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

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

The litter tray

Cat flap installers

24 replies

DragonRojo · 29/04/2016 06:50

I need to change my cat flap for a micro chip one. Unfortunately I am absolute rubbish at DIY so I don't dare doing it myself. Do you know of any company who might do it? I am in Wokingham (Berkshire)

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EustachianTube · 29/04/2016 07:10

If you're just swapping one over and replacing with another, it'd be a really really easy job, honestly. The hardest bit about fitting one is cutting the hole out and that's already done. If you measure your current one and make sure you buy the same size, it's just a question of unscrewing 4 screws, removing the catflap and screwing the new one in place. I'm sure you could do it. Failing that, you'd need an odd job person.

DragonRojo · 29/04/2016 07:30

Yes, I am just replacing one, I cannot work out how to remove the screws. They have some sort of cover which is totally stuck. I will try again. Thanks

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DragonRojo · 29/04/2016 14:53

I removed it!! Unfortunately the hole underneath is so large that none of the standard sureflap will fit. I need a Sureflap Pet door to cover it, and for that, I need to cut the hole even bigger. Off to find a handyman again! :-(

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Lonecatwithkitten · 29/04/2016 15:59

I used a standard handyman who did the job along with several other tiny jobs in a two hour time slot for £30.

DameDiazepamTheDramaQueen · 29/04/2016 16:06

Have you got the extra surround bit as well as the cat flap?

DameDiazepamTheDramaQueen · 29/04/2016 16:28

]]www.amazon.co.uk/SureFlap-Flap-Mounting-Adaptor-White/dp/B004Q5PK8W?tag=mumsnet&ascsubtag=mnforum-21]]

DragonRojo · 29/04/2016 19:05

Yes, I have the extra bit, but even that doesn't cover the hole. The person who installed the current flap must have had a pet rhino :-)

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PinkSparklyPussyCat · 29/04/2016 19:12

We've got the Sureflap pet door as Harry was used to a large door and, being a creature of habit, we didn't think he'd get used to a small one!

DragonRojo · 29/04/2016 19:18

I think I am going to go for the Pet door and check the local FB page for handymen. There must be 100s of people for whom this is an easy job. (I hope)

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DragonRojo · 29/04/2016 19:20

Anyway, thank you all for your input!

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PinkSparklyPussyCat · 29/04/2016 20:38

My DH is a handyman and he would do a job like this so I'm sure you'll find someone.

Davros · 30/04/2016 09:28

Try Silver Ssints (no connection) or do you have a local Streetbank page?

DragonRojo · 30/04/2016 18:14

Thanks Davros. I will try that

Pink, are you anywhere near me? I am still looking!

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DragonRojo · 11/05/2016 20:30

So, after numerous cancellations, I finally had someone come in today to fit the flap. I looked into doing it myself but I didn't have the confidence to cut a bigger hole into the PVC door.

Anyway, the silly cat is refusing to use it! I have spent all day pushing her in and out through it, and she is mightily pissed off with me. Ex-dh says she'll get used to it eventually, but I am worried now. I have a long commute so she normally spends over 12 hours on her own. I have visions of her not going out at all because she won't go near the new flap

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Katymac · 11/05/2016 20:34

Put a small amount of food on the other side of the door (maybe at the weekend & keep a litter tray for now)

DragonRojo · 11/05/2016 20:38

Yes, the litter tray is out. I really was not expecting this to cause so much stress to both of us. She has always been a nervous cat

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LowDudgeon · 11/05/2016 20:44

Can you tape the flap open while you're there so she only has the hole to go through, without the flap?

(Good job it's not midwinter!)

JennyOnAPlate · 12/05/2016 08:06

It took our cats a few weeks to get used to it. I think they don't like the loud click it makes when it unlocks. We had s few goes of shoving them through it and encouraging then through with tuna!

starsmurf · 14/05/2016 15:08

Can I ask what you think of the Sureflap pet door? I'm thinking of getting one as Starcat is rather large (I think he's part tiger). Do you use the curfew/timer setting?

DragonRojo · 14/05/2016 18:24

I don't use the curfew setting. My cat has finally learnt to use the door in unrestricted mode and I am setting it now to normal mode. Fingers crossed!

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unlucky83 · 14/05/2016 18:44

I got a sureflap ... I put cat outside, put my hand through the flap holding some ham brought it a bit closer then let her have it. Then I held it open and held some just through it - eventually she put her head through to get it. Then I put her out again and put some on the outside bit of the flap and some just inside the door so she could see it and eventually she came in to get it ...approached it with caution for a while after but used it ... (I think it also a bit stiffer than than the old one)
I read somewhere that the worse thing you can do is push them through one as it makes them associate it with being scared.
My existing hole was also a bit big but I put one screw through one existing screw hole and the other one just clamps the other half in place...and it is working fine so far.
I love it -I got it to keep another cat out and it seems to be working so far.
The only problem is my cat sees the other cat trying to get in and goes to fight it through the cat flap (part of the reason I got it was she was doing that before and it really noisy banging in the middle of the night -so I still have that problem) -and also it means that she is pushing it open so the bully cat could in theory force its way in ...but I don't think it has. In fact I haven't seen it around for a while so it might have given up (although it does disappear for months and then turn up again so maybe not...)

DameDiazepamTheDramaQueen · 14/05/2016 20:57

It took a week of pushing the cat through EVERY SINGLE time he wanted to go out or come in and eventually he got it. He still prefers to yowl and wait for us to open the door but he will use it if all else fails.

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RubbishMantra · 14/05/2016 22:31

A poster on here used clothes pegs, moving them further and further down, until cat got used to it. Maybe try spraying a little Feliway on the flap?

Failing that, you're doomed to spending all your free time waving ham/treat of choice about on the other side.

Even though mine have been used to flaps as kittens, they will sometimes mournfully stare through the cat-flap, until I open the door for them.

unlucky83 · 14/05/2016 23:15

I think sometimes refusing to use their cat flap is their way of reminding you you are their servant .
Mine will want to go out the front door (flap is in back) and stand next to it meowing pitifully - until I give in and let her out and then will come back in through her flap or go out through the flap and meow to get back in at the front ...

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