Are you
tired of listening to the cat is meowing up a storm or scratching up the door
to get in.
Let us look
at some simple solutions to this problem. Let us take a look at some of the
training aids to help train your cat to alert you to come in.
Put a small
bell on a string that hangs down from the door. This will allow the cat to play
with the string and ring the bell. This is a good learning tool to help both
you and the cat. Bells come in a variety of different sizes. A small one would
be the prefect size for a cat to play with so they are able to ring the bell.
Bells are very inexpensive and can be found and purchased most stores. Craft
store have them and are very inexpensive. String should hang down long enough
so that the cat can reach it with out jumping at it or having to use the door
for support. You can put a small amount of catnip on the string or in the bell.
This to will attract them to play with the bell. Get catnip in a spray, smell
this will help attract them to the bell.
Teaching
the cat to use the bell is another thing that you will have to do for them.
This is so they learn how the bell works to play with. The sound from the bell
will warn you kitty is ready to come inside.
When you
put the cat outside you will want to keep an eye out for them coming in and
show them to ring the bell. Once your cat rings the bell, you want to reward
them with a good healthy snack. As you help the cat ring the bell you will need
to open the door allow the cat to come in with a reward right as they can get
in.
Let us look
at another way of training a cat to use a cat door to entrance and exit in. You
can find cat doors and entrances in most large pet stores, on the web, or ask
you vet where you can purchase a cat door. The doors are small enough so that a
cat can get in and out when it wants to, and frees you up from having to attend
to the cat going in and out. One simple suggestion is make sure your cat is not
going to run off before installing the door.
These doors
can be installing right in your door, or possible next to your door for a wall
mounting. This is something that you will have to look at before purchasing a
door for the cat. Measuring the size of the opening is also important to look
at before purchasing. You will want to know the size that you are able to fit
the door in. You also will want to measure your cats’ height and width. To know
what size of opening you will need to get. When measuring the width make sure,
you allow at least a couple of inches more than the width of the cat. The
height from the shoulders to the back of the front legs this will give the
right height. With the many different types of doors, sizes, quality, and
sizes, a search in store or on the Internet would be a great place to start
looking.
Let us look
at the training for the cat to use the door. A cat will not automatically use
the door. Hold the door open and allow the cat to come in and out freely with a
reward of a simple small snack on each side. This will give the cat a chance to
know that they are able to do this. This could take time for the cat to use
with continue playing with the cat over a period, soon they will be entering
and exiting on their own. Something that you will not want to do is by using
the cat's nose and pushing the cat though the door opening. Open the door and
allow them to come in and out.
Once the
cat is using the door you will experience the freedom of sleeping though the
night, not having to stop what you are doing to let your cat in and out, and
possible no more kitty litter or mess where they should not be doing.
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