How to Train Cats to Enter Cat Doors

Video Transcript

"We're here today with henry and we are going to talk about how to teach a cat to use a cat door. What I've got here behind us is a little cat door that I have actually taken the magnet off. A lot of the doors come with a little magnet, it's meant to keep the door from swinging and open and shut in the wind. And keep the rain out and help keep the air conditioning and heat from leaving the house. But it can be a bit of a deterrent, some of those magnets are pretty strong. So what I've done is take the magnet off to make it a little easier for Henry to get used to pushing his head through that. Now here I've got my freeze dried chicken treats. It's a particular favorite of Henry, just to give him a little incentive for getting through the door. Now I'm actually going to kind of push him, give him a little heave ho, through the door, just to get him started. Here we go, so now he's on the inside of the door. Now this is just a little kitty veranda, you could be training your cat to use the cat door in and out or use the cat enclosure or even a cat door, to get into their bathroom. So now what I'm going to do is I'm going to try and help him get used to coming in and out. I'm going to take the door, you know when he pushes his head against it, he's going to be pushing out, so I want to get him used to having that feeling on his forehead. Come here Henry. He's kind of enjoying being out there, which is good cause you, you know you want them to enjoy the place that the door goes to so that without the treats they have an impetus for coming and going. Now I'm going to put, ooooooh there you go. And lets try and get you to come out, can you push on that door. Push, push, push, here we go come on. Oh good boy. Good job Henry. Here we are with another cat door, this one leads to the outdoor enclosure that I have here. So it's, there's a lot of draw for the cats to learn how to use this door, because they like going out here. But they did have to get used to this one does have the magnet unlike the one upstairs. And it's, instead of being stiff it's kind of flexible, so what I'm going to do is I'm going to show Henry his treat. Here's your treat and I'm going to push it right outside the door there. Ohh and there he goes. Usually what I like to do when I'm training them to use the door is kind of assist them with it and then assist them with it less and less until really you're just gone. This is another time if you have taught your cat how to come, to a come command it makes it easier to train them to do the other things that you want them to do. Unless they've decided that they want to hang out outside. Come good boy. Good boy, there you go. And now he's coming all by himself."