Cat flaps in glass doors

[burninglikefire]

I am hoping to put a cat flap in a conservatory door. Have been quoted a price of about £220 to put in a flap (that I will have to purchase separately). Have been told that the glass of the door will need to be replaced and a hole cut before it is installed - nobody has been out to view door yet.

Is this consistent with other people's experience?

Also, can anyone recommend a good quality cat flap - garden is enclosed so it doesn't need to recognise microchips.

Thank you!

Yes, if it's a double glazed door then a new pane needs to be made - so you're paying for a new pane and the cost of that depends on the size. That sounds quite cheap actually.

I don't have any particular recommendations for cat flaps, but once you have the hole you can change the flap very easily in the future. There are only a couple of standard sizes and you can just loosen a couple of screws and then slide the old flap out and the new one in.

Thank you - that is really helpful. I liked the person I spoke to from the glass/window company so will get back to them to confirm.

yes, we paid the same amount as that in Essex last year. Plus £50 for the cat flap

Sounds about right. I paid 190 for microchip flap to be fitted into UPVC door. Took him 10 mins!

@25yearsnhsworker

Sounds about right. I paid 190 for microchip flap to be fitted into UPVC door. Took him 10 mins!

That must have been into a Upvc panel, which is totally different to fitting into double glazed glass. You were very definitely over charged.

We paid around £50 - DH took the pane out of the double glazed door, gave measurements to the guy who made a panel with a hole in that slotted into the door. We bought a cat flap off Amazon.

@cloudsbreezingby

We paid around £50 - DH took the pane out of the double glazed door, gave measurements to the guy who made a panel with a hole in that slotted into the door. We bought a cat flap off Amazon.

Ah yes - that is the cheaper way if you have the sort of door which can replace glass for a Upvc panel without looking terrible. Not possible in a door with only one panel or in patio doors though.

Update: I have decided to go with the £220 quote - this will involve replacing the double glazing in a standard full conservatory door, so price sounds reasonable when compared to costs reported from PPs.

I might be soon be asking for advice re how to get (not desperately intelligent) cats to use cat flap!

I had one put in an existing safety glass door. Unfortunately a couple of years on it now has a huge crack in it and the glass will apparently cost a fortune to replace.

That is interesting to hear, although I am sorry you have this issue. I had initially assumed that a hole could be cut in the existing door and the cat flap simply installed that way.

Our cat was about 4 when we got a car flap and he wasn’t at all keen. Lots of treats, holding it open so he could go through it without having to push it at first, more treats etc!
Didn’t take too long.
In my experience, they still expect you to open the door if they can see you inside because they are cats and we should be at their beck and call! But he definitely uses it without a problem when he needs to!

@burninglikefire

That is interesting to hear, although I am sorry you have this issue. I had initially assumed that a hole could be cut in the existing door and the cat flap simply installed that way.

Yes a hole can be cut in the existing door .

Ha, mine are quite treat focussed, so think I will be using this approach. They also seem to enjoy getting me to do things for them!

My cats are sulking because we got a catflap on Tuesday and I am not opening the door a million times for them to go in and out. We have taped up the flap so they can get used to it. We know they can use it because they have several times. But there is a bit a battle of wills going on. I'll let you know who wins. No doubt it won't be the humans..... (We did use treats on the first two days....they had a lot of treats....maybe only give one treat each time!)