Creative solutions for gap under expanding gate

Slinky

We recently lost our pet cat, and will be getting another in a few months. A neighbour has a large short haired cat, who is 'over friendly' to say the least. He will try getting in any house, garage, vehicle, anything. He just loves people.  Since our cat passed away, he's been trying to get into our catflap, without success because it's locked.  I've covered it up on the inside hoping that if he can't see in, he would no longer be interested, but that's done nothing. I've tried scaring him off by banging on the door, he just came back to see who was knocking!

I'm concerned that any new cat is going to be traumatised by this enormous cat trying to get in. I'm looking at ways to block the passage the door opens into, to keep neighbour's cat away. Apparently he's a British Shorthair with short legs, and the owner says he can't jump! We will get one that can get over it!  

I came across this expanding fence which we could put across the passage, but it has a gap underneath he could try and push himself under. I'm looking for a creative way of blocking the gap at the bottom, bearing in mine the postie will need to get through it to the door, and we need to get our wheelie bins out, so I'd like it not to be made into a permanently fixed width. It needs some sort of flexible 'skirt'. What could that be?

https://hssuk.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/H93892-Expanding-Wooden-Fence-1-1.webp

I don't want to drill anything into the recently rendered walls as this won't need to be there forever. The neighbours rent and may move at some point, or the cat will meet its maker.

sew_what

Buy a chip activated catflap - then only your cat can get in!

rob7475

If you use that expanding fence, whatever you attach to the bottom would also have to expand in the same way which complicates things and limits your options.

Could you not fit a gate across the passage? You could then fit it close to ground level so the cat can't get under.

Either that or one of these  

Slinky

sew_what said:

Buy a chip activated catflap - then only your cat can get in!

We already have one thanks. He's not able to get in, but that doesn't stop him trying! He used to upset our previous cat who would hurl herself at the catflap to scare him away, but now she's gone, he's intent on getting in. I don't want a new cat to be upset by this.

Slinky

I don't want to put a permanent gate up for what will only be a shortish term problem hopefully. It's also awkward due to the presence of downpipes, the shortness of the passage (about 8 feet) and the fairly narrow width at the front end. It's not a regular shape, it's narrow at the front and gets wider getting closer to the door (odd shaped plot).  I just need something to keep him away from the door, that doesn't stop access by the postie, and us getting our bins through. It wouldn't be possible to open a conventional gate towards the house as it would catch on the bins, and opening the other way you'd struggle to get round it.

Blooming cat!

searchlight123

Slinky said:

I don't want to put a permanent gate up for what will only be a shortish term problem hopefully. It's also awkward due to the presence of downpipes, the shortness of the passage (about 8 feet) and the fairly narrow width at the front end. It's not a regular shape, it's narrow at the front and gets wider getting closer to the door (odd shaped plot).  I just need something to keep him away from the door, that doesn't stop access by the postie, and us getting our bins through. It wouldn't be possible to open a conventional gate towards the house as it would catch on the bins, and opening the other way you'd struggle to get round it.

Blooming cat!

Pick up a second hand child stairway gate on ebay or similar. They can expand to a wider opening plus they go close to the ground. Should cost very little. Also check local facebook marketplace for this.

Brie

Are you sure he can't jump?  Our tiddly ex cat stopped growing at about 9 months and looked like a large kitten but could take a 7 foot fence quite easily.  

Personally I'd go for a bit of expanding trellis at the bottom of your gate or a piece of heavy duty wire fencing.  Another of our cats use to make a dash out the front door which was about 7 feet from a busy-ish road so we put the wire fencing across the metal cat so he couldn't go directly through that into traffic.  He always had to stop and launch himself over the garden wall which at least slowed him down a bit (& avoided any collisions.)

markin

Thick plastic fencing on the gate dragging 15cm along on the ground.

If the ground is level it wouldn't need to drag, but would need some sticks so it can't flap around.

Slinky

tonygold said:

Slinky said:

I don't want to put a permanent gate up for what will only be a shortish term problem hopefully. It's also awkward due to the presence of downpipes, the shortness of the passage (about 8 feet) and the fairly narrow width at the front end. It's not a regular shape, it's narrow at the front and gets wider getting closer to the door (odd shaped plot).  I just need something to keep him away from the door, that doesn't stop access by the postie, and us getting our bins through. It wouldn't be possible to open a conventional gate towards the house as it would catch on the bins, and opening the other way you'd struggle to get round it.

Blooming cat!

Pick up a second hand child stairway gate on ebay or similar. They can expand to a wider opening plus they go close to the ground. Should cost very little. Also check local facebook marketplace for this.

I was thinking of this when I frst started searching and ended up finding this fencing stuff. My problem with the style of tge child ones I've seen will be getting the wheelie bin out through it I think.

Slinky

Brie said:

Are you sure he can't jump?  Our tiddly ex cat stopped growing at about 9 months and looked like a large kitten but could take a 7 foot fence quite easily.  

Personally I'd go for a bit of expanding trellis at the bottom of your gate or a piece of heavy duty wire fencing.  Another of our cats use to make a dash out the front door which was about 7 feet from a busy-ish road so we put the wire fencing across the metal cat so he couldn't go directly through that into traffic.  He always had to stop and launch himself over the garden wall which at least slowed him down a bit (& avoided any collisions.)

The owners said he can't jump and I've never seen anything to suggest that he can. He can't meow either. Just a little squeak. It's certainly not a small size thing. He's a chunky chap.

I'm not sure there would be enough room for another piece of expanding trellis below to fit. And heavy duty wire fencing wouldn't allow for the thing to be opened.  I'm not anticpating using this with one end pivoting, it would involve picking an end up and moving it towards the other end.  I was wondering if some hanging chains, something flexible, would work.

Emmia

Slinky said:

Brie said:

Are you sure he can't jump?  Our tiddly ex cat stopped growing at about 9 months and looked like a large kitten but could take a 7 foot fence quite easily.  

Personally I'd go for a bit of expanding trellis at the bottom of your gate or a piece of heavy duty wire fencing.  Another of our cats use to make a dash out the front door which was about 7 feet from a busy-ish road so we put the wire fencing across the metal cat so he couldn't go directly through that into traffic.  He always had to stop and launch himself over the garden wall which at least slowed him down a bit (& avoided any collisions.)

The owners said he can't jump and I've never seen anything to suggest that he can. He can't meow either. Just a little squeak. It's certainly not a small size thing. He's a chunky chap.

I'm not sure there would be enough room for another piece of expanding trellis below to fit. And heavy duty wire fencing wouldn't allow for the thing to be opened.  I'm not anticpating using this with one end pivoting, it would involve picking an end up and moving it towards the other end.  I was wondering if some hanging chains, something flexible, would work.

Surely the cat would quickly work out they could just just push through the chains?

Could you use something like a shower screen sealant strip? They have a rigid top (in various depths) and a slightly flexible strip at the bottom, so the fence/barrier could be very close to the ground, but not touching.

Lots of design options available, but this is an example from Amazon

HNNHOME Clear Bath Shower Screen Door Seal Strip for 4-6mm Glass Up to 18mm Gap (Straight) https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B077YR7J7M?starsLeft=1&ref_=cm_sw_r_apann_dp_AZ61F71SMD0X2NPRSDN0

Or, there might be something suitable intended to fireproof doors?

Or perhaps something like a brush seal would work

https://www.screwfix.com/p/stormguard-heavy-duty-brush-seal-black-914mm/144tf

But none of those will work if you want the barrier to fold, to let people/bins through, and  he's a big boy who will throw himself against the flap, so he'll probably be able to knock that pictured one over in a jiffy. 

The answer is probably some sort of gate with a middle opening (if not retractable) to avoid the problem of the restricted space.

Edit: Looking at baby gates, not all have a bar at the bottom, and this one also retracts to one side.

https://www.safetots.co.uk/safetots-automatic-folding-retractable-gate-range-55cm-113-5cm.html