Cat flap questions

[NomNomNominativeDeterminism]

I’ve seen lots of microchip cat flap reviews saying that the clicking is too loud and it frightens their cat. Are cat flaps basically all the same, and it depends whether the cats are especially nervous (or deaf)? Or does anyone know if some brands are louder than others?

Also how hard is it to fit a cat flap if you are rubbish at DIY? I’m thinking cost of paying someone to do it versus cost of buying appropriate tools and cost of repairing whatever damage I do to the door. Versus the shame of admitting my un-handiness to a competent person. All the adverts seem to focus on glass doors. Is everyone else cutting beautiful cat flap
holes in their wooden doors with ease? How hard can it be, right?

My cat is absolutely fine with his microchip catflap, unless he can see me, then he wants me to open the door. Because he's my boss.

I put it through the wall, using a 'tunnel' extension. I basically just bashed a hole in the wall with my SDS drill, then fitted the flap.
I'm very handy because I do things. YouTube always knows how if I'm unsure.

YouTube! Aha! Thank you.

And I’ve just googled ‘SDS drill’. Would you use that for a wooden door too?

It is quite a loud click but all cats i know have got used to it. I tied mine open during the day for a couple of weeks so they could walk through the whole without having to worry about pushing the flap but hear the click.

My cats aren't bothered by the clicking. Although sometimes I am when the demon sits by the flap and puts its head in, then out, then in, then out - so it's clicking like a metronome for several minutes but they aren't actually going through it.

I wonder if our cars are related??? Mine does this too!

Not SDS for wood, That's if you go through brick.
For a door drill corner holes with an ordinary drill (not hammer setting) then use a jigsaw to cut the sides. Remember that the flap will cover any rough edges so as long as you're not too far off you will be fine 😊

Thank you, cat flap advice and DIY advice all gratefully received!

Mine sits on the front door step and it activates. I used to wonder why we got through so many batteries.