Magnetic catflaps?

[schroeder]

My cat only pops out of the catflap if someone holds it open for her (I know that's a whole other problem). Lately we've had more and more feline visitors coming in to eat our cat's food and now I suspect some tom cat might have sprayed

So my question is if I get a magnetic catflap to stop other kitties coming in; will my cat have to be really close in order for me to open it for her?

We used a magnetic cat flap for a while but the cat kept coming in with tin can lids, spoons and any other small metal rubbish stuck to his collar. We gave up and got a normal one again.

It would normally open up as the cat approaches, so yes quite close. If the cat is only going to come in and out when you hold it for her then I would lock the cat flap at night.

A solution to the magnetic problem is a microchip cat flap that you program to know your cats microchip and only let them in. The other benefit is that the cat does not have to wear a collar.
Yes the cat does have to get close for the cat flap to unlock and the lock clicks and can be unnerving for some cats.

Crikey scurryfunge I've never heard of that before-have you got any photos?

We already lock it at night, but the cheeky sods come in at any time they fancy and have to be chased out. DH caught one halfway through the flap one day the look on it's face was priceless

Really we would love for our cat to go out unaided and preferably use outside instead of her litter tray.
Another reason I'm thinking of getting a magnetic catflap is that we got her from a rescue place where she had a cat flap. It's so frustrating that she won't use it, when we know she is able to(she comes in just fine). I worry that us locking the flap at night is confusing her and she thinks that people are needed to operate it.

No photos but it did look rather amusing...poor cat...just shows he'd been rummaging around in the bins.

clip a clothes peg on the bottom of the flap so it is held slightly open in the going out direction. That will encourage her to push it further to get out. They do learn to flick it up from outside to get in too eventually.
Also only leave her food down for 15 minutes. whatever she hasn't eaten by then throw away. This should discourage the other cats.