok until this weekend, when I really couldn't bear it any more.

 

Claudette only started going out in the garden in about September, and it was ages before I could persuade her to use the cat-flap hole, which has been pegged open since then.

 

I tried at the weekend with bits of roast lamb etc, but she just doesn't seem to get the idea that she has to butt it with her head. She pokes her paw through the flap to try and get the meat and if I let the flap fall closed she gives up and goes away.

 

I have successfully trained cats before, and I wouldn't say that she is particularly stupid. There have been a couple of little accidents in the house when I left it shut and went out for a few hours, I can't blame her for that but it's really driving me mad, it is just too cold now to have a hole in the back door.

[Laura & CTB]

Guess we have the summer to look forward to then Olly

 

I did try leaving the cat flap shut to see what happened - I caught Spit just as he was climbing in to my plant pot

[Lydia]

Meg got it straight away although, to this day, insists on boxing the flap hard a few times with her paws until it swings back and hits her on the nose before going out

 

Minty, on the hand, took ages to get it (she's slightly one pilchard short of a tinful too). Even now, nearly 12 years later, she sometimes forgets and we're treated to the sight of her Garfield impression as she tries to jump through the closed window!

 

The chickens all know what it's for but thankfully haven't tried to fit through (yet).

[mostin]

Sorry to sound sexist here but is there a male vs female theme here? .

 

When we had a catflap it was none magnetic but was one of those that had 4 settings, all closed, all open, in but not out, out but not in.

 

Oscar could barely work out how to use it normally, and quite often we would watch him follow his sister in, so that she did the actual opening for him .

 

On an evening we used to set it on, in but not out, so they were trapped in for the night once they were in, but Tilley, the girl was so clever, that once she had eaten her supper she would return to the catflap, hook her claw under it and open it by pulling it towards her , as she knew that still worked.

 

We were then left with a howling hysterical Oscar at the catflap, who was unable to follow his sister .

 

We gave up on the catflap when we moved house this time, as one cat is too thick and one cat is too clever .

[Olly]

Nah, it's my female cat who can't get it, and the male cat who uses it easily, so I don't think that theory carries through!

 

I am reaching despair - can't leave it open, can't shut the cat IN, can't shut the cat OUT, can't be here enough of the day to be able to open the door at will, yes a litter tray is looking like the only option but I am really reluctant to go back to that. Besides which I have run out of kitty litter!

 

Grrr.

[mostin]

Oh well, just a thought , I can imagine how you might feel about litter trays though , they make me .

[Alis girls]

I didnt know cats had "learning problems" - I think our tabby might OH calls her "confuseddotcom" When the vet asked why she was so chubby Oh replied that she had a "small head". Not sure who is the daftest there OH or cat

Interesting report in Mail about bugs picked up from animals - and you shouldnt kiss your cat. i kiss the top of my ginger toms head. And when I took him to the vet - the vet kissd his head too. Taking liberties I thought - my cat only I can kiss his little head

[Snowy]

I kiss the dogs and the chickens (and the children too )

Must work the same for dogs - one of the reasons Ruby's owners had to rehome her was because she couldn't figure out how to use the dog flap they put in for her. Bless

[Space Chick]

My Cat uses the cat flap great, has to prod it with a paw 3 times first though, its like a kitty OCD

 

However, the dog now tries to use the cat flap too, only he's slightly bigger than cat sized (only slightly) so tends to get stuck part way out, but will never admit defeat (being a terrier) so will always squeeze himself out

[Olly]

Well I've had a partial success - I've been using two clothes-pegs to hold the flap up at a right-angle. Yesterday I moved these slightly further down, so the flap is still held open but at a lesser angle. I haven't seen Claudette use it, but she has been going out and to do this she must have to stick her head under the flap and then push it up with her body. I hope that she's getting the idea a bit (and it makes the howling draught slighly less icy!).

 

Maybe if I shift it an inch or so at a time, she'll get the idea.

[Laura & CTB]

Sounds like progress - only a half strength icy blast instead of a full one

 

I've got the catflap tied up with string round the door handle but might try to lower it a bit and see if Spit ducks under the flap.

 

Good idea Olly

[Beauty-Box]

My beautiful, but totally thick cat Saffron couldn't even get the hang of a door on her enclosed litter tray! I had to take the door off in the end!

[Laura & CTB]

An enclosed litter tray???? Oh my, doesn't even bear thinking about

[docsquid]

An enclosed litter tray???? Oh my, doesn't even bear thinking about

 

It can be quite helpful if they are enthusiastic diggers and buriers, as it does reduce the otherwise wide scatter of litter around the house.

[Beauty-Box]

An enclosed litter tray???? Oh my, doesn't even bear thinking about

 

It can be quite helpful if they are enthusiastic diggers and buriers, as it does reduce the otherwise wide scatter of litter around the house.

 

Yes, that's why I got it. I was fed up of cleaning up the entire contents of her ordinary litter tray off the floor everytime she used it. The tray she has now keeps it all in, apart from the bits of litter she always seems to have stuck to her little paddy paws!

[Laura & CTB]

I was fed up of cleaning up the entire contents of her ordinary litter tray off the floor everytime she used it.

 

 

CTB's job

 

Actually sounds like a good idea - maybe if Spit ever gets the hang of the catflap I'll introduce one

[chickencam]

When we first got our 2 cats they had no idea about cat flaps, it took a while and even now they would rather use a door opened by one of their human slaves

 

We also have a closed in litter tray with a swing door, they are ok with this but once it got a piece of litter caught under the door and one of them couldn't get out, she could have had she given it a decent shove, but it confused her

 

I love the covered tray it keeps the surrounding area much cleaner and sweeter smelling

[Alis girls]

Oh no it gets worse - i have giggled like an idiot at this thread and the one I started on bad habits. I love cats, they are so dumb but so intelligent too and the way they communicate with us never seeks to amaze. if some of them were humans they would have ASBO's

[mostin]

We used to have one of those trays with the cat flap, fantastic to keep the litter inside. Problem was though, that one of our cats who was used to using a cat flap couldn't figure it out, but when my mums cat came to stay, who had never used a cat flap in his life, he cracked it straight away . Cats !!!

[clucky chicken]

I personally think my big fluffy flower is just lazy!! She uses the cat flap in the summer, quite happily, but when it comes to winter - she makes such a fuss of going through it and she'd rather pee in the garage than use the cat flap to go outside!!!! Ths time of the year is awful, - tried putting a cat litter tray in the garage but she got used to going on the floor -so have to poo pick in the garage daily now!! Grrrr!!!