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Join our community of cat lovers on the Mumsnet Cat forum for kitten advice and help with cat behaviour.

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Join our community of cat lovers on the Mumsnet Cat forum for kitten advice and help with cat behaviour.

The litter tray

Anyone had any problems with the sureflap catplaps?

54 replies

DameDiazepamTheDramaQueen · 17/04/2016 13:49

Fitted one at great expense (!!) and cat is slowly getting used to using it if l hold it open and push him through but if I do the same from the outside it doesn't open

Cat definitely has his microchip in still as I got the vet to check.

Any ideas?

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DameDiazepamTheDramaQueen · 17/04/2016 13:50

CATFLAPS obviously

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MsWazowski · 17/04/2016 13:52

Are you trying to open it yourself? The cats head needs to be under the sensor to unlock the cat flap, so it clicks, then it can be opened.

RandomMess · 17/04/2016 13:53

Ours works for the cats but not the dog..

Goes through batteries quickly too

DameDiazepamTheDramaQueen · 17/04/2016 14:05

No, it's not opened once yet from the outside even though we've waved the poor kitty in front of it

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DameDiazepamTheDramaQueen · 17/04/2016 14:06

Maybe the batteries are dudds?

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MsWazowski · 17/04/2016 14:09

I haven't had any problems with mine, had it for over a year and not had to change batteries yet.

I've heard that sure flap customer service is good, I think their number is probably on the website. Maybe try that.

RandomMess · 17/04/2016 14:11

Hah - DH refuses to ring them up regarding our battery usage.

Have you read the instructions regarding the reflective thing being clean, they need to get their heads very close to the flap for it to unlock.

DameDiazepamTheDramaQueen · 17/04/2016 14:13

We'll have another go then ring the CS...

Thanks for your help

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PinkSparklyPussyCat · 17/04/2016 14:26

We did - it stopped unlocking for some reason. We phoned customer service and they told us there'd been a faulty batch and sent us a replacement.

Silly question but have you checked the settings? I'm pretty sure you can set it so the cat can get out but not back in again.

DameDiazepamTheDramaQueen · 17/04/2016 14:32

I've just had another look at where the sensor is and as it's through a wall and there's an extender I don't think he's been going in far enough! I'll have another go and if that doesn't work I'll phone them in case we have a faulty one.
I'll tempt him with a bit of fish!

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RandomMess · 17/04/2016 14:34

On a very positive note we have several local cats who have never managed to get in despite persistent attempts so it has been worth the hassle! including a roaming Tom

RandomMess · 17/04/2016 14:35

You could tape it open whilst you tempt him in. You'll here it "click" when it unlocks so you'll know it's working.

Icequeen01 · 17/04/2016 18:26

We are on our second Sureflap. Not because the first one broke but we changed our backdoor and I wanted the bigger size (pet flap rather than cat flap) as my elderly cat was struggling a little as the space was so narrow. We've never had any problems with ours apart from accidentally putting the curfew setting on so it kept locking and unlocking at certain times (we didn't even know it had a curfew setting!). Could you have done the same? Can you definitely hear the cat flap click so you know for sure your cat's microchip was programmed in?

The customer care at Sureflap is fab if you need help.

Lonecatwithkitten · 17/04/2016 21:42

The cats head needs to be right by the flap for the sensor to work. I find with new cats I need to prop the flap open for the cat the rush through and get used to the click before they are prepared to use it properly. I would think even more so where you use an extender.

polkadotdelight · 17/04/2016 21:46

Ours rarely needs a battery change and our cats have always been fine with it. It stopped 99% of unwanted visitors but we were adopted by a cat last year and he can open it by hooking his claw under the flap and pulling the flap towards him (clever little bugger!).

Tubbyinthehottub · 17/04/2016 21:51

When I first got mine the door stayed open after Tubbycat walked in. Customer services were amazing. They said he was probably being a bit slow and timid coming through and sent out a heavier door to replace, which worked a treat.

SickRose · 17/04/2016 21:51

Microchips can occasionally migrate. You said you had the vet check but were they able to say if it was in the scruff still? My MIL's dogs chip is on the top of his back leg!

DameDiazepamTheDramaQueen · 18/04/2016 00:19

It works!!!

I shoved kitty through with a bit more force,he meowed but it opened up!!

BUT the second time the door stayed open,so I'll have to keep an eye on that.

I WISH he'd get the hang of it so he can come and go so we can go out for longer

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Palomb · 18/04/2016 00:26

One of my cats just busts her way through it. I don't think the locking mechanism is all that good.

TimeIhadaNameChange · 18/04/2016 09:45

If he used to a catflap? I'm sure I've read that some cats, even if used to a normal flap, find the clicks disconcerting and need time to get used to using it.

My cat hadn't used a catflap before (at least, not at our house). What I did during the first week she had it was use a clothes peg to keep it fully open during the day when we were out, then at night I'd lower it slightly so she'd have to push it slightly to get through. Of course, I had to alternate which side it was open depending where she was (so it would always open the same was as it would if it had started off closed, IYSWIM), and each evening the peg was lowered, so she had to do more of the work herself. Finally, on the Saturday, I sat with a bowl of treats and threw them through the door then used them again to tempt her back in, with the door fully closed in the meantime. It did mean she was convinced for a while that the door ONLY opened if treats were in the offing, but she got there soon enough.

Good luck!

TheKingSits · 18/04/2016 09:50

Ours is utter crap and we regret fitting it, it works sporadically for one cat but not at all for the other. We end up manually locking ut at night, unlocking it in the morning and having it on training mode during the day... I never actually thought of contacting customer service though so I will do that post haste! Maybe we have one of the faulty batch.

DameDiazepamTheDramaQueen · 18/04/2016 09:50

I don't think he's used to a flap, he was a stray kitten we took on. Big breakthrough this morning was that he stood by the flap expectantly ,so perhaps this is progress!

Good idea about the treats, thanks!

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TimeIhadaNameChange · 18/04/2016 09:56

Treats solve everything in my experience!

You could try with the peg if you're going to be around (or just use it so the door's fully open otherwise) if he'd not used to a flap. Means he doesn't have to do all the work himself at the begininning, plus it's more obvious what's going to happen when he pushes it.

DameDiazepamTheDramaQueen · 20/04/2016 20:15

Success!!!

Went out and realised I hadn't let him out before I went and when I got back he was outside. He must've been busting for a wee so managed to get out - Hooray!!

I used loads of treats yesterday so I think that really helped.

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DameDiazepamTheDramaQueen · 20/04/2016 20:16

Now he's just got to figure out how to get in...

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