Chip operated cat flaps!

Yes we have one and they're brilliant. We had a lot of trouble with a wandering tom cat coming in and eating our cat's food and spraying all around the kitchen. No such trouble now. If another cat does get in, if your back door is open, for example, it can get out through the cat flap, but it can't get in unless you programme the cat flap.

I have one for Tara because her life was made hell by 2 local ginger toms coming in the catflap after her, spoiling for a fight. Tara is much more relaxed now. Mine is operated using 4 double A batteries. Be careful because some of the batteries on a couple of catflaps I looked at were not readily available.

To programme your cat, all you have to do is poke the cat's head and neck through the catflap and make the cat go through. I think something bleeped, I cannot remember. That should be sufficient. It will take a couple of times before he/she will use it readily as it is new to the animal.

Tara's doting mother hovered around a few times when she was going in and out but now I can relax!

I wish my cat would use a cat flap ! We fitted one but blocked it again because despite all types of encouragement she would jump on the window sill to be let in.

Mine will come in the catflap but expects the housekeeper, maid or doorman to be on hand 24/7 to let her out the front door unless she is desperate and then she hops through it very easily. She is bone idle.

Thanks all - sounds like a good idea then.

One more question - do they fit into the existing hole? The measurements are a bit difficult to work out.

I have one it has changed my life. We had a cheeky Burmese making a nuisance of himself. My Burmilla was petrified of him. I did have a Cat Flap Fitter, asked my local Pet shop for the contact Telephone number.It cost dearly I had a brick wall to work through, but worth every Penny. I have had it for 6 years and no problems, even if your Cat loses its collar it makes no difference. Mine is a PetPorte, you can email them with any problems. Good Luck.

Mine fitted the original hole in the front door. It is a bit finicky to fit it, way beyond me, but I got somebody to do it for me. Provided you buy an "ordinary" one you should be okay. I bought mine on Amazon and left a good review if that is of any help.

We have one for our two cats. Main reason was the neighbourhood cats pinching their food and toys. Saw one trotting past my French windows with a very expensive catnip toy. That did it. I don't buy Culpepper catnip toys for neighbourhood moggies.

We had to flap fitted, very easy to do and it works a treat. We did have some water damage due to a very heavy downpour and it stopped working. Phoned the company for advice and they sent a new one. This was fine until I accidentally broke it (don't ask) DH took it back to the company for the broken piece to be replaced and they, again, gave us a brand new one.

The only problem is if you have a slightly cheeky neighbour's cat who follows our big boy through the flap with his head on Oscar's bottom.

I would recommend one.

As anneey says it has changed our lives.

Ours is 'Sureflap' based in Cambridge. www.SureFlap.com

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We have one and it’s excellent, it’s been in use constantly for nearly 8 years, located in double glazed French doors in our smallest bedroom.

Another vote for the chip operated cat flap. I am, however, seriously considering upgrading (iro £500!) to one with a camera which recognises when the cat has something in its mouth and will not let him in. It’s an eye watering sum but he brings me ice anlmost every night. But what is really making me consider this is the occasional rat. Not often, but the last one was so aggressive that it seriously scared me. Can’t bring myself to lock the cat out.

My next door neighbour has one, installed because apparently (twenty years ago) my two cats visited to share in the food. I did mention that their cat visited my house likewise, and is still doing so, despite my cats having died a year ago. For the past few months a cat wails in the early hours; this morning at 7am I saw that it was next door's cat calling piteously outside their patio doors, blinds closed drawn and firmly shut, having tried outside my bedroom window. Perhaps the flap has stopped working but i shall not complain!

Agree with Charliegirl about the battery issue, my daughter has a flap but the battery has run out so now of no use until she has remedied the issue. Cat flaps are great but choose with care.

We’ve had one for years. A rather smelly Tom kept coming in and stealing food and spraying everywhere. Works a treat.

Did you buy one Kittylester ? If so you’ve now had it for 12 years 😄

We have one and also have an internet hub which means we can track the cats and see whether they are in or out. You can also put a curfew on so you can stop them going out. You can let one cat go out and the other kept in if necessary.

Oh dear Oreo, I really must check dates!

I have one and am very satisfied with it, because before we discovered this marvellous invention, we were troubled by entire tom cats coming in and spraying the passage or the wash house!

The flap only work, of course if your cats are chipped, and if you have suceeded in getting each cat to go through the flap when it was set up to record their chip. Not the easiest of tasks. I suggest you rope in at least one other person who is used to cats to help with this part of the process, which fortunately only needs to be done once for each cat.

You can close the flap entirely, so the cat or cats can neither go in or out (useful when a visit to the vet is looming, as running round the garden looking for the potential patient is no fun), or you can turn it into a one way only door, which is useful when as I often do (read every evening) have one cat in, and one out, and want both IN for the night, or if you don't want the cats in while you are painting a floor, or working with a substance harmful to them.

And this marvellous invention has a warning light that comes on when the batteries are getting low and should be changed.

We have one which DH fitted. One of our cats has since died and our remaining cat much prefers the door to be opened for him rather than have to struggle through the cat flap! Of course, all cat people know that cats have servants!