Cat flaps

[AlCalavicci]

Please tell me about your cat flaps .

A bit of back ground first ;
I have a kitten that is due at the vets next week to get vac neutered and chipped ( should of gone 2 weeks ago nut work commitments prevented this )
He is about 3 months old but has never been outside so I have the issue of training him how to use a cat flap and hoping he comes back once he is out !

So I need a cat flap , it will be fitted in a wooden door , I am not great with DIY so the easier to fit the better.
Should I get one with a chip in it so only my cat can use it ?
I have heard some a really battery munchers, how often on average do you have to change yours ?
Any advice on which ones to get or avoid would be much appreciated

Any other tips on letting puss out and getting him back in would also be very welcome ( due to the shape of my yard I can not cat proof it with the roll bar type devices )

I wouldnt let him out at 3 months.
Closer to 6 months, he might enjoy coming out to explore with you. If you go out shortly before food is due, you can call him back in with the reward of food.

We have a magnetic catflap. No batteries, but potential for collars (and hence the magnetic "key") to disappear.

One of ours worked the catflap out in about 5 mins - bribed through with me holding it open using dreemies, then again without me holding it open. He loves going outside tho. Girl cat will use the human door, and spend about 2 seconds outside before deciding it's far too cold, and the catflap is beyond her unless cat sticks are available.

I have the Sure Petcare microchip one and it's fab. I paid the extra and got the one you can control via an app, so you can see how long they're spending outside, give them curfews and lock/unlock it on the app. Think it was £150 and takes 4xAA batteries about every 3 months.

I’d use a microchip flap so he grows up with the clicking noise they make, Costco do them online. He is way too small for outdoors though so you’ve got 3 months yet until you need to fit one.

Thanks for the replies so far .
I am a little surprised ( but grateful ) for the advice to keep him in till he is 6 months old , I thought 3.5 months would be fine ( will be keeping him in for a while after his op )

@KittenVsBox I have tried t get him to wear a collar but he is a proper escape artist so I think I will have to get on that relies on a chip

@socksandshoes1

I have had a look at the app controlled ones , I like the idea of been able to keep a eye on him while I am not there , they look good but they are expensive ! But I guess I have 3 months to save up .

@Fluffycloudland77
I don't have a costco card , its time to make friends with someone that does I would of never though of looking there for one though so thanks for the tip.

As it seems I have a few months to get him use to using one I may buy one soon and fit it to a lump of wood / strong box and spend some time bribing shoving him through it.

Honestly I wouldn't bother going to such lengths to get him used to it. Why would he want to repeatedly go through a hole in a lump of wood? You're more likely to put him off it for life!

When the time comes, prop the catflap door open and stand the other side with some dreamies, he'll soon be through!
Then once he realises the paradise of outdoors, and the cost warmth and food of indoors, is the other side he'll be in and out easily.

Oh, also I had one of the GPS tracker collars on mine, but she managed to lose it within a week and it wasn't where it said on the map, so I don't think they're very accurate. Would not recommend, they're also very bulky.

@Icedlatte you are probably right but I may try it any way so can practice fitting it so I dont make a mess of my door when fitting it

@socksandshoes1
I think you are right , unless your cat is trapped the gps ones would not be much use , a cat can leap from garden to garden in a few seconds , it would take me ages ( unless I am been chases by a belligerent pooch ! )

I am a little surprised ( but grateful ) for the advice to keep him in till he is 6 months old , I thought 3.5 months would be fine ( will be keeping him in for a while after his op )

I'd be surprised at this too. I gather the thing is to keep them in until they're neutered which it sound like you're doing anyway.

Next thing they'll be telling us to swaddle them and make sure they don't lie on their fronts!

I have the catmate microchip 360w - I think it was about £40 on amazon. Don't know how it is to fit as I got it fitted when my kitchen was redone. It works fine with my cat's chip but doesn't have any fancy like an app which would be nice. I selloptaped open the flap for a while until cat got used to it and then set up the microchip thing. My back door where the flap is leads into a small porch where a small window is open for the cat to get in and out so I didn't have a gale blowing through the cat flap while it was taped open if you see what i mean. You can lure them through with dreamies though - easier if there's two of you to do that - one 'posting' the cat through, and one on the other side with the treats.