I Messed Up Big-time.

[Artistwolf]

So we're trying to teach our cats to use their new microchip cat door. Salt has figured it out but Pepper has not. Tonight we tried to get them to go through it by calling them. Pepper wouldn't come, and would just meow on the other side of the door. So I decided to just try to open it for him, but I couldn't get the door to pull toward me. So, like an idiot, I decided I would just push the door forward. And then if course when he started to get through, I stupidly took my hand away from the door (his body was in the way so...) and then of course it slammed on his tail and he hissed and yowled and ran.
And now he's never going to use that stupid cat door again and he might have even hurt his tail and it's all my fault.
I'm such a terrible cat owner and I don't know what to do anymore. He has to learn to use that door or my mom will hate him even more.

 

[Snakitty]

He could have hissed and yowled and ran partially from surprise (cats don't like surprises) and partially from discomfort, but give him a week without making him use the door. Make sure he's not injured. Then try again with many treats involved!

 

[Artistwolf]

Thank you... I hope that works. And good news, I thought he might have been injured earlier because he wasn't really moving the end of his tail and it was dropping when he had the rest of the tail up, but now he's moving it just fine and he didn't react in a painful way when I touched it, so I think he's escaped injury. I'd feel so bad if I hurt my kitty... he jumped onto my lap just about fifteen minutes later so it seems he's either forgiven me or didn't realize I had anything to do with it. I'm thinking maybe he thought his brother had done something, as when he hissed it was directed at his brother who was standing right there, and they sort of were in attack mode with each other for a second before dashing off and then calming down. I'm rather hoping that's the case... I really don't want him to associate that with the cat door. I'm trying to remind myself that lots of people make mistakes, some of which are worse than mine. I really hope the treat idea works. Do I have to actually buy treats or will any scraps of meat or something do?

 

[Snakitty]

Meat is fine as long as it is cooked and lean. You don't want to give them fatty scraps or raw meat. Whatever is high reward favored treat for them. And only give them that particular treat when they use the door, no other time, so they associate that particular treat with the door, and they know the only way they will get it is to go through the door.