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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

Cat flap with hunting cats

37 replies

MissHoney85 · 07/01/2022 21:27

I really want to install a cat flap so I can get rid of litter trays for my two cats. Currently we let them in and out during the day and keep them in at night. However they are quite active hunters (mostly voles, the odd bird / rabbit / squirrel) and are usually quite keen to bring their 'gifts' inside. The back door opens straight into the kitchen so I don't really want them bringing things in there. Is there any way to stop them bringing things in if we have a cat flap? Does anyone else have a hunting cat with a cat flap, and if so how do you manage it?

OP posts:

violetbunny · 08/01/2022 08:32

We have a cat flap and one of our cats is a prolific hunter.
Let's just say I'm now an expert at catching live mice.

JorisBonson · 08/01/2022 08:35

@violetbunny

We have a cat flap and one of our cats is a prolific hunter. Let's just say I'm now an expert at catching live mice.

I was coming here to say just that. But DH is the expert.

Adamsants · 08/01/2022 08:37

I am not sure you can stop them..we have had all sorts dead and alive

Beamur · 08/01/2022 08:43

My cat brought an adult rabbit through the cat flap. Alive and unharmed.
So, I would say there's nothing I am aware of that would stop this! Stopping your cat going out overnight would reduce hunting but you would need to leave a litter tray down really.

Original poster

MissHoney85 · 08/01/2022 09:50

Pretty much as I feared then 😭 I guess it's a matter of weighing up the lesser of two evils - stinky litter trays in the house or dead / nearly dead rodents!

OP posts:

Clemfandangos · 08/01/2022 09:55

@MissHoney85

Pretty much as I feared then 😭 I guess it's a matter of weighing up the lesser of two evils - stinky litter trays in the house or dead / nearly dead rodents!

Go for the litter tray......we have a large covered litter tray...really hides the smell and is preferably to trying to catch live birds/ animals or clearup dead ones often half eaten

AwkwardPaws27 · 08/01/2022 09:55

Our cat brought a wood pigeon in a few days ago. I thought he'd grown out of it (months since he brought anything home and he's under 2, so was hoping it was teenage curiosity on the previous occasions).

There aren't any cat flaps that can stop them bringing things in (yet - I did some searching when we replaced ours and there were some ideas in development but not yet on the market).

Our cocker spaniel robbed the cat of his prize, so it didn't go any further than the kitchen as we have a baby gate which we had closed as we'd popped out

AwkwardPaws27 · 08/01/2022 09:57

A reflective neon yellow collar seems to have coincided with the rodent victims stopping, or at least not being brought home. Worth a try?

BigHeartyTruffle · 08/01/2022 10:01

Will never forget the time our cat brought in a live bat 😫 seems to be an inevitability of having a cat flap unfortunately.

Lalallama · 08/01/2022 10:02

This is why we got rid of our cat flap. Changing litter is slightly nicer than finding a half eaten bird under the sofa.

If someone does ever invent a cat flap that prevents them bringing things in they'd make a fortune!

cliffdiver · 08/01/2022 10:03

Since confining DCat to the kitchen at night (he can still go outside via his cat flap) he's stopped bringing animals in.

DH's theory is that he likes to chase them around the house, so has stopped now he cannot do this.

PatriotCanes · 08/01/2022 10:06

We have a cat flap... with a ring doorbell type camera over it so we can see when/if something has been brought in. There doesn't seem to be a prime time over night, but if there is then we could set a curfew for those times. It's more seasonal so we have set an overnight curfew when they are on the 5 mice a night weeks.
We also have mice catching equipment of a pole (to poke), and a dust pan and brush for catching - if the mouse is still going you can pin them in the dustpan with the brush as long as the bristles are stiff. Has to be a hard bristled brush. Need to emphasise that!

They have bells and reflective collars. Even extra loud bells attached don't seem to affect their hunting prowess.

catmania · 09/01/2022 15:08

I really wish i could invent a cat flap that would automatically lock when it senses your cat approaching with a gift. I think i could retire on that little invention.

cliffdiver · 09/01/2022 16:38

@PatriotCanes

We have a cat flap... with a ring doorbell type camera over it so we can see when/if something has been brought in. There doesn't seem to be a prime time over night, but if there is then we could set a curfew for those times. It's more seasonal so we have set an overnight curfew when they are on the 5 mice a night weeks. We also have mice catching equipment of a pole (to poke), and a dust pan and brush for catching - if the mouse is still going you can pin them in the dustpan with the brush as long as the bristles are stiff. Has to be a hard bristled brush. Need to emphasise that!

They have bells and reflective collars. Even extra loud bells attached don't seem to affect their hunting prowess.

Do you have to let the cat in via the app?

PatriotCanes · 09/01/2022 17:00

Do you have to let the cat in via the app?
It's the Sure Microchip one with the app. You can set in and out times for the cats but they don't have to knock on the door to come in

cliffdiver · 09/01/2022 17:15

Thank you @PatriotCanes I was considering getting one if it meant I could refuse DCat entry if he tried to get in with a present

PinkSyCo · 09/01/2022 17:17

Keep your murderous cat indoors, or at least put a bell on it’s collar to give the wildlife a chance.

coogee · 09/01/2022 17:31

I really wish i could invent a cat flap that would automatically lock when it senses your cat approaching with a gift. I think i could retire on that little invention.

It has been done.

We just confiscated any prey brought in and he soon stopped bringing it in.

lickingintolockdown · 09/01/2022 17:32

I looked into this as in the summer we were receiving 'gifts' almost every night! There's a guy that designed one but sadly it seems very specific to the individual cat

metro.co.uk/2019/07/14/new-device-could-stop-cats-from-bringing-pet-owners-dead-animals-as-gifts-10286104/amp/

coogee · 09/01/2022 17:32

Anything caught inside we let him keep.

HunkyPunk · 09/01/2022 18:50

@PinkSyCo

Keep your murderous cat indoors, or at least put a bell on it’s collar to give the wildlife a chance.

I think you’ll find that wildlife has more to fear from man (habitats destroyed, pollution, chemicals) than from cats.

violetbunny · 09/01/2022 19:18

I have to say, a benefit of working from home is that I am alerted straight away if the cats bring something inside (as they do that "hey look what I caught" meow), rather than coming home at the end of the day to find a great big mess everywhere.

Fluffycloudland77 · 10/01/2022 07:06

You can never get rid of trays, it’ll be ok for ages but one day they’ll decide they aren’t going outside in that weather and wee on the carpet.

PoleFairy · 10/01/2022 07:12

We had a house cat with a litter tray and when ad moved to a quieter, country area we installed a cat flap and started letting our cat out. They completely abandoned the litter tray after a few weeks so I wouldnt worry that they would still need it. Our cat is a prolific hunter now though. We have started to keep him locked in at night. He usually comes in around 9/10 for the last time of the night and then we lock it. I tend to have to let him out at 6am when he comes and wakes us for a wee. Sometimes he lasts until 7. It doesnt bother me though as I can get back to sleep ok

gettingolderbutcooler · 10/01/2022 07:18

@violetbunny

We have a cat flap and one of our cats is a prolific hunter. Let's just say I'm now an expert at catching live mice.

Same here 😩

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