Cat flaps - any recommendations please?

[mckenzie]

Our two RSPCA rescue cats are settling in nicely. Socks looks as though he is itching to get out but they have nearly another 3 weeks to wiat yet (if we go by the 4 week recommendation from the RSPCA).

I'm looking at fitters (as we need it to go in a glass door) but now I also need to choose the cat flap itself.

Are there good ones and bad ones? Can anyone tell me what I should look for when choosing please?

TIA

bump

will your cats happily wear collars?
if so I would get a magnetic cat flap, as it minimises the risk of furry invaders. We've previously been burgled by a very cheeky Tom who would eat our cats' food, and then spray up the washing machine . Our last cat wouldn't wear a collar though, so we couldn't use a magnetic flap. Current cat will wear a magnet on her collar, and we are free from invaders.

Having seen to many horrific injuries from collars I would consider a microchip flap like the sure flap that recognises your cats' microchips and only lets them in.
Plus the sureflap seems alot more sturdy than the standard cat falps.

thank you for the replies. Our cats are both microchipped so I think I'll go for that one - that will also stop the strays anyway won't it?

Is Sureflap the only one that works with microchip? I like limited choice - makes it much easier

Pet Porte is the only other make, I think. I checked them out before deciding we'd give a normal catflap a go, and just see if we had any invaders - microchip ones are expensive! Fortunately the only marauding cat in the neighbourhood only seems to come in when the back door is open; it's locked out of its own house during the day and I don't think it knows how to use a catflap ... plus it's about twice the size of my two put together, and probably couldn't fit anyway!

We've got a PetPorte and it's absolutely fabulous! There is a newer design too, which is a lot easier to install than the older design (we've had both). It can also be fitted into glass doors, but ours is in a UPVC panel.

It's got a great "dawn-til-dusk" mode on it too, so it keeps our cats in the house at night automatically. This is easily switched off though, but I would hate for my two teeny girls to be out all night.

thanks EJD. I have a glazing company coming on friday to give me the quote and I'm going to show them the comments on the PetPorte website about fitting etc. Can you only buy them online from the one source do you know?

I got mine from Pet Planet, but you could do a search on the Google for other stockists, I'm sure. Hope the quote isn't too expensive!

I'd second PetPorte. They are fab. We bought online from the company

The only thing you need to make sure is that you are able to install them low enough in your door. The coil which recognises the chip is like a little porch on top of the flap. Our door (a) has a surround which makes it difficult to install very low, and (b) more importantly opens onto a step - so the cats would not naturally have their neck in close proximity to the porch thingie.

We solved it my building up their own little steps to the door.

You also need to check out the distance to your nearest socket from the door. They do supply an alternate longer-lead cable if necessary

thanks Alexsdad and EJD. The glazing guys are coming this afternoon and I'll show them the Pet Porte website so they can tell me if it should work okay in the door I've chosen. My trouble might be too, one cat is massive and the other is tiny so their necks are at different heights.