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The litter tray

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

Original poster

if you don't have a cat flap

28 replies

ArabellaBeaumaris · 29/10/2013 21:22

If you don't have a cat flap can you tell me about how it works?

We have two cats, currently keeping them in as they have only been here a fortnight, but they were outdoor cats in their previous home & we are happy for them to go outside.

However, we don't have a cat flap! We have glass patio doors, & I know it is a possibility to put one in there instead but DP isn't keen on that idea. We can't tunnel through the wall apart from at the front of the house, which we aren't keen on, feels wrong to have a cat flap at the front of the house! Or we can put a cat flap in the half height window in the downstairs toilet, about knee height from the ground (DP likes that idea).

Or we don't have one at all - but how does that work? Would be interested in hearing from people who don't have a cat flap about how it works in their cat's life!

OP posts:
RandomMess · 29/10/2013 21:25

You get harrassed a lot to open and shut doors to let them in and out...

barmybunting · 29/10/2013 21:30

We don't have a cat flap, we can't in the house we live in (military quarters) unless we replace the door so I'm afraid our boy has to cope without one.

If your two have been outdoor cats, they may have more desire to go out that our wee soul does.

We tend to work it by just leaving the door open for our boy when we are home, he tends to bring himself home every couple of hours to check that his human slaves are still tending to his every need, and is generally home by about 6pm most days.

But, he doesn't get out in the mornings before we go to work if one of us isn't back during the day, so he would be inside all day if we are out at work all day (this isn't that often when DH is home as he works strange shifts.)

If we are home, and popping out for a morning/afternoon, we just leave a lounge window open and the cat comes and goes as he pleases. Any longer (all day, overnight), he stays inside and all doors and windows are closed.

He also stays in at night.

Sparklingbrook · 29/10/2013 21:31

Sparkling Cat doesn't have a catflap into the house, but she has one into the garage, where she has a bed and some dried food etc. So if she is out and we go out she has somewhere to go.

She is always in the house at night.

suebfg · 29/10/2013 21:33

No cat flap but we have a cat litter tray in the house and I let them in and out pretty much as required. If I am going to be out all day, I either lock them or put them out and put their food/water in a dry place

TooTabooToBOOOOO · 29/10/2013 21:34

No cat flap here.

I let them out in the morning, they come in sometime in the afternoon to eat and/or sleep. They then go out again late afternoon, come in at tea time and usually go straight out again. I then call them when I go to bed, it's 50/50 whether they come in or not.

The only time it's a pain is when it is raining and Evil Cat goes from front to back door constantly, whining to check if it is still!

suebfg · 29/10/2013 21:34

PS I would never have a catflap again as other cats can get in and the cats used to bring lots of dead things into the house

barmybunting · 29/10/2013 21:35

Sparkling, that's a good idea about a litter tray in the garage.

TooTabooToBOOOOO · 29/10/2013 21:35

*still raining

DulcetMoans · 29/10/2013 21:36

Agree with random above, you just get moaned at to open doors all the time.

Mine don't have a cat flap and they just ask to go in and out. When the weather allows we leave the door open but most the time they just pick when they want to stay in or out. If they are out when we are out we have a greenhouse to keep dry.

Putitonthelist · 29/10/2013 21:36

What Random said.

My cat will go and sit at the kitchen doors and meow when she wants to go on and she'll sit and wait for me to let her in.

She stays out in the day while I'm at work, there are plenty of places for her to take shelter in our garden.

I keep her in at night. There are lots of foxes where I live which was one of the reason for not having a cat flap put in.

rowrowrowtheboat · 29/10/2013 21:37

We have never had a cat flap. We do what happened when I was at home as a child as it seemed to work for my parents.

The cats make a choice, if they go out when you are leaving the house, then they are out for the day. If we know we are going to be out for a long long time, the cats get chucked out for wees, and then called back in, or if they don't come back, they are out for the whole day.

At night, they are shown the door to go to the loo out doors half an hour before bed and are then called back in for the night.

Rarely had a problem.

Putitonthelist · 29/10/2013 21:38

*go out

Doinmummy · 29/10/2013 21:43

We don't have a cat flap. It is a pain. Doincat whines to go out. I open the door. Doincat stares at me and walks into kitchen. I sit down. Doincat walks back to the door and whines again. I open door. Doincat just sits there. I sit down . Doincat jumps on my lap and bites me. I jump up pick Doincat up and put her outside. I sit down. Doincat whines to come in. This happens eleventy million times a day!!

whethergirl · 29/10/2013 21:45

I am basically my cat's doorman. Drives me fucking mad at times. If I could get a cat flap, I definitely would (landlord won't let me).

I do have an outside insulated cat house that can provide warmth/shelter/food/water when needed, but of course my cat refuses to use it.

I have recently bought a tracking device that fits on to his collar, which at least means I can find him when I want him back home for the night.

ExitPursuedByABogieMan · 29/10/2013 21:45

We left the downstairs toilet window open. All the time. Brrr.

whethergirl · 29/10/2013 21:47

Snap, Doinmummy. Does Doincat ever do that thing when you open the door and they just stand half in, half out, sniffing the air, trying to decide if they do want to go out after all. While you're standing there freezing your tits off in your nightie.

cate16 · 29/10/2013 21:49

No cat flap for us as DH insists the are 'break in points' for burglars. (Like there's loads of very little teeny weeny people trying to get in- but still...)

Anyway, cat just asks to go out, and then taps in window when she wants to come in. When we're in the window is left open and she comes and goes as she pleases.

CooCooCachoo · 29/10/2013 21:51

Cat goes out when we go to work (leave biscuits and water out for her - and all her friends!) and comes in when we come home.

If weather bad, cat stays in all day with litter tray!

CooCooCachoo · 29/10/2013 21:53

Cate16, I managed to break in to my own house through cat flap when locked out once. I managed to hook spare set of keys from a hook on the wall next to door. Unless you knew the keys were there you wouldn't know (not visible) but I'd freak us out a bit!

CooCooCachoo · 29/10/2013 21:54

I'd = did

RandomMess · 29/10/2013 21:54

I find a gentle nudge with your foot to their rear whilst they ponder over whether to go out or not helps the decision making Wink

girliefriend · 29/10/2013 22:00

I haven't got a cat flap and it is a pain at times but most of the time its fine!

Cat stays in at night, normally I keep him shut in the kitchen, he has his food, water, bed and litter tray in there.

In the morning he goes out, he goes out normally for a wee then comes back in for breakfast then wants to go out again and will often stay out all day.

Its useful if you have a window the cats can come and go from if you are home otherwise you will find yourself opening and shutting doors a lot!!

Doinmummy · 29/10/2013 22:01

Whethergirl Yes!! Bloody cat!

whethergirl · 29/10/2013 22:04

Grin RandomMess I must confess it is a method I have often used myself.

Madratlady · 29/10/2013 22:29

In the summer the kitchen window is open all day till we go to bed, they go in and out that way. We had a funny incident one night where i stuck my head out of the window to call Girlcat in and got a cat in the face as she was already jumping in.

In winter they meow to go out and meow to come in, although I often don't hear them so they hang around in the garden till I do pen the door or window,