If you have a cat, one of the questions you have to ask yourself is whether you want to install a cat flap or not. Cat flaps are usually installed in your back door and are used by your cat to enter and leave your house. A cat flap gives your cat easy access to the outdoors.
The cat flap was apparently (this is not proven) invented by Sir Isaac Newton, who was looking for a way to give his cats the ability to go in and out of the house as they pleased, so he would not be disturbed.
Many things have to be taken into consideration when thinking of installing a cat flap. One of the best cat flaps is a cat flap containing a microchip reading device because this would prevent other cats from entering your home. In this article, I discuss cat flaps in detail and their advantages and disadvantages.
Ordinary cat flaps
One option is to purchase an ordinary cat flap (2-way manual), which would allow your cat to come and go when it likes. This could be a major advantage, especially if you are out all day, and wish your cat to be able to go in and out when it likes whilst you are out.
One major disadvantage, however, is that there would be no way to prevent other cats and animals from obtaining access to your home. You are, however, able to lock the flap, so you will be able to have some semblance of control over your cat’s comings and goings, especially at night.
Another option is to purchase a model that offers a 4-way manual, which means that you are able to choose whether to have it open or closed, or whether to make it exit only or entrance only. It has the same disadvantage as the 2-way model, however, in that other cats and animals will still be able to enter your home.
Magnetic cat flap
Magnetic cat flaps work by only allowing access to a cat wearing a magnetic collar, so this should prevent stray cats from being able to access your home. One major disadvantage to this system, however, is that if any of the neighbourhood cats wear the same magnetic collar, they would also be able to obtain access to your home.
Cat flaps with microchips
What is a microchip?
A microchip is embedded under your cat’s skin and is usually placed between its shoulder blades. Each microchip is given a unique number, and that number is entered into a central database along with your name and contact details. If your cat is ever lost, its microchip can be scanned by a vet or an employee at a cat rescue centre using a special scanner so that you may be reunited with your lost pet.
Your vet will be able to install the microchip on your behalf, but please bear in mind that they do make a small charge for offering this service.
What is a microchip cat flap?
A microchip cat flap can be used to prevent unwanted animals from entering your home. It works by scanning the microchip embedded in your cat’s fur, only allowing access to your cat. You can enter the number for your cat’s microchip into the cat flap’s memory, and can even enter more than one number if required. This is useful if you have more than one cat in your household.
Why are cat flaps with microchips better?
Each microchip has a unique number, so you do not have to worry that another cat may obtain access to your home using your cat flap. If another cat were to enter your home, your cat could become very upset as it would feel that other cats were impinging on its territory.
Where should a cat flap be installed?
A cat flap can be installed in walls, windows, or doors, so can be installed anywhere you feel is best for you and your cat. Your cat hates feeling vulnerable when it first leaves the house, so the cat flap should be placed in a position where your cat is able to go out with no fear of being ambushed.
If you are only able to install the cat flap in a back door, it may be prudent to hide the cat flap so that your cat is hidden from view when it originally enters your garden or patio area.
If you are able to, you should install cat flaps at different points around your home so that your cat feels that it can easily go in and out, and can escape if something scares it.
You should also ensure that you place the cat flap at a height that your cat is able to go through easily and safely. To discover the right height to place your cat flap, you should measure your cat, as not all cats are the same size. Most cat flaps are approximately 15 cm off the floor.
Advantages of installing a cat flap
Your cat can easily get back into the house if you are not there
Although you could easily let your cat out if you have to go out for the day, this could pose a problem for your cat. It is all right to leave your cat outside in the summer, when the weather is warmer, but would not be such a good idea in the winter when the weather is much colder.
Your cat could also be concerned that it does not have access to a safe haven if required, so may become anxious and apprehensive about going outside. I know, for instance, that my own cat, Bess, becomes very anxious about being let outside if she is not able to come back in again. If your cat finds itself in a dangerous situation, it is able to get back into the house quickly and easily through the cat flap.
Cats can be very fickle animals – they can demand to be let out, only to immediately want to come back inside again, so having a cat flap would make it that much easier for you.
If your cat is left outside for the day and is unable to get back into the house, it could begin to wander around, with the possibility of it becoming lost or hurt if it was attacked by another animal or hit by a car, and that is something you want to avoid at all costs.
Your cat could easily become stressed – one of my former cats, Beauty, used to become agitated if she was not immediately let back into the house when she wanted. I shudder to think what may have happened if she had been left outside all day, with no means of getting back into the house.
Having a cat flap would mean that all that anxiety was a thing of the past because you know that your cat can easily go inside and outside as required.
If you do not have a cat flap, you may have to leave a door open
If you have a cat like mine, you may find that you have to leave your back door or window open to allow your cat to come and go as it pleases. I am much more reluctant to do this in the winter months, however, because it does make the house feel cold.
Another disadvantage to leaving the back door or window open is that other animals could obtain access to your property. You do not want to find that the food you leave out for your cat is being eaten by other cats in the neighbourhood. Sometimes my cat, Bess, can be sitting on the window ledge, contemplating whether or not to go out, when another cat jumps up at the window, attacking Bess, leaving her feeling anxious and afraid.
You also have to remember to shut the door and window if you have to go out, and have to check whether your cat is safely inside or not. If you do not want to leave your back door or window open, you have to keep checking if your cat wants to come back in or not.
If she is not able to get back in when she wants, my cat Bess simply stays by the house, and will not wander anywhere at all; she simply stays by the back door and will not move from that position until I arrive to let her back in again. It is very important that cats feel they have some semblance of control over their activity.
You can control when your cat uses the cat flap
If you do not want your cat to be able to go out at certain times of the day, such as your wanting to keep your cat inside at night, most cat flaps offer the facility to be able to lock the cat flap so that your cat can not go out at those times. If you purchase a more advanced cat flap, you can also pre-program when your cat is allowed to go outside.
If you follow this procedure consistently, your cat will feel less stressed because it is following a routine – most cats can become stressed by any hint of change to their routine. Although cats like the same routine, you are also able to program the cat flap so that it can open and close at different times – this is useful if you have to work late, and want to control when your cat is outside whilst you are not there to keep a watchful eye over it.
Another option is that if you have more than one cat, and one has an injury or has an appointment with the vet, you can program the flap so that only one cat is allowed outside. Following this procedure means that although you may have to give one cat medication, it does not interfere with the routine of your other cat.
If you purchase a cat flap that comes with an app that you can download to your mobile phone, you are able to program the cat flap remotely so that you can ensure that your cats are kept inside at certain times, or let out. You can also see what your cat’s activity is like, and can see when it comes and goes so that you can immediately see if there has been any change to its routine.
Any change to your cat’s routine could be a sign that it has become unwell, so you can take it to the vet if necessary.
It is best to keep your cat inside at night because cats are natural hunters, and consider that night time is the best time of day to indulge in this activity. Many animals are killed overnight by cats who roam around at night, so you could prevent this by ensuring that your cat flap does not allow your cat to go outside at night.
Many cats who roam, or feral cats, are mainly active at night, and can carry diseases such as FIV and/or the FLV virus, both of which are highly dangerous to your cat, and can be passed on during a fight.
Keeping your cat inside at night can also help to prevent it being attacked by a fox or other animal which also roams around at night.
Your cat may go to the toilet outside
If you install a cat flap to allow your cat to access the outside world when it pleases, it may begin to use an outdoor litter area more frequently, saving you having to purchase expensive cat litter so often. Please bear in mind, however, that your cat may still not wish to go to the toilet outside even if it does go outside more frequently. My cat, Bess, always uses an indoor litter tray, even when she goes out more often.
Disadvantages of installing a cat flap
When you install a cat flap, it is important to think of all the possible disadvantages as well as the advantages to make the decision that is right for you.
You have to teach your cat how to use the cat flap
One disadvantage is that you have to teach your cat how to use the cat flap – when the cat flap is first installed, your cat may be reluctant to use it, especially if pushing through the flap frightens it, and may need to be coaxed into it.
One way of teaching your cat how to use the flap is to place treats on the other side of the flap, to encourage your cat to go through the flap to obtain them. If your cat enjoys playing with toys on a string, you could throw the toy to them, and then use the string to pull it back, and hopefully, the cat will follow the toy through the flap.
Another option is to leave the cat’s food on the other side of the flap so that your cat has to come through the flap to access its food.
When you are teaching your cat to use the flap, it is prudent to ensure that the flap is held up so that there is no chance of it hitting your cat. If you wish, you could use sellotape to keep the cat flap open initially, while your cat gets used to using it.
As your cat begins to use the flap more frequently, you should hold up the flap less and less so that your cat can become used to pushing the cat flap open by itself. The most important thing is to remain patient with your cat because it may take some cats a longer time to adjust to using the flap than others.
You should never attempt to push your cat through the flap – it could easily become injured, and could also become scared of you. This would ruin all the hard work you have put in so far and could ruin the relationship you have built up with your cat.
Some cats may become scared by the noise the flap makes when it closes again – this may put them off using the flap in the future.
A cat may bring animals in through the flap
Your cat may bring in live or dead animals through the cat flap, so that is another disadvantage you must bear in mind before deciding whether to purchase a flap.
Cat flaps can be expensive
Purchasing and installing a cat flap can become a very expensive business, as you also have to factor in the cost of its installation, especially if, like me, you would not be able to install it yourself. Cat flaps are not always easy to install, so it may be best to consult an expert in this field before proceeding.
Is a cat flap a security risk?
It is always possible that an insurance company may not pay out on a burglary claim if it is felt that you did not take adequate measures to protect your home, such as ensuring that keys were not left within easy reach of the cat flap, where a potential burglar could put their hand in through the flap and reach the keys.
Keys should also never be left in a place where a burglar could place a long stick or another device through the flap to obtain access to your keys that way. You should never leave your keys near windows or doors.
You should not install a bigger cat flap than required for your cat to go through easily and safely; that way, children will not be able to fit through the flap.
Cats can go out at night if cat flap is not locked
If you forget to lock the cat flap, your cat could obtain access to the outside world at night as well as in the daytime. It is very dangerous for a cat to go out at night because there is a greater risk of it becoming injured.
Cat flaps can be broken
Cat flaps are made so that your cat can quickly return to the house if it feels under threat, but this also means that if a cat is determined enough, it may be able to break through the cat flap after your cat!!
The doorway will smell
As your cat goes in and out of the cat flap, it is highly likely that your cat will leave its scent on the doorway, which can easily be smelt by other cats in the neighbourhood, who may begin to congregate in the area!