Cat flaps

[LadyDanburysHat]

Looking for some advice on cat flaps. I have a 2 year old boy who does go out through an open window or door at the moment. But I'd like to get him a cat flap. Are there some that are better than others. Anything to look for in particular? He is quite a bit long legged boy, but I think a regular size would be fine.

I already had a quick look and definitely want a 4 way locking one, so I can keep him inside after a certain time.

I've only ever had Sureflap, latest is a microchip one as we had a few 'visiting' cats so it keeps them out!

Thank you, a friend recommended that make too.

The microchip ones are good to prevent other cats coming in. But if your cat is new to cat flaps my advice would be not to enable the locking mechanism until they are confidently using the flap. Some of them make aloud click and it can spook the cat. Get them used to quiet running first..

Be aware that if a cat can come in through a cat flap so can 'visitors' I don't necessarily mean intruders (though that can happen with the bigger dog type ones) but anything the cat can catch. Variously we've had birds, mice (alive and entrails), shrews and even (and I'm not even joking) a domestic rabbit.
As a consequence we now have a cat porch with a one way cat flap on the inner door so they can get out but only get as far as the door when coming in. Saves a lot of chasing around. You've never heard panic from an animal till you've heard a shrew!!

I had a wifi enabled sureflap one for my cat which was great. Through an app on my phone I could see when he was in or out, and control his access through the door if needed remotely. Also it had a timer on it as well for automatic locking/unlocking at certain times if required. As pp has said it also stopped unwanted neighbouring cats from coming in. Their customer service is also very good so I would definitely recommend one.

We also have the Sureflap Connect which is the one with the app, where you can see their comings and goings like a kitty Facebook.

Fat cat has entered through the cat flap.

Timid cat has looked through the cat flap.

etc

You can also lock and unlock on a timer, or remotely (there's also the Pet Door Connect, which is slightly larger and has slightly different controls/features so check out both).

But if your cat up to now is used to full butler services of having doors and windows opened and closed for him, he might be quite resistant to having to use his own special door, even though you might think this is an improvement.

We have an ex feral who lives with us and while the transformation into a domesticated cat over the last year has been remarkable (I can pick her up for a cuddle) she will not use the cat flap despite watching all the other cats use it day and night because she prefers to jump up onto the windowsill to be let in and will then sit by the front door and meow politely when she wants to go out again at least a dozen times a day.

The wifi ones sound great. @BarbaraofSeville I do wonder if he will refuse to use it. Hoping that he wants to go outside enough to just get on with it.

If you buy one OP, shop around. I've just had to replace one of ours because its gone a bit mad, but it is a few years old and we have 4 cats that use the cat flap (plus one that doesn't!) plus we foster rescue cats so have a lot of comings and goings, and it's at the front of the house, where most of the wind and rain comes from, and we're not as on the ball as we should be as with keeping it clean of hair and dirt (in my experience cats are clean animals because they wipe all their muck onto other surfaces) and I've had quite a bit of advice from Sureflap but I think it's now easiest to get another one, because I'm fed up with going through endless email cycles, reset procedures and still finding that it's randomly not allowing one of the cats in or out.

Anyway, the cheapest I could find was from Viovet - if you get one, make sure you get the flap and hub together, although the Viovet website does show and price these clearly unlike some others.

Thanks for that, really helpful.