Familiarising naturally

Take one, action! The cat flap has been installed, but how do you get the cat to go through? Your cat probably already wised up to the fact that there is something new around and that it was possible to go outside through it while you were installing it. Your clever cat doesn’t miss a thing, you can be sure of that! But cats are quite suspicious when there are new things in their environment – you need to tread carefully! It is also normal from an evolutionary point of view. If this was not the case and cats were too “gullible”, they would quickly become victims of enemies or assaults – this is therefore a natural behaviour that your cat displays. Calmly show your cat how this new cat flap works and why it is there – often several times in a row so that it sticks in its mind more easily.

Be patient and give your cat enough time

Do not overwhelm them and force them to do things that they don’t want to. Instead, get them used to the new cat flap slowly – preferably step by step. Allow your cat time to get used to the new object and don’t startle it unnecessarily: if the cat approaches cautiously, please don’t make loud noises or frantic movements; otherwise it might hastily take off into the distance and you’ll have a hard time getting it to go near the cat flap again.

Additionally, cats are simply fundamentally different from one other. Some are daredevils who will bravely slip through the cat flap on the first day, others need a bit longer.

Proceed carefully and don’t push them. Give them time!

Start training early

As it is easier to teach younger kittens, it is best to start familiarising your kitten with the cat flap right away.

Kittens are innately very curious – child’s play in the truest sense of the word. However, the kitten should be vaccinated before it is allowed to go outside.

At the start, you should accompany them outside without fail until they get their bearings and can find their way home on their own. You should not allow them to go out alone until they are at least 6 months old. While some cats boldly march through the cat flap straight away, others are more sceptical. Don’t stress! Don’t put your cat under pressure, instead take a systematic approach with caution – just get them used to the cat flap step by step:

Fix the cat flap in the open position. The cat will realise “Aha! So that’s how I get out!”. Give it time to inspect this “device” more closely. Release the cat flap after a few days and let it swing slightly so that your cat learns to understand the mechanism. Show it how the flap can be passed through with a toy (perhaps a toy mouse or the like): pull the toy through the opening and let it lie at the other side. In the place of the toy, you can use a treat or food to entice the cat to the other side for those more reluctant. Perhaps your cat will only prod the swinging part at first – it’s a start! Be patient and keep practising!

Wait and see: in the end, your cat should have learnt how to pass through the cat flap headfirst – and in reverse, from the outside in!



Attach “cat herbs” to the cat flap

Herbs have it all! Many cats feel enticed by the scent of certain herbs! These include cat thyme, catnip (catmint), clary sage and valerian.

But why are they called “cat herbs”? It’s really simple: cats really love the scent of these herbs (with some exceptions). They feel attracted to the scent of the herbs. So what could be better than using these herbs to entice your enchanted cat through the cat flap? The herbs are available as an essence or as drops that you can easily place on cat toys or a little scrap of fabric. This you can use to help speed up the flap training – it will progress even better with the allure of the scent.



Cat Gamander

"Teucrium marum" Catnip

"Nepeta" Clary Sage

"Salvia sclarea" Valerian

"Valeriana officinalis"

Shaking off fear with “Bach flowers”

Many cats are suspicious when entering uncharted terrain and generally shy away from touching unfamiliar objects. It takes them quite some effort to push open the cat flap and slip through it: it is a step into the unknown for them. An unpleasant moment in this narrow, strange thing that might creakily swing back and forth almost trapping the cat where it is.

Not an alluring prospect, right? Cats enjoy touching new objects when they’ve had a good look and sniff beforehand. This interaction, i.e. the touching of new objects, can be practised. Then the cat will think, “Ah, that thing! I am familiar with it! It isn’t dangerous.”

You can help shy cats with “Bach flowers”: these essences are made from wild plants and water, and can be used combined or individually to positively impact the cat’s state of mind.

Tempting through the cat flap with treats or “prey”

Once the cat flap has been installed, training can get under way. First, hold or fix the cat flap so that your cat can see all the way through it and can see what is in front of and behind the flap (unfamiliar things not only make us feel uncertain, but also our kitties). Now go to the outside of the flap. Take its beloved toy with you and use it to attract it from the outside.

If this doesn’t work, continue with the following step:

try to lure it through with a fragrant snack. You know your cat best, and for which treats they have a weakness...

Get them used to the cat flap in spring or summer.