Cat flap issues – why isn’t my kitty using the cat flap?
Cat flaps can be helpful tools that allow your kitty to access the outside. If they’re not using one it can be confusing. Here are some considerations.
Your cat’s health
Can your cat easily access the cat flap or do they have to navigate things to get in front of it? This may be off putting.
Just like us, as our cats get older their joints can be more stiff. Hardie and colleagues (2002) discovered and a 90% prevalence of various types of degenerative joint disease in cats over 12 years old, which means they may be finding it hard to get in and out – is it too high , can ramps / steps be added up and down? My old client added a little step down for her elderly cat and it helped a lot. Think about what they are landing on – could it be painful maybe? This is a great video by Sarah Caney about cats and spotting signs of OA. https://fb.watch/udIgKEysiQ/ . This video can help you capture your cats movement from different angles too: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OFlraJLWZ3M
Finally, is the cat flap big enough for them?
Noise of the cat flap
Some cat flaps can be noisy and spook our cats! Lauren spoke about this in our recent podcast, you can listen in here. https://open.spotify.com/show/6TibHE09k2afkh244kF2fC?fbclid=IwY2xjawE61_lleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHZG1tzkrflK9NjKtfal0mxrMQz54Bp503E-bR-aghZExGNz_w4bMXQysCA_aem_csNQwd2Dc31JEzZCUk9sdg A cat may need to be desensitised to the sound to help them get used to it.
Nosy cats
Can you set up a camera to check that other cats are not coming into the cat flap or antagonising your cat outside? Perhaps they don’t want to go outside because other cats are in their territory.
Here are just some of the reasons a cat may not be using their cat flap. If you want to work with me on this and get support email me at stclawsacademy@gmail.com to book a consultation.
References
Hardie EM, Roe SC, Martin FR. Radiographic evidence of degenerative joint disease in geri- atric cats: 100 cases (1994–1997). J Am Vet Med Assoc 2002; 220: 628–32.