A cat flap is the best way to give your cat freedom of choice over when they go outside and come back in. Cats like to be in control of their environment, therefore by not having to “ask” to be let out a cat is likely to feel more happy and relaxed.
Having unrestricted access to the outside world will help to keep your cat mentally stimulated, as well as physically fit and healthy. Some cats prefer to go to the toilet outside, by having a cat flap you can reduce the chances of toileting accidents happening inside the house.
Are cat flaps safe?
At Pet Tek, we pride ourselves on offering unbiased cat flap advice. Generally speaking, cat flaps are completely safe. A cat flap is too small for a human to fit through, so the only precaution you should take to ensure cat flap safety is to always remove your key from the door. There have been very few cases of burglars putting something through the cat flap and using it to turn a key that has been left in the door. If you make sure your key is neither left in the door, or within close proximity to the cat flap opening, you have no more to worry about than those without a cat flap.
Having a cat flap could actually increase the security of your home, as without one you may be tempted to leave a window open for your cat to come and go when you are out – which is far more risky than a cat flap.
Which type of cat flap should I get?
Pet Tek offers a range of manually operated and multi-magnetic cat flaps that can be fitted into glass, wood, pvc or metal doors. Depending on your location and how many cats live near to you, you may choose either:
Manually operated cat flap – These are the original, basic cat flap which open when your cat pushes against the flap. These cat flaps are often easy to install, simple and tend to work well. Your cat does not need to be wearing a collar to use this type of cat flap. A downfall of this type of cat flap is that any cat can push the flap and come into your home.
Multi-magnetic cat flap – These work by attaching a small magnet to your cat’s collar which activates the multi-magnetic system within the door, allowing pet entry. Once the cat has entered, the locking latch repositions itself. An advantage of these over other electronic systems is that they do not require batteries, resulting in lower running costs and meaning your cat doesn’t get left outside when, inevitably, the battery fails.
How can I encourage my cat to use a cat flap?
Once you have installed your cat flap, you may find that your cat is reluctant to use it, particularly if they have never seen one before. Pet Tek are pet door specialists, and have compiled the following cat flap advice to help you encourage your cat to use their new cat flap:
If your cat is generally confident and friendly but is a little nervous to use the new cat flap for the first time, there are some steps you can take to encourage them:
- Fix the cat flap open – wedge the cat flap open, with a peg or other fixing, this will remove any visible ‘barriers’ for your cat.
- Stand by the cat flap – encourage your cat to come over to you. Place some treats on the floor in front of the cat flap. Repeat this several times until your cat is happily eating them. Next, put some treats on the bottom edge of the cat flap and wait for your cat to begin eating them. Keep doing this until your cat feels comfortable being around the cat flap.
- Go outside – leave your cat indoors and take yourself to the other side of the cat flap. Place some treats on the floor outside the cat flap and also on the bottom edge of the cat flap again.
- Call your cat – make sure you are sitting slightly away from the cat flap so that your cat can see outside, gently call your cat to come to you.
- Reward – if your cat comes through the cat flap to you, give them a treat as a reward.
- Try the other way – once your cat has successfully gone outside through the cat flap, take yourself inside and call them through. Give them another treat if they come through to you.
- Close the cat flap – once your cat is going in and out of the flap with it wedged open, try closing the cat flap and encourage your cat to come through the flap.
TIP: If your cat is particularly nervous or timid you may need to leave your cat flap wedged open for a period of time to allow them to get used to it. If you do this, keep a close eye to make sure no unwanted cats come through.
Pet-tek International Ltd (PTIL) was established in 1999 to manufacture quality pet doors. All our products are manufactured with the emphasis on quality. PTIL currently exports to over 20 countries either to sole agent distributors or specialist end users of pet doors. If you are a wholesaler to the pet industry, glass industry, a DIY chain, garden centre or a specialist pet door installer please make contact to obtain more distributor information.