Escape artist cat managing to break out of Sureflap Connect cat flap!?

[Castiron12]

We have the Sureflap Connect cat flap that comes with a hub and an app meaning you can lock/unlock it from your phone & set a curfew (which is really handy as we like to keep our cat in at night). It’s usually set to unlock around 6am, and locks again when it gets dark in the evening

However unfortunately the last few nights we’ve been having notifications that he’s “entered” the cat flap at around 3am (suggesting he went out). I spied on him a bit and he’s worked out a technique where he hooks his claw underneath the flap and pulls it towards him!! When the cat flap is locked, it allows cats to come in, in case they’ve escaped through a window etc. However unfortunately this also means that our little escape artist can manipulate that mechanism by sticking his head into the door, then as the outside latch opens, pulling the flap towards him!!

We tried manually locking it BOTH ways, however as this means it can’t then automatically unlock when his curfew his up, we’ve been woken up every morning at 5am by him bashing the cat flap violently!

It’s such a shame as the main selling point of this catflap is now pointless really. Can anyone give any advice or has anyone experienced this before?!

Ps. Picture of said cat attached as per “litter tray” protocol! X

Of, that’s a look isn’t it?

Email them and they might be able to send you an add on that stops the claw hooking, they have good customer service.

our cat does this. we lock it both ways once he's in, and when we're away. we wait for the notification to say he's come in then lock it he tried to get out for a couple of days then gave up, he doesnt try anymore now.

I have no idea (we have a sureflap but ours go out at night at will) but am here for the photo and what a lovely boy he is!

Thanks so much guys! I have heard that customer service for Sureflap are great so may give them a call. We may just trial a week of remembering to lock both ways on our phone once he’s in, then hopefully get him into a routine of waiting until a reasonable time (will invest in ear plugs…)
He pulled the Christmas tree down in protest the other night 😂😂xx

We had exactly this and they sent us a replacement part which literally only took a couple of mins to fit. It has a cover over the part where they hook their claw. Girlcat hasn't managed to break out since! Definitely contact their customer service.

Hahaha the look on his face is hilarious! Sat there with his arm over the side of the sofa....

The size of those paws though

He’s just gifted and talented. Knocking the Christmas tree over is entirely proportional.

Ah, the trouble is that your cat is too clever for the cat flap... I had the opposite problem where one of mine was simply too stupid to grasp that she couldn't go through it when it was locked, and literally smashed her way through more than one of them - I found the actual flap lying on the garden lawn! Some cats are simply not designed for locked cat flaps - I've given up and mine now roam free to their hearts content

I think you just need to unlock the cat flap and be done with it, let him roam to his heart's content

Ah that’s great @violetbunny thank you - will give them a call and let you know how I get on!
If no joy then I think as another poster has said we may have to accept he can come and go as he pleases 😂 but at the price of that cat flap for the luxury of controlling it I’d like to give it a try first!

He does look very cool and casual there doesn’t he 😂

@Castiron12 No worries, I'm sure they will be able to help. We put the replacement part in last year and it definitely did the trick. I just took a quick photo of ours in case that helps (excuse the mud, it's been pouring with rain!). You can see the bit that "snaps" shut and clicks into place has a plastic cover over it.

DD's cat (a large powerful Maine Coon) watched her locking the flap for several nights, worked out that the control knob was the bit to go for, then carefully chewed it off! DD found the knob lying on the floor, and Dcat sitting smugly in the garden.
Dcat also used to pull open the fridge with her strong paws and take out chicken portions- they had to fit a child lock!

I read this, and I'm glad that I have fairly dim ragdolls...

Boy cat has trouble figuring out how to open the normal cat flap (utterly ridiculous - for a cat that head-butts everything else, he just uselessly paws at the plastic window until me or girl cat pushes it open for him!), he has no chance figuring out how to get through the sure catflap thank goodness!

My petite, delicate girl can barge her way in or out of a locked cat flap. We had to block it with a piece of wood in the end - on the other side of the door so she couldn't dislodge that. BigFurryFluffit is twice the size but barely half as bright.

Yes my cat can do this. And if I manually lock it both ways she can just batter her way through it. We’ve had numerous smashed cat flaps.

A cat that handsome can get away with anything.

Mine has been known to break in through a catflap to get to his bowl.