Need an ultra secure microchip cat flap

[OTheHugeManatee]

We have a Sureflap microchip cat flap which worked fine for a year or so at keeping local thug cats out. But a neighbour's cat has worked out how to shove in and now eats our poor wimpy cats' dinner every few days. I resent feeding the whole feline neighbourhood, can anyone recommend a more secure microchip cat flap?

[Fluffycloudland77]

Have you contacted them for advice?.

[OTheHugeManatee]

No - I've had rubbish experience with contacting companies recently so it'd genuinely not occurred to me! You're right though, I should

[StillYummy]

Does he defo push in? (Stupid) yummy cat liked to look at the local thug cat through the cat flap... Unfortunately this meant his chip was close enough for it allow thug cat in! No flap could save yummy cat from his stupidity!

[Icequeen01]

Sure flap have a really good reputation for excellent customer service so really would be worth you giving them a call. I seem to remember reading that someone else had a similar problem and Sureflap sent them a more powerful catch or something. I'm pretty sure the MD himself came out and fitted it but can't remember where I read it. Might have been one of the reviews on Amazon.

We have one of their pet flaps (we have two huge ginger boys) and have a similar problem with a neighbour's cat who will happily take on my two and is always ripping at our flap but luckily she is the tiniest little thing you have ever seen and hasn't got the strength to break in! I'm so impressed with her persistency that I occasionally give her a sprinkling of biscuits which of course just encourages her more!

[caroldecker]

My sureflap had the same issue, but it was my cat standing there looking at the thug that opened the door, not the catch failing.

[NameChange30]

Do you lock the cat flap at all? If not, you could try locking it when your cat's inside to make sure the intruder cat doesn't get in.

We have a SureFlap and we've had issues with our cats getting out when it's locked one way (to let them in but not out). They can hook a claw under the door and push the catch down. I was quite impressed by their determination and dexterity (!) but now I lock it both ways when I need to stop them getting out. (I keep them in at night and provide a litter tray.)

[OTheHugeManatee]

We have one nocturnal cat and one diurnal one. We did try locking them in at night but our punishment for daring to try and constrain them was all-night cat-pester. We like our sleep so we gave up

I've written to Sureflap, let's see what they can suggest. The thing is less than two years old, surely a £70 cat flap should last that long before becoming pointless.

[PinkSparklyPussyCat]

It might be worth giving them a call. We had a problem with our Sureflap as every now and then it didn't lock. We gave them the serial number and they confirmed there was a faulty batch of cat flaps and sent us a replacement.

[OTheHugeManatee]

I wrote to Sureflap, who wrote straight back asking for the serial number.

Apparently some very wily (or hungry) cats have worked out how to get their claw in under the flap in some models and hook the door open. But apparently Sureflap have come up with a fix that will stop this happening. So they're going to get back to me hopefully with a solution.

Bloody hope so, because otherwise the option is to buy one of these for £1,300

[NameChange30]

Ooh if they tell you about a magic fix please do share it here. Our cats can be wily!

[stealthsquiggle]

Sureflap were very responsive when ours was chewing through batteries and leaving our DCats locked out. Definitely try them, OP.

[OTheHugeManatee]

Well, Sureflap have been amazingly good. I sent them the serial number and they are sending us a replacement cat flap with catches on both sides. The customer service person said there have been issues reported with wily cats working out how to hook the door open from the outside - if that's the problem this one will fix it as the marauder won't be able to get the door past the outside catch. Really pleased and surprised by the quality of their customer service and hoping this will do the trick.

[Icequeen01]

So pleased you had good customer service. As I said in my previous post this is what I have always read about them. I will be calling them tomorrow as we have an issue where the cat flap mysteriously locks itself. It took my teenager to tell me it has a curfew setting and I think I have somehow accidentally turned that ion but for the life of me I can't work out how to turn it off! Hope you get yours all sorted.