cats and new pet door

We just installed a pet door in our sliding glass door's screen door and are
trying to get our cats to use it with no success. If we hold it open for
them we can get 1 of them to walk through, but the other 3 are either scared
or confused by it. Can anyone give us any suggestions on how to train these
guys to use it?
Thanks,
Snyde

"snydley" wrote in message
...
We just installed a pet door in our sliding glass door's screen door and
are trying to get our cats to use it with no success. If we hold it open
for them we can get 1 of them to walk through, but the other 3 are either
scared or confused by it. Can anyone give us any suggestions on how to
train these guys to use it?
Thanks,
Snyde
Simple. When a cat wants out, pick him up and push him through the cat door.
When they want back in, go out another door, and then pick them up and
thrust them through the cat door the other way.....It won't take them long
before they learn to do it themselves.......

William Graham wrote:
"snydley" wrote in message
...
We just installed a pet door in our sliding glass door's screen door and
are trying to get our cats to use it with no success. If we hold it open
for them we can get 1 of them to walk through, but the other 3 are either
scared or confused by it. Can anyone give us any suggestions on how to
train these guys to use it?
Thanks,
Snyde
Simple. When a cat wants out, pick him up and push him through the cat door.
When they want back in, go out another door, and then pick them up and
thrust them through the cat door the other way.....It won't take them long
before they learn to do it themselves.......



you hope or they could expect you to do that all the time

just leave a treat on the otherside of the door?

"Little Hawk" wrote in message
news:y4ali.106345$1i1.124@pd7urf3no...
William Graham wrote:
"snydley" wrote in message
...
We just installed a pet door in our sliding glass door's screen door and
are trying to get our cats to use it with no success. If we hold it open
for them we can get 1 of them to walk through, but the other 3 are
either scared or confused by it. Can anyone give us any suggestions on
how to train these guys to use it?
Thanks,
Snyde
Simple. When a cat wants out, pick him up and push him through the cat
door. When they want back in, go out another door, and then pick them up
and thrust them through the cat door the other way.....It won't take them
long before they learn to do it themselves.......

you hope or they could expect you to do that all the time

just leave a treat on the otherside of the door?

Oh yeah....They will never actually LIKE using the cat door.....It's always
preferable to have a human doorman at your disposal......:^)

how about keeping your cat indoors so they do not get hit by cars.


"snydley" wrote in message
...
We just installed a pet door in our sliding glass door's screen door and
are trying to get our cats to use it with no success. If we hold it open
for them we can get 1 of them to walk through, but the other 3 are either
scared or confused by it. Can anyone give us any suggestions on how to
train these guys to use it?
Thanks,
Snyde

"SantaSteeler" wrote in message
.. .
how about keeping your cat indoors so they do not get hit by cars.

Because they live on a farm where there aren't any cars for miles in any
direction?

how about keeping your cat indoors so they do not get hit by cars.



Because they live on a farm where there aren't any cars for miles in any
direction?



What about predastors (Animals) ?!?!?




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"kraut" wrote in message
...


how about keeping your cat indoors so they do not get hit by cars.



Because they live on a farm where there aren't any cars for miles in any
direction?



What about predastors (Animals) ?!?!?

Well, once I considered checking myself into a padded cell, so I would never
have to worry about being hurt in any way. but then, I was told that someday
I would still die, because my body's ability to renew cells would gradually
go away. So, I decided to take my chances and enjoy what life I had rather
than live a long, miserable life trapped in a padded cell.
The point is that there is a trade off in almost everything in
life.....You can live on the edge of disaster every minute, and probably die
young, or you can live as conservatively as possible and live a long, boring
life. It is impossible to know for sure which lifestyle your cats would
prefer, but since they are not aware that death awaits them eventually, my
guess is that the more freedom they have, the better they are going to like
it. So that's the way my cats live....but, you may decide that your cats are
better off trapped inside the house....And, ultimately, the circumstances
dictate which is better, don't they?....After all, if you live in an
apartment building in downtown NYC, your outside cats probability of
surviving more than an hour or so is pretty bad. But, if you live on a farm,
his probability of living a long, enjoyable life is quite good..........Can
he be eaten by a coyote? - Sure, but that was true long before the first
human being walked on this earth, too....If you are unhappy about things
like that, they consider blaming God.......He made the rules, not
us........:^)

snydley wrote:
We just installed a pet door in our sliding glass door's screen door and are
trying to get our cats to use it with no success. If we hold it open for
them we can get 1 of them to walk through, but the other 3 are either scared
or confused by it. Can anyone give us any suggestions on how to train these
guys to use it?
Thanks,
Snyde


If it is a cat flap, I propped the flap open for a week or so till they
got used to going through the 'hole' After they knew they could go
through, the plastic flap was not such a threat.

Astrog

A couple people have said, "what about cars, and what about predators"? What about them? Sure they're out there. But I would NEVER keep my cats indoors for that reason. They need their freedom just like we do. Did your parents let you outside when you were kids? What about cars, what about predators? How would it have been for you if you didn't have that freedom. I think it's cruel to not let them outside. They're not just an object for us to enjoy in our houses. I also would never remove their claws like some people do. I believe in having them share their lives with us, as nature intended. Sure, they can get hit by cars, or killed by other animals, but that's the chances we take.

Snyde

"snydley" wrote in message ...
We just installed a pet door in our sliding glass door's screen door and are
trying to get our cats to use it with no success. If we hold it open for
them we can get 1 of them to walk through, but the other 3 are either scared
or confused by it. Can anyone give us any suggestions on how to train these
guys to use it?
Thanks,
Snyde