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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.

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Original poster

Microchip cat flaps - are they any good?

48 replies

LunaTheTuna · 08/09/2021 19:40

I have an 8 month old kitten. She's been allowed to go outside for a long time and is starting to become a typical cat, going off for hours at a time. She's quite adventurous!

A big white cat has appeared recently, and is chasing my cat. My cat, sensibly, rushes in through the cat flap, but the other cat has followed her in twice now. As soon as white cat sees me, it legs it.

I was wondering if it might be worth fitting a microchip cat flap. Please can I ask for thoughts and recommendations.

OP posts:

EatSprayGlove · 09/09/2021 07:20

We're on our second non app one. Highly recommend them! Batteries last well and no intruders.

MrsPelligrinoPetrichor · 09/09/2021 07:45

The one without the app is about £60 and it's great, we have never needed an app and it doesn't go through loads of batteries.

Motorina · 09/09/2021 08:08

Another vote for the basic non app one. It’s working great for me.

NeverTalkToStrangers · 09/09/2021 08:15

We've got a basic non-app Sureflap and it's absolutely fine, will do the job you want if you can't afford the more fancy one.

They come in standard sizes so you should be able to fit into existing hole especially if old one is Sureflap.

moohoop · 09/09/2021 08:26

We have on wrong keep the neighbour's cat out. It's fab.

Just be careful to replace the battery when the light starts flashing or the cat gets locked out or in!

Cazzovuoi · 09/09/2021 08:27

@LunaTheTuna

Is this the one with the app?

That’s the one we have! It’s ace because we can see who is at home and who is out plus how long they’ve been out for!

CovidCorvid · 09/09/2021 08:31

My sureflap does not work on my cat. They sent me a second one free of charge and that doesn't work.

The flaps aren't faulty because they work with the tester microchip we have.

The cat isn't faulty as the vet can pick up the chip easily in the cats neck. The chip is one which is compatible with the cat and did work briefly when we first got the flap.

Cat was so traumatised by the whole thing it refuses to go outside even if we open the door and hasn't been out for 2 years.

PeonyTime · 09/09/2021 08:49

We have a basic microchip one, and manually turn it to "in only" at bedtime. DC is very vocal if we forget to unlock it in the morning.
Not let us down yet.
Always set to allow anyone out during the day, so anyone who does get in unauthorised (never happened, but my old cat used to pull the flap open rather than push, so suspect he could overcome many catflaps) can get out again.

Cleanmean · 09/09/2021 09:40

We've got the non app one but our cat won't use it unless we tape the flap open. I've spent 2 weeks trying to coax and train him to use it with the flap down and making very little progress. I sometimes take the tape off as neighbourhood cats chase him in and he's terrified. Since getting our rescue 2 months ago I've never spent so much time in my life opening doors, closing does, standing at doors, waiting for my cat to decide if he wants to go out or stay in!!

MrsPelligrinoPetrichor · 09/09/2021 12:57

It took our cat ages to get the hang of the flap too,we had to keep posting him through and rewarding him He would still prefer the door being opened for him but he'll use it at night or when we're not in.

Shellingbynight · 09/09/2021 15:55

I've had a Sureflap (the basic one) for about ten years now - first at my previous house, and again at my current house. We've never had any problems with it, it works perfectly for my cats and no other cats have ever managed to get in. I change the batteries once a year.

Sureflap are also great if you ever need 'spare parts' - one of my cats tried to break out when locked in prior to a vet visit, he damaged it and Sureflap sent me a new doorflap and rotary locking mechanism free of charge, so it's good as new.

PlinkPlankPlunk · 09/09/2021 16:06

We have the non-app Sure Flap one and it won’t fine. I had to get extra tags for them as their own microchips move around and don’t always read, but the tags are really cheap. I would definitely recommend it

massistar · 09/09/2021 16:08

Oh what a pretty kitty!

We have the SureFlap one but when DCAT was a kitten she wouldn't come through it as it clicked. So we switched it off and now have a very expensive ordinary cat flap.

Snailhaterz2 · 09/09/2021 17:00

I've got the basic microchip one and it works fine in terms of not letting other cats in. One of the two cats I had got the hang of it very quickly - the older one took a lot longer (but then she really didn't want to go out very much). I now wish I'd bought the more flash type, so I could control cats going out as well, but I can't swap as I've got the large size and therefore have quite a large hole in my door. If you go through all the specifications you can check if the new one will fit into your existing door hole, btw - obviously its possible to widen an existing hole, but much harder to make one smaller.....

Original poster

LunaTheTuna · 09/09/2021 21:00

Thanks for the replies everybody.

I'm a little confused about some of the comments. Isn't it just like going through a 'normal' cat flap?!

OP posts:

hilariousnamehere · 09/09/2021 21:01

Kind of, but when they come in they have to put their head in and then it clicks open - mine were not super keen on the noise for a few days and then one day just went through as though they'd always been doing it :)

Original poster

LunaTheTuna · 09/09/2021 21:06

Does that mean she wouldn't be able to bolt through it like she does now to escape the dastardly white cat?

OP posts:

EssentiallyDisorganised · 09/09/2021 21:17

Mine come through pretty fast if there's another cat in pursuit.

Mumsgirls · 09/09/2021 21:43

Ours works well
Only Eric won’t use it if I am around, he sits in front until I open the door, sometimes he then sits outside the French door till I open it.
Obviously I am a well trained cat slave!

ElephantOfRisk · 09/09/2021 21:48

I just have the basic one and it's fab and the batteries last well as it's not doing so much. You can manually set it for in only if you want but our cat just comes and goes as she pleases. She's 14 now and a bit rotund but still gets in and out. She prefers to be let out the door and back in the flap but she will go out if we aren't around.

I think it's pretty standard in size but as we have a door with a metal skin, we got a thing that means you cut a larger hole to make sure that the metal doesn't interfere and it was fitted by a joiner who was already doing some work for us.

hilariousnamehere · 09/09/2021 22:12

Mine do shoot in so I think it's fairly quick - just the noise is different. My fluffy girl uses it as a doorbell if I'm sitting at the kitchen table - sits there with her head in it while it clicks clicks clicks until I get up and open the door 😂 but on the whole it's been really good and I've not had an intruder since I've had one. At one point I had several visitors a day stealing their food!

Shellingbynight · 10/09/2021 08:51

It is just like going through a normal cat flap. They can bolt in pretty quick IME.

When they start using it, they are a bit 'startled' by the sound of the click as it reads their microchip, and it makes them reluctant to go through. So I used to peg the flap open for a day or two (choose a time when you're there in case of dastardly cat issues) so they got used to the click, and they were soon happy to use it with flap closed.

Alternatively you can switch off the 'click' by removing the batteries and make it a 'normal' cat flap for the first couple of days so they get used to it and it smells of them, and then put the clicky batteries in. I've had quite a few cats in the past ten years and while some are initially hesitant, none of them has refused to use it.

TempNameChangexx · 12/09/2021 01:38

@LunaTheTuna
Yes it's a Sureflap one but it's 5 years old now

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