Cat Flaps?

[Queenie]

Hi,

I'm hoping some people on here can give me their thoughts on cat flaps. We're getting ready to move into our new house and I want one installed in the kitchen door. Our two furballs are pains in the neck for wanting to be in and out all the time and I don't want to be constantly opening doors when I'm trying to look after a baby.

Can anyone recommened a good quaity one that doesn't cost the earth or a site with reviews? The cats aren't allowed out after dark so we're after one that I can set to "in only" then lock overnight until I open it the next day. I think DH wants one that will also only allow our two in so we don't get all the local moggys having a party in our new house, so either magnetic or infrared.

I've never had one before and the only person I know with one just has a basic non locking flap as their cats go out any time of day. I looked on Pets at Home but their selection either have appalling ratings or non at all so I'm a bit stumped.

Thanks for any advice!

 

[TinkTatoo]

Staywell make good quality cat flaps and you can get ones that are 4 way locking which can lock them in or out or let them in then keep them in or let them out then keep them out. If you only want your cats to use it then you'll either have to get a magnetic collar one (which are OK but what happens if your cat doesn't wear a collar or looses his collar)

The other option is to get a cat flap that reads your cats microchip and only lets them in. If you Google microchip cat flap you'll get loads of info

 

[orlandothebeagle]

Also just to warn you, if you do what I done at night to keep the little dears in, ie set it so they can get in and not back out,my burmese used to batter it so it bounced,then hook it and pull it in the way and bog off out the cat flap, he done it so much he eventually bust it. Not sur if it was just him that mastered that trick or if other cats can do it!

 

[Queenie]

Interestingly it's the Staywell ones getting bad reviews on Pets at Home, kittens being able to break through them etc. Both our cats wear collars and will do from now on so that's not too much of an issue. It's more the security/locking aspect I'm concerned with as Tinkerbell is so tiny. She's not much bigger than some kittens and has been injured in the past so we definately don't want her being able to get out at night.

Also just to warn you, if you do what I done at night to keep the little dears in, ie set it so they can get in and not back out,my burmese used to batter it so it bounced,then hook it and pull it in the way and bog off out the cat flap, he done it so much he eventually bust it. Not sur if it was just him that mastered that trick or if other cats can do it!

I think that requires far more brain cells than either of my two have ever demonstrated even between them!! I applaud your cat's initiative though!

 

[poppie123]

I would also recommend the Staywell. We've had ours for around 5 years now and never had any problems.

We did start off with one of them magnetic ones but it was useless, the magnets the cats have to wear are quite heavy and our cats kept on losing their collars so they couldn't get in.
We switched to a normal 4 way locking one and have never had a problem with other cats coming in. We did have a grey one that chanced his luck and came in one day but he was soon chased down the garden.

I certainly would not get one of them infa red ones. My friend had nothing but trouble with it and half the time her cat would walk up to the cat flap and it wouldn't click to open. Poor thing would end up outside in all weathers. In the end she got the same one as me.