Want a cat but no cat flap... :(

RazWaz

I have 3 indoor kittens on a ground floor flat (huge rooms so loads of playing space). I think as long as you make sure there are lots of toys and places to climb/play cats can be happy indoors.

There is an enclosed courtyard outside my mothers flat so I take them down their in a carrier and let them play outside, but they don't really seem to like it much. They just shoot inside and play hide and seek under the furniture.

The oldest loves to hunt so I keep a window open and she has great fun stalking all the flies that come in, and I got this which has them all running around playing and hunting it down - they cry when I put it away.

Gold_Dust_2

I have 3 cats and no flap - they just tend to wait by the door and grab one of us when we're passing them by. They are all trained to use the loo outdoors, so no matter what time it is they will wake us up and get us to let them out. If its raining they will just sit in the greenhouse until they hear one of us passing by, then we'll hear some hopeful meowing.

mentaljessie

I live in a 1st floor flat and have 3 cats. Downstairs communal entrance is jammed with a doormat and I have a draught excluder which I use to prop open the door when I'm home. The other neighbour who has a cat flap is fine with this. My cats circumstances dictate this (19 year old with hyperthyroidism, 12 year old with epilepsy and 7 year old who jumps when I cough). I've had a few phantom sprayers in my experience coming up the communal hallway and trying to woo my girls, do you really want this in your home?

bjproc

i replaced the lower pane of glass in my UPVC door with one with a hole for a petsure microchip cat flap, was looking at the newer model as it gives curfew times unfortunately it's a bigger hole and i won't get the glass cheap as the father-in-law has now retired!!

my old cat used the magnet type but she lost a few collars so wasn't too handy!

KxMx

No cat flap here.
Lily gets let out via an open door or window when one of us is home for the day. That window is then left open so she can come and go as she wishes.
Come 7pm ish she is called in for her tea and then the window/door gets closed.
If after that it's hot and we need a window open then she is shut out of that room.
Basically I control access and she has to go along with what I say. I don't let her roam outside overnight or anything like that.

stir_crazy

No cat flap here and I have 2 cats and had one before these two. They go in and out of the window and stay inside with litter trays when we're out or after dark. If it rains they either go into our old shed or meow at the door to get in. My mum has kept cats for 20 years and never had a cat flap.

Considered a cat flap when we got the first cat but decided against it because of security reasons/ paranoia (we were told that they were a security concern).

martin2345uk

Thanks so much everyone. My mind has been put at ease! When I do make the leap, expect a few more cat questions from me - I've always lived with them growing up, but never been responsible for one