My Indoor Cat Won't Get In Her Cat House. Tips?

[Millie Cat]

I thought it would be very nice for my cat to have her own hang out. She pretty much likes the whole house, but I wanted to her to have her own special hang out cat house. She will not go in the house. It's a double condo. Could it be that it's too small? When she sleeps, she snuggles up into a small ball, so I know she could fit. She's very flexible and doesn't grow super big.

So is there anything I can try? She loves the robe. I put the robe on the platform right next to the house. She still loves to sleep on the robe. So she's right next to the house all the time, but won't go in it. I also tried putting food in the house. She struggles to eat it, but still manages too when she's hungry enough.

One thing I will say about Millie is she is a very scared cat. She comes up and rubs your foot when she's hungry. She'll let you pet her sometimes, but doesn't ever want you to hold her. So not sure if her personality is the reason why she won't get in the house. I just want her to love it because it seems like she would love something like it. Just trying to pamper her.

Any advice?

 

[Columbine]

Cats are renowned for not sleeping in those oh-so-carefully-chosen beds and condos that we think they'll adore Give her some time - she may come around to the idea. Nervy cats, especially, can take time to warm up to new beds or cat furniture. You never know, six months or a year down the line, she may decide it's the best thing ever!

Don't try and feed her in there - it's not a natural place for her to eat, and the rest of her routine needs to be as normal as possible.

If she likes catnip or valerian, spraying some of that around and inside the condo may help spark her interest. As she really likes your (presumably fleecy) robe, lining the bases (and even the top - which looks like a great perch to me ) of the condos with small, fleecy blankets (you can always get a bigger one and cut it to size ) may help entice her too.

Basically, though, don't make a big deal out of it. Its not unknown for it to take months for a cat to warm up to a new place - I've set things up for my girl, only to find that she has no interest until up to a year later! I'm sure that one day your girl will decide that it's just purrfect...and shes definitely VERY lucky to have such a devoted, loving mom

 

[Millie Cat]

Cats are renowned for not sleeping in those oh-so-carefully-chosen beds and condos that we think they'll adore Give her some time - she may come around to the idea. Nervy cats, especially, can take time to warm up to new beds or cat furniture. You never know, six months or a year down the line, she may decide it's the best thing ever!

Don't try and feed her in there - it's not a natural place for her to eat, and the rest of her routine needs to be as normal as possible.

If she likes catnip or valerian, spraying some of that around and inside the condo may help spark her interest. As she really likes your (presumably fleecy) robe, lining the bases (and even the top - which looks like a great perch to me ) of the condos with small, fleecy blankets (you can always get a bigger one and cut it to size ) may help entice her too.

Basically, though, don't make a big deal out of it. Its not unknown for it to take months for a cat to warm up to a new place - I've set things up for my girl, only to find that she has no interest until up to a year later! I'm sure that one day your girl will decide that it's just purrfect...and shes definitely VERY lucky to have such a devoted, loving mom

Thank you. I'm a male. But I will take your advice into account. Yea I was thinking about a certain spray. Looking at the pic, does it look the right size for her?

 

[madzoya]

My Bruce has a big tower with two houses in them, perfect for hiding and sleeping (or so I thought).

He loves the perches and will climb the tree often, spending 1/3 of his day there.

He never, ever, ever, went into the houses. He prefers the top.

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• madzoya
• Mar 4, 2017

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• madzoya
• Mar 4, 2017

He also never used any of the expensive beds we bought him and often sleeps under our bed, in the cold floor!

Cats will be cats.

 

[maggiedemi]

Some cats don't like to go in things that aren't open on all sides, they fear they won't be able to escape. It might be too small. A lot of those cat furniture and trees are too small for my cats.

 

[Millie Cat]

So maybe she might need a bigger house?

 

[jcat]

A bigger house might also be rejected. She may eventually decide she likes the one she has now, but a lot of cats won't use cat beds or houses at all. Others adore them. it's really the luck of the draw.

 

[Millie Cat]

A bigger house might also be rejected. She may eventually decide she likes the one she has now, but a lot of cats won't use cat beds or houses at all. Others adore them. it's really the luck of the draw.

Well I just ordered some catnip spray. Will spray this house and see if it works. One thing I can tell you is she loves the robe. And she also likes suitcases and baskets.

 

[jcat]

Most cats love fleece, so putting one or two fleece cat blankets in the cubby holes like Columbine suggested would probably work even better than catnip. The more like the robe they are, the better. If you sleep on top of them a night or two so they have your scent she'll like them even more.

 

[daisyd]

Gracie will only go in the basket (with the blanket in it) or the levels with fish hanging ! She has never in 7 months we've had the cat post been in the noce cosy looking house bit (which we now keep for toys when we tidy up).

 

[Millie Cat]

Most cats love fleece, so putting one or two fleece cat blankets in the cubby holes like Columbine suggested would probably work even better than catnip. The more like the robe they are, the better. If you sleep on top of them a night or two so they have your scent she'll like them even more.

Great idea. I'm going to look for some cat fleece. She absolutely loves robes, so like you said, the more like the robe the better.

 

[Columbine]

Thank you. I'm a male. But I will take your advice into account. Yea I was thinking about a certain spray. Looking at the pic, does it look the right size for her?

Sorry! It's a bad habit of mine to assume that people are female here - probably because there are more female members than male

As others have said, I don't think size is a particular factor here - it's much more about kitty preferences, and probably a natural suspicion of anything new. Try the great tips given here, and just give her some time

 

[Millie Cat]

So far I bought the cat fleece and catnip spray. She seemed very curious at first. But still never went in the house. I wonder if she is just scared of getting stuck in the house. Kind of weird though because she wanted to crawl in a suitcase. She spends a lot of time by the house, especially since the robe is near. But other than just looking at the house or smelling it, never quite tries to go in.

Could it be that she knows I want her to go in and is playing hard to get? She has seen me spray it and put the fleece in. She has seen me bring the condo in. Many times she will be by the house and will look curious, but will always look back at me to see if I'm looking at her.

 

[Elfilou]

All the tips mentioned above are great! My kitty isn't a fan of cat holes and hiding places, no matter how many I've tried, she much prefers higher, open spaces. However we do have renovations around the house, they started a few days ago, and to hide and feel safe from the noise she did make use of the hiding place in her cat tower for the first time since I got it a year ago. You never know!

It is a roomy hiding space though, mine can easily stand up and turn around in it, which makes it the perfect size i think. If you look at yours and feel like your kitty can't stand up in there without crouching it might be too small. You never know though. She does sound interested so one day she might decide to go in.

 

[maggiedemi]

Is it only open on that one side? My cats like it to be open on both sides, so they can escape from either side if they need to.

 

[Millie Cat]

Is it only open on that one side? My cats like it to be open on both sides, so they can escape from either side if they need to.

Yes it's only open on that one side as that's how it was built.

 

[elliesvictim]

If she's anything like my cat just tell her "no" when she goes near it and you'll never keep her out of it.

 

[Columbine]

Just be patient and give her some time. It can take some cats quite a while to warm up to new furniture. She'll use it when she's ready (or else she'll do what my old boy did, and decide that the top of the condo is a great perch instead )

 

[sargon]

My cat never liked her cat tree, and I was going to get rid of it, but I moved it in the process of throwing it out and suddenly she liked it! So, try a different spot, and you may get a better response.

With that said, she still doesn't like the tree as much as she likes some other spots. Some spots I set up that she really likes are: two window perches, a pair of ikea duktig doll beds with a cat bed inside them, the top of a bookshelf that she can get to, a large scratcher lounger. naturally she also loves both my bed and my housemate's bed (to a lesser extent), but those aren't just *hers* like the perches, etc.

 

[Millie Cat]

She spends a lot of time by the house. Sleeps next to it and looks at it but never made an attempt to go in.