NBR: how do you teach a cat to use a pet door?

Mama_SAS · February 2010

We moved the litter box to the basement & installed a pet door in the basement door. I have 2 cats & 1 has figured it out just fine. The other refuses to use it and has shiit on my son's fold up couch thingy. Angry

(he will use it to come up from the basement but not to go down into the basement!)

greenclown · February 2010

Hmm, I don't know. With my cats, it's more of a "they'll do it if they feel like it" thing, rather than teaching them something. He definitely knows where the box is?

EllePost · February 2010

One of my cats is a little slower than the other and I had to physically push him through the door over and over again before he caught on

you could try that?

penelopepink09 · February 2010

We bribed our cats with treats from either end of it, and if that didn't work. We'd just push them out, and if they wanted to get back in they'd have to come in the way they went out. We lived in CA at the time, so it was warm outside, otherwise we wouldn't have done it that way.

LucyAnnie · February 2010

We are putting one of these on our basement door as well. I am hoping they "get it".

horizon1322 · February 2010

A few suggestions:

- Use your hand to show them the motion repeatedly.

- Gently help them go through the door a few times.

- Put them inside the room so they have to go through the door to get out. This works best if you have treats or something you can shake so they'll want to get out.

Dr.BeepersWife · February 2010

We kept the door open for several days until she was using it comfortably. Then we shut it, she figured it out instantly. She even figured out the locking mechanism, so now we can't use that feature!

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NBR: how do you teach a cat to use a pet door?

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