Cat Flaps

[dancemom]

Previously indoor cats now have a cat proofed garden and Boy Cat has become obsessed with being out there. All fine through the summer when we could sit with the patio doors open but now autumn has hit and it's too cold to have the doors open all day I need a solution which means I'm not up and down every 2 minutes letting him in and out 🙄.

What's the best option out there for cat flaps? Thinking I won't need a microchip one as it's only Boy Cat and Girl Cat ever in the garden

Must be as draught free as possible!

Anyone?

All cat flaps are a bit draughty. But the microchip ones the least because they need the microchip one to open them. Other ones can blow open in the wind a bit.

I have the Sureflap microchip pet door, and 2 cats (both are microchipped).

I set a curfew time on the catflap during the night so neither can get outside - they can still get back inside if they stay out beyond curfew time.

So far it has worked great.

My neighbours didn't want unwanted breeze in their house so installed 2 catflaps that worked like an airlock! Instead of installing a single flap in a door they got a builder to install the flaps in the wall... The builder removed bricks, created a smooth tunnel in the wall and installed flaps at either end. The cats pushed the first flap which in turn pushed the second flap and were able to get in and out very easily. When it was windy only the outer flap would be affected and the house was draught free!

We have a large catflap (cat hates feeling confined by the normal sized ones) which is operated by a magnet on his collar. It rarely blows open and edge of the actual flap has pretty good 'draught excluders'.

Another Sure microchip user here. We use the curfew setting - useful for overnight as well as vet visits. Also useful to see whether they are outside or hiding somewhere. We've got a tunnel as the flap is in a wall, but the flap itself is on the inside and it's not draughty enough to worry about another flap on the outside.

Same.

We got an expensive microchip one only for the cats to be afraid of the noise it made so we had to tape the catch down! Could have bought a cheaper one 🙄 No other cats ever try to get in though 🤞🏻

Thank you everyone!

Maybe microchip is the way to go then?
Do you get the microchips with the cat flap?
Do you just take it to the vet?
What sort of costs are involved?

They already have an internal cat flap that they use to access a cupboard one of their litter trays are in so hopefully they will learn to use an outdoor one pretty easily 🤞🏼

The vet microchips the cat. You program the flap to recognise the chip and that's what activates the flap and allows it to open

Thanks all

Cats current microchips are compatible which is good but I think Boy Cat will be too big for the cat door, I'll need to get the pet door to accommodate his width 😆

I also had to get the pet door rather than the cat flap due to a chonky boy.

Be mindful that just because you fit one, they may still prefer banging on the flap until you open the door, rather than going through the flap, like they do every other time when you're not there.

I have large breed cats, but they make a bigger size door that will fit a small dog -- I think I have that one.

You don't need a microchip catflap for the reasons you originally said. It would be really overspeccing things.

I had a Sureflap when my cats used to roam, and it was no less draughty than any other catflap.

My cats now have the same arrangement as you, they exit into an enclosed garden. I've had one of the flaps linked below for several years and it's absolutely fine, it's cheap as chips and no draughtier than the Sureflap.

Mine stay out all night, there is no reason not to with an enclosed garden, but the flap is four way locking should I ever want them to be able to get in but not out (e.g. for a vet visit!)

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00URXU6UE/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

That's interesting, I would have been going for a microchip one just to have it as least draughty as possible

The main draught issue is that the wind gets in 'round the edges'. Sureflaps are reasonably well sealed but no more so than the Cat Mate IME.

The wind doesn't blow open the Cat Mate (not that I've ever noticed anyway) and it's often very windy here.

One of the main benefits of a microchip catflap is that it doesn't allow other cats and animals to come in to your cats main territory (your home) and eat their food, though I'm sure there are probably a few smart cats out there that can figure out how to break in. 😂

We had a manual locking catflap and one of our little rotters worked out how to escape even when it was locked. The sureflap microchip one is brilliant and hasn't been breached yet.

Cats only go as far as the cat proof garden so other cats entering really isn't a consideration, the main aim of the microchip cat flap was to get the least draughty kind.

We have had 2 cats make it into the garden but then unable to get back out but both were petrified of big ginger Boy Cat so desperately trying to escape the cat proofing so I can't imagine any would try and enter the house.

Neither cat is particularly smart either 😆

Really appreciate all the info

I once locked my oldest male cat in overnight and he broke the Sureflap off its hinges and got out. Fortunately Sureflap sell replacement parts!