Barn cat won't use "cat doors"

[GottaLuvIt]

Barn cat (semi-feral) that has been in my barn over 7 months won’t use the cat doors. He fits through the cat doors and will use them when they are tied open. He refuses to use the cat door if the door is down. I’ve shown him how to push it open and go through but he won’t unless secured open. This is fine for going into hay room and tack room but I don’t want to open the cat door on outside door as don’t want unwanted critters in my feed or hay rooms.

Anyone else experience this and have any helpful advice to get cat to use the cat doors? TIA

[endlessclimb]

Can you put some super tasty food right on the other side of the door, propping it open just a tiny bit so he can smell it? Make sure he’s super hungry?

[GottaLuvIt]

I’ve tried with treats but I will try with moist food in the morning. Thank you.

[SusanO]

The raccoons and possums figured out the cat doors really fast. The cats not so much. So I quit using them and taped them shut.

[trubandloki]

I have to agree with the part about propping it open just a bit.

Gradually tie it so it is less and less open. Tie it in a way that the flap moves (to open it more) easily.

Going from open to closed is likely scary, but the gradual more and more closed might show the cat that they can open it further and go thru.

[GottaLuvIt]

Good idea. I have tried tying it that way and he does well - he just doesn’t like pushing on it. He is very friendly and loves for me to pet him but he is just filled with fear of the world. Poor guy!

[GottaLuvIt]

Yes, I am concerned with the smaller wild critters but my last “sainted” barn kitty managed the doors and I never saw any evidence of anything wild entering. I don’t want to open the doors leading to outside for that very reason. At the current time we are just trying to move between the tack room and hay room.

[imbassetma]

Not treats, not enticing enough. I had a beagle that refused to use one till the rare roast beef came out. Try some canned tuna it’ll come through!

[candyappy]

@GottaLuvIt

but I don’t want to open the cat door on outside door as don’t want unwanted critters in my feed or hay rooms.

Every time my parents had a " flap type" dog door they also had a variety of unwanted wild animals using it to get into their house.

[DMK]

Wait, are you counting on the closed cat door to keep the other critters out?

In my experience that is not a long term successful strategy but it did lead to much amusement in my life… I have a cat door on my tack room/grain storage area, but no barn cats because that would just be donating them to the coyote meal plan. The insert to block the door had long vanished so door had a generous amount of gorilla tape closing it off from wildlife. Like most horse people I also had a giant tub o’peppermints on a shelf over the feed cans along with the supplements. The good kind of peppermints, basically a lump of sugar. One morning I come in and strewn across the feed can lids is about 30 empty peppermint wrappers along with the tub, no longer on the shelf, but set down on the feed can. There was also the most glorious sticky mess of sugary peppermint EVERYWHERE…

Yes, I was visited by the PEPPERMINT BANDIT!!!

I checked the cat door and sure enough, the tape had come loose, and obviously the world’s happiest raccoon had made his way in for THE BEST NIGHT EVER. While he did make my day, I repaired both the inside and outside of the door and added some reinforcement in between.

[GottaLuvIt]

I tried some good moist food that he really likes but it was a no go. I think he is really frightened.

[GottaLuvIt]

Oh my, that sounds like a nightmare. Fortunately, I have had two cat doors for 15 years and no “wild critters” have violated.

[endlessclimb]

He will get hungry and work it out. Don’t feed him except when he’s willing to engage with the door. Open it a little further to start if need be, but if he wants to eat, he’s got to go through that door.

[Cammie]

Try taking the magnet off the frame part so the flap swings freely. My little 7.5lb tiger isn’t willing to use the door with the magnet in place, there is no convincing her that she’s able to open it if she just pushes hard enough.

Cats really do not like going in to new spaces blind, if given the choice they always want to look first to make sure the coast is clear. Mine do not like the cat doors at all just because of not being able to see what’s outside first before risking sticking their faces out.

[GottaLuvIt]

Thanks. I will try removing the magnets and see if he will go through. He was dumped on our country road and the other kitten with him was killed. This kitten survived and was taken to a barn as a barn cat. He was super skittish. I adopted him when he was over a year old and have had him about 7 months now. He will come to me because I am his food source and he will let me pet him but he is mostly just a scared bundle of nerves.

[SusanO]

My cats learned to use the door when I would put canned cat food on the other side. But I couldn’t keep the possums and racoons out so I closed it off. The critters kept tearing it up and getting in so I finally took an old metal license plate and duct taped it over the opening. They couldn’t get it open that way. There was no way a coyote would have fit in the opening.

[Chall]

Solo pet doors are guaranteed to keep raccoons out. Of course require electricity and a magnet on your cats color. I bought one 15 years ago for $400, still running strong (maybe needs some oil, it squeaks) but they cost over $1000 now.

Meanwhile one car will not use it. I’ve had 5 cats over the years, and this is the first who won’t use it.

[DMK]

It should have been a nightmare, but I could only imagine this raccoon having the best day of his life, so I mostly smiled while cleaning up the mess…

[GottaLuvIt]

I have tried to encourage use of cat door with his moist food and tuna. Negative on both. Removed the magnets at the bottom so there would be less tension for him. Negative on this also.

I will continue but not sure this kitty will be spending a lot of time outside unless he is supervised.

[endlessclimb]

Are his ears super sensitive or something?