Is this the most expensive cat flap?

talulahbeige_2

We recently moved house and my 13 year old cat is now without a cat flap, she has had one all her life so is very confused at the moment.

We have a UPVC door and the landlord won't allow us to fit a flap in the current door. They said that we could install a flap but we would have to put a new panel in the door and then replace the old panel when we move out
A handy man friend is going to do this for us but as the door is in one panel it will cost £125 to do!
We are going to be in this house for a few years (we hope) and long term it will work out much cheaper than her using cat litter all year round but it just seems a ridiculous amount of money. Since we moved she has also become very attention seeking when we get home as she has no contact with anyone else during the day as she can't get out.


Can anyone suggest a cheaper way to do this?

Fire_Fox

Cat flaps can be installed in windows and through walls, would this not be cheaper than through your door?

talulahbeige_2

Its a rented house and we have to put it back as was so putting one in a wall or window isnt an option unless we replace the patio door unit when we leave which I believe is more expensive

clancy

If the handy mans cost of doing the job is included i think its not bad, at least you will have the panel for a time when you do need to replace it, im sure it will cost more to buy the panel in say 10yrs time, I have applied to my housing association regarding a cat flap and am waiting for a reply, but could also be told the same thing as you. Is it cheaper to have it put in glass if you have a window your cat can get in & out of??? (just an idea) I feel i need to have a cat flap insert as i find my cat likes to go out for the late evening and i am sitting up waiting for him to return as i dont want him out all night (he is 9 months) & im sure when the summer comes he'll stay out later & later

Fire_Fox

talulahbeige wrote: »

Its a rented house and we have to put it back as was so putting one in a wall or window isnt an option unless we replace the patio door unit when we leave which I believe is more expensive

Are there no small kitchen, bathroom or hall windows that the flap could go through? Someone on Purrs had a ramp made for their cat to get in and out of a high-ish flap.

talulahbeige_2

Good suggestion Firefox but all our windows are at least 5ft from the ground and the window ledges are too thin for her to jump onto, she's also getting on in years.
I've just wandered round the outside of the house to see if it would be possible

Dr.Shoe_2

Most of the cost is going to be labour. He is almost certainly charging you a daily rate rather than an hourly one as it will be difficult for him to find another half day job to make it up.

My advice is to watch what he does and so it should be possible to reinstate it yourself when you leave, it is an easy job. In fact I suspect he would be only too happy to show you as these little jobs are generally more hassle than they're worth from his point of view.

talulahbeige_2

Dr Shoe - he is a a FREIND, he isnt charging us labour, thats what freinds do.

Winkyboy

talulahbeige, this story might make you feel a bit better:

I have just had to have a cat flap installed in a glass conservatory panel. Toughened glass, Autumn Leaf pattern on it, cost of the glass was £260 including fitting.
Now for the cat flap it's self....
My cat refuses to wear a collar, so an electromagnetic type flap was useless. Lots of other cats in the area so I needed some way of securing entry for my cat only. My only option was a PetPorte Smartflap. This flap has a scanner that readt the microchip implanted in the cat. The cost of this cat flap was £102.

So..... total cost of fitting my cat flap was £362.

Now THAT'S the most expensive cat flap ever!!! :eek:

Have a great evening everyone.

Winky.

snapping_crocodile

To fit our cat flap we had to replace the botom panel of the UPVC backdoor as the original one had moulding on it. Replaced it for a flat panel, and that including fitting a cat flap (though not including the price of the flap) was about £60

Hannah_10

Thinking outside the box here a little... Have you ever seen a "brick-type venting kit"? Boyfriend sells them at work. You drill a hole in your brick wall and then the kit is all the plastic bits et voila- your tumble dryer hose has somewhere to go. It's not a tradesman job or anything, it's very much DIY.

Obviously a tumble drier kit would be all wrong for a catflap but the principle is the same in that if I can cut a nice square hole in my kitchen wall with a drill for a tumble drier, then I could do it for a catflap. Because of the width of a brick wall it might be a bit like her going through her catflap in a tunnel- but at least she'd have one. Your expenses for that are going to be minimal as your friend could brick it up for you when you go and a couple of bricks and a scrape of mortar costs next to nothing.

You'd want someone with a bit of DIY skill to do it but it doesn't require a builder. If itsounds possible have a read of the instructions within a brick type vent kit for a starting point (says about checking for wires/pipes etc).