Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To get a cat without a cat flap?

126 replies

Ansumpasty · 31/07/2018 20:14

Never had a cat before but considering adopting one as the children are desperate for a pet.

I would want the cat to be able to go outside and don’t like the idea of a little tray.
How do you go about this...are they let out, similar to go a dog, last thing at night to wee and first thing in the morning? I’m clueless!
Would it be selfish of us, and hard work, to consider getting one without a cat flap? Thanks!

OP posts:
Pinkprincess1978 · 01/08/2018 19:38

We have a cat but no flap - but not having a little tray where do you think they will go? Most likely in your neighbours gardens or other places that will make you unpopular with others.

AtLeastThreeDrinks · 01/08/2018 19:50

We can't fit a cat flap and just keep a litter tray for overnight. The cat doesn't really use it much so it's not a huge chore cleaning it –we just scoop it daily and completely change the litter each week.

Re pooping in your neighbours' gardens, cats will bury their waste. It's no different to foxes, badgers, whatever going in your garden.

@keyboardkate It's another little soul in the house –they're excellent company, entertaining, love you unconditionally. I've currently got a warm, purring cat sitting on my lap and I love it. I know cats have a reputation for being aloof but it's just not true.

LuluJakey1 · 01/08/2018 19:55

We only have a cat flap from the kitchen into the utility room where there cat litter tray is. They can't go out unless we are in the house. I don't like the idea of them wandering and possibly being hurt. If we are in the garden door is always open from April to November. They don't go far and there are no roads near us. At night they like to go out hunting in the land at the back but can get in our bedroom window.

I think cats hsould have a litter tray.

Bottleup · 01/08/2018 20:26

We've had our cat a year with no cat flap and I am so tired of being a slave to the door I am having one fitted this week! She shoots out whenever the door opens, won't come in when called, and the moment I give up calling her and lock up she's outside crying to be let back in!

Shmithecat · 01/08/2018 20:33

5 cats, no cat flap but 2 litter trays indoors. If I'm home (sahm), the patio doors are open so they come and go as they please, but we keep them in at night so litter trays are needed.

PixieN · 01/08/2018 20:58

I have 2 cats, a cat flap and a litter tray, which never gets used unless the weather is awful. They’re very happy cats and love their freedom. My younger cat is out a lot, but the older cat spends most of her time indoors. I like that they have the option.

In my previous house, I had a conservatory so left a window open until I realised you can put a cat flap into one of the panels. You can put one in most things tbh. One of my friends put a cat flap through a brick wall and that worked perfectly. The cats aren’t allowed upstairs - we have a door at the bottom of the stairs - which prevents them from dropping presents on our heads. We do have a patterned living room carpet though which is a nightmare when you’re trying to spot potential dead animals at some ungodly hour in the morning on your way to the toilet!

GreenMeerkat · 01/08/2018 21:01

Plenty of people have cats without cat flaps. Think you would struggle without a litter tray though.

lightonthewater · 01/08/2018 21:02

You don't have to have a cat flap. The cat will come to a window or miaow at the door . You need a litter tray initially until the kitten is old enough to be let out, or rescue cat. Then they stop using the litter tray themselves and find somewhere outdoors to do it.

speakout · 01/08/2018 21:04

I don't have a cat flap or a litter tray.

Two cats.

MrsFrankDrebin · 01/08/2018 21:04

We have four cats, all adopted - no one cared we didn't have a cat flap, but because I work from home that's never been an issue.

However, you must have at least one litter tray - cats, even 'outdoor' cats need that option. We only have two trays, one upstairs, one downstairs, because when we gave them more they only used those two, so we took the others away.

You will notice your cat/s are quickly in a routine of both toileting and going in/out if you're around to let them out. There is always a variety of poo in our litter trays in the evening/morning, so it appears they prefer to use the 'inside toilet' rather than the 'outside' options, but you can't guarantee to control where your cat toilets like you can with a dog, or another domestic animal which is caged, unfortunately.

Intrigued by the black and white cat comment about them being more highly strung - all of ours are black and white (deliberately so - they are around 65% more difficult to rehome because people like 'pretty' cats of different colours) and a bunch of four, unrelated, more chilled cats you could not hope to meet! In fact, I've seen the opposite in articles - that if you want a laid-back cat get a black and white one!

Wouldn't be without any of them (and we were never 'cat people' until we rehomed the first two 10 years ago!). Yes, they tie you to a certain extent, and you have to put the time in, play with them, interact with them, get to know them and what works for them, but when an adopted cat looks at you and says with their eyes/behaviour "You're my mum - I love you" there's nothing else like it!" (Can't seem to attach more than 3 photos, so here are 3 of them!)

To get a cat without a cat flap?
To get a cat without a cat flap?
To get a cat without a cat flap?
pilates · 01/08/2018 21:07

We don’t have a cat flap and manage fine but I don’t let mine out at night so we have a litter tray. The reason we didn’t get a cat flap is I didn’t fancy being out and the cat bringing in a bird/mouse/frog without my knowledge.

lightonthewater · 01/08/2018 21:07

Surprised by the number of people who have a litter tray for adult cats. I have had cats all my life and never used a litter tray beyond the point where the cat is going out regularly. Never had an accident. An adult cat ought to be able to last the night without toileting.

speakout · 01/08/2018 21:10

lightonthewater I agree, I have had cats all my life, as an child and an adult, never used a litter tray.

Our cats are kept in at night.

Granted my OH is a night owl while I am a lark, so he lets them out last thing- midnight or so, they spend the night indoors and I let them out at 6am while I am making a morning coffee.

Hushnownobodycares · 01/08/2018 21:18

We have a cat flap and but I'm still commanded to open the door when the lazy baggage is too tired to trot round to it Hmm

Wouldn't be without it though. I'd be on door duty all feckin day without it...

Ifeelshit · 01/08/2018 21:18

We have a tray, but they don't use it. They did occasionally when we didn't have a cat flap though.

HildaZelda · 01/08/2018 21:45

OP, if you're not willing to deal with a litter tray then please don't get a cat.

speakout · 01/08/2018 21:49

HildaZelda I have two cats and no litter tray.

I have owned 7 cats in my life and never had a litter tray.

Tika77 · 01/08/2018 22:02

I did this. One morning (school day) I countrd how many times I opened the door just to let the cat in/out. 8.
I’ll never have an outdoors cat again. (Not for this reason, I saw him run under a car when he got scared.... never want to see that again. He lived but I was hell worried for him every time he went outside.)

EnthusiasmIsDisturbed · 01/08/2018 22:11

In out old place we had a cat flap so Sir could go on and put as he pleased and bring in as many mice as he so wished

That all stopped when he bought home a huge rat (thankfully dead)

He has a covered litter tray he rarely uses

EnthusiasmIsDisturbed · 01/08/2018 22:11

On and put Hmm

In and out ....

speakout · 01/08/2018 22:16

I keep the doors open at the back of my house open anyway during the day, so cats can come and go as they please.
During colder months they only go out for toilet breaks, so none of the in/out things.

Purplejay · 01/08/2018 22:26

We had 2 cats for many years. We had a cat flap at our old house and a litter tray in the kitchen. One cat preferred to usethe litter tray and the other to go outside. On moving we didn’t have a flap. Still the one cat would wait rather than use the flap. She was very vocal when she needed to go out. When they got very elderly and both began having accidents in the house, we introduced a second tray upstairs which helped.

TooExtraImmatureCheddar · 01/08/2018 22:31

My cat goes in and out of the window in the kitchen, but also likes to sit on the doorstep miaowing loudly even when the window is open. We don’t always leave it open, don’t have a cat flap and he’s never shat/pissed in the house. My dad has 3 cats, all in and out all day, doors and windows shut at night, no litter tray and no accidents.

There are heaps of local cats - no one could possibly tell which cat was crapping where, before anyone starts. Oh, and even if I left him a tray he wouldn’t use it, so it would be pointless.

—I think keeping cats indoors is cruel—

SpadesOfGlory · 01/08/2018 22:33

We have a cat without a cat flap, works fine for us! Cat sleeps inside, has breakfast in the morning and gets let outside before we go to work....isn't seen again till about 6pm when he comes home for dinner! Goes out for a couple of hours after dinner and comes home about 10 when we shake his bag of food at the door.

He never comes home dirty or soaking so I imagine he finds shelter somewhere won't use the £60 fancy outdoor cat den I bought him

On days I'm not working I'll keep an eye out to let him in but tbh he rarely comes home during the day anyway.

pilates · 01/08/2018 22:59

Sorry I don’t agree a litter tray is not needed. My cat had a nasty case of diahorrea one night and every time she managed to get to the litter tray, bless her ❤️