Cat going out, is a flap worth it?

[Orangelover]

My gorgeous little tabby boy has been with us 8 weeks and after a rocky start with his bowels and general nervyness he's now like a different cat, apple of my eye and I love being his slave

We've been letting him out in our fenced back garden when we're there which he likes, especially in the sun, but until today he's never shown any desire to venture further. However the little lad decided today was the day for adventure and off he want to check out some neighbouring gardens.

I could see him from my bedroom window, and he soon came back when the dogs three doors down barked at him but I was so tense! Is that something you learn to deal with as a cat owner?

Also, I needed to go out and didn't want to leave him out whilst I went out seeing as it was his first time going further but I felt really guilty. In the future I was thinking how nice it would be for him to have his own little door so Day/night he can do what he likes and not be governed by me and OH. I hate the thought of him going out and not being able to get back in if he wanted to.

So I'm thinking of getting a cat flap. Any recommendations cat lovers? And how do I go about this, does someone come fit it?

As you can see I am clueless

P.s photo of my boy

Get a sure flap that reads his microchip so no other cats can come in. They are simple to fit once you've made a hole, but if you're not confident with tools you might need to get someone to do that

Hello op, if your cat is an adventurer then a cat flap is the way to go. There are many types from the basic flap to the ones that scan your cat's chip and so prevent strange cats entering your home! Just google local cat flap fitter and they should be able to sort you out.

He's stunning! I've always had ats (38 years) and never once had a cat flap. I've always let them in and out when they've wanted to venture anywhere. My cats have always been kept in at night. I've been lucky as I've worked part-time, so they've always been in when I've been out.

If you do decide on a cat flap, the ones that are activated by a microchip (I assume you cat has been microchipped?) are best, and are fairly simple to fit in a wooden or upvc door (my husband fitted one for my son)

My Mr Cooper in the photo

Yes he's all chipped and ready, deffo need a chip one don't want all the neighbourhood cats coming in no matter how much I like them . He won't keep a collar on though My Auntie and MIL have always had cats and they questioned why he'd need one but he's just spoilt. I work shifts including nights and I think I'd rather not have to keep getting up and down to let him in/out especially with the winter coming up. Also I hate my front door and don't mind popping a hole in it

We have the Sureflap microchip-flap and it's fab. Only problem we have had is that next door's cat, who gets on very well with my cats, actually tailgates them and I have even seen him straddle one of mine to ensure he is right on their tail (excuse the pun) so he can follow them through before the flap closes and then he eats all their food and leaves again 😡

Having said that we have been really pleased with the flap and Sureflap has a great customer service department if you have any problems.

Your boy is gorgeous!

My cats have a sureflap chil reader flap. You can still lock it from the inside so they cant go out say at night or on bonfire night. I find i also have to put something in front of it as the cat will try to unlock it for hours and wear the batteries out.

We have a microchip one too. We ended up getting a new door that came with the flap installed already. It was from www.we-do-doors.co.uk

It was handy when we went on holiday too as the cats weren't trapped inside all the time and the cat sitter set it in the afternoon to 'in only" so they were in overnight

Yes it's definitely worth it - it's like giving your cat key to your house so they can get in when they want to/need to!

However don't put it onto the front door - it's much safer to let cats out from the back only so they can explore a network of gardens and not wander the streets.

The downside being they can bring live “presents” into the house for you

Mine is in the front door but we open onto a quiet street. It would be harder and more expensive to put it in the back as we have sliding glass patio doors. The cats do spend a lot of time over the back but they go over the front fence to get there

Another vote for sure flap here and I second the fact that they have amazing customer service- when I got mine a year ago there was a problem with something (can’t for the life of me remember what it was now- I think the battery cover may not have fitted correctly or something)- I phoned them up and they immediately sent a free replacement which arrived by first class post the next day!
Only problem I found was when I set it to ‘in only’ my cat was so desperate to get out at night that he would pound it until the catch eventually slipped and he could make his escape. After building many barricades failed to stop this behaviour I decided to let him come and go as he pleases and he couldn’t be happier. Not sure if this would be a problem with other cat flaps or not.

Hi OP, may I ask if you did anything to help him settle?

We've had our kitten for 1 week , he's a 12 week old rescue. He's so nervous and won't let us stroke him at all. He's also got an upset stomach. Not sure if it's nerves / stress or because of his food?

We're giving him whiskas kitten biscuits and felix kitten pouches. We started him on a specialist sensitive diet but we're told to wean him on to regular food once that had gone.

Any tips? Thanks!

When your little one is out having fun at midnight, you won't have to stay up until he chooses to return (albeit you'll probably get up at 2am to make sure he has come back) - that's when a cat flap is well worth it.