cat flap

h007

hi,

just looking into getting a cat flap for gizmo and was wondering which is the best to get?

infra red or magnetic?
is there any advantages or disadvantages of them?

mrtobs

Haven't tried the infra red ones, not sure how they work, but tried magnetic ones in the past - problems are that if the cat loses the collar, they can't get in! Also found that the magnetic bit would pick up all sorts of other metal bits & pieces - very uncomfortable for the cat. One of the reasons we got the magnetic ones was to stop other cats getting in but our (female) cats used to allow other ones in (males!) - by letting them follow directly behind them (like it was one long cat!), so it didn't really have many advantages. We just have a bog standard one now, no magnets or anything, but pretty happy with it (& much cheaper!).

rachiee

I had a bog standard cat flap with a lock on it and it did me for years until i got a new door and the people who fitted my door fitted a magnetic catflap, had nothing but bother with it as i have 5 cats and non were collars!! I wont let them wear them as we live on a farm and i dont want them to get hooked on things etc. We have had a duct tape the magnet down for a while now.

h007

are they interchangable? if i start with a magnet one and dont get on with it can i slot a normal one in the space?

Stompa

If your cat is microchipped then there's also this sort of thing:

http://www.sureflap.co.uk/

frivolous_fay

My friend had a magnetic one... she was constantly buying new magnets, and they kept bringing in rusty nails. She also had to weigh the flap down with coins because it didn't always close properly... sort of defeated the object!

We have a bog standard one... but then we've never had any trouble with strange cats.

nanokitten

I'd choose a basic 4-way one (with no magnet etc) but choose one which is the same sized hole as a fancier one. None of my neighbours cats can work the flap (they peer though the clear door and look perplexed at how my ktten manages to get in!). then if you have problems you can upgrade. The magnetic / infrared ones all har their pros and cons (such as batterys running out or the flap not opening if kitty approaches at speed (owch!)

h007

ha ha am even more confused now but thanks for your help!!
am sure i will stand for ages in [EMAIL="p@h"]p@h[/EMAIL] trying to decide!!

nanokitten

There are a few brands such as staywell that do a range of flaps which are the same size (but check as older models availablefrom some stores are a different size:
start with the standard 4 way locking one (so you can keep cat in or out or allow them through one way (say when you want them to come in and stay in).
http://www.petsathome.com/find/category-is-1+cat/category-is-1e+flaps/category-is-1e01+flaps/product-is-101052
then if you have problems with other cats then invest in a selective on such as this:
http://www.petsathome.com/find/category-is-1+cat/category-is-1e+flaps/category-is-1e01+flaps/product-is-101055
or this
http://www.petsathome.com/find/category-is-1+cat/category-is-1e+flaps/category-is-1e01+flaps/product-is-101058

also you don't say what kind of door its going into...

h007

nanokitten wrote: »

There are a few brands such as staywell that do a range of flaps which are the same size (but check as older models availablefrom some stores are a different size:
start with the standard 4 way locking one (so you can keep cat in or out or allow them through one way (say when you want them to come in and stay in).
http://www.petsathome.com/find/category-is-1+cat/category-is-1e+flaps/category-is-1e01+flaps/product-is-101052
then if you have problems with other cats then invest in a selective on such as this:
http://www.petsathome.com/find/category-is-1+cat/category-is-1e+flaps/category-is-1e01+flaps/product-is-101055
or this
http://www.petsathome.com/find/category-is-1+cat/category-is-1e+flaps/category-is-1e01+flaps/product-is-101058

also you don't say what kind of door its going into...

that is probably a good plan thanks
and it is going into a upvc back door.

chez22

It really depends whether you are likely to get other cats coming in, and you won't know that til you've got one! I had a 4 way lockable one by Staywell for years with no problems, then when my cat got ill he was being bullied and the cat was following him into the house. I changed the cat flap for an infra red - they are the same size - but one of my cats keeps losing his collar, 5 so far at £13 a go!
I'm still having problems with other cats so I am getting a Petporte microchip cat flap, the new ones are the same size as the Staywell cat flaps. They are quite expensive but it would have been less than I spent on the other cat flap and collars.