Best Cat Flaps...

Angelicdevil

It is time, my two gorgeous kitties are ready to be outdoor cats.

I've dreaded this day but always said that when they started meowing at the door/windows, it was time to let them free.

So, any recommendations on cat flaps please?

I'd like one that I can control so that in the evening they can only come in and not go back out.

I found a microchip sure flap one but I'm not sure if it's necessary to have a microchip activated one or not?!

What do you guys have and what do you like/dislike about yours?

mummyroysof3

Mines a 4 way one and after a couple of years use by 3 cars it's still fine. It's a petsafe staywell one and around £12 on amazon.

christineperseus

We've got the microchip Sureflap one - have just recently replaced it with their 'larger' model.
Works very well - but doesn't stop the other cats p*ssing on it when they can't get in!
We'd previously had flaps that were activated by things on the cats collars - but they kept losing them - the new infrared collar thingies were £13 a time - so it became cost effective to have the microchip reader one.
The cats haven't worn collars for 6 years now - but you can still see the marks where they used to be!

tea_lover

Ours is a staywell magnet one and it's pretty useless so far. Our cat has only just (as in this week) started going out and we want him safely inside overnight. That means locking the cat flap in the evenings but the wheel thing to turn is so stiff it's almost impossible to turn. Most days I give up and my OH has to hit it with a screwdriver.

The coming in side (the bit that needs the magnet) is also really stiff and the magnet needs to be really close. So if P's collar has moved round at all he gives up and comes in the back door instead.

He's also a b***** for getting out of his collar.

We think we're going to have to change it for a microchip one.

Marmaduke123

Ours is a magnet one, and no problems with it except for occasional loss of collar and magnet in the past. It doesn't happen so much now, possibly as the cat is getting elderly. We always keep spare collars and magnets.

I think there could be a problem if there were other cats nearby using the same system. Next door has just got a rescue cat so we'll see!

If we didn't already have a catflap I would definitely go for a microchip one, and we might have to change anyway if next door's cat proves a problem. You can get microchip ones which work on a battery now, previously they had to be connected to a power supply.

Willowpop

We have a sureflap microchip one and love it. The only thing I wish is that it would lock automatically at a set time so the cats can't get back out if we are out for the night. This one is run by battery…there was a company that did a mains operated one that was automatically timed, and I sort of wish we had got that one…but we are home most of the time, so this one is fine. No problems with it.

cabbage

I've only had one cat flap and its a micro chip sureflap one. The larger cat won't use it but the normal sized rescue cat loves it. I've had no problems at all. I got it to detect the micro chip before I got installed in the door which made things easier. Its great at keeping other cats out and the cats actually like sitting starting out of it for a window on the outside world

bouncydog1

About to change our ordinary one for a microchip one to keep out the grey fluffy pig that keeps coming in and eating three bowls of food! It's not afraid of anything and we e chased it off. Our three are terrified of it and sit and let it eat their food.

I also wouldn't have one where the cat wears a magnet as freak accidents do occur - like a paw getting caught under the collar to the extent that the cat cannot retrieve it which is clearly dangerous.

Sagz_2

I changed the normal Staywell flap to a Sure flap about 2 years ago as the local Tom was coming in and spraying everywhere.

The 4-way Staywell was fine until we changed it, and the Sureflap is good too. We did have a small issue with the catch sticking on the Sureflap but their Customer Service is excellent and a spare part was sent out the next day FOC.

franklally

I'm another one with a sureflap microchip cat flap and can't recommend it highly enough - we have the large model that our large 3 legged ginger Tom has no problem using.
I only wish I'd got one years ago

DD265

We also have a Sureflap - our cats are so much happier now that the whole neighbourhood isn't coming in! - and I agree that their customer service is just absolutely top notch.

We had a lot of problems with our second cat flap (first was white, we changed door and wanted a brown one!) and we ended up with three units at one point because we couldn't get two of them to work! The original was definitely faulty but I do wonder if it was user error (the batteries) with the second.