Auto cat door?

[tim the pool man]

Couldn't see a specific pet forum so put it here...

My GF has a cat flap on the laundry door, her cat spends most time indoors but thoughtfully goes outside for her ablutions

Lately we have had a tomcat visiting and stinking the laundry up

Is there a cat flap that will only allow the right cat in? I'm thinking it would be activated by a chip or collar? Google only finds ones with "face recognition" cameras... a bit OTT?

[FlossyThePig]

You can get ones that use a magnet on a collar to release door. Tales of kittens getting attached to fridge doors. Cat can't get back if magnet falls off.

There are more sophisticated ones that detect the code from the implanted chip.

[thunderTS]

Yea you can get ones where the cat has a chip/magnet on its collar and this activates the catflap. Always good fun to see a cat trying to force the cat flap open with its head because its collar has fallen off!

[Marf]

http://www.petporte.com/ - reads the chip in their neck

I have one of these and it works really well. It can also automatically lock/unlock the cat flap when it gets dark if you keep your cats in over night and has a "vet mode" where you can allow the cat in but not back out again.

[Shaw Tarse]

I'm sure this question was asked recently, if the hamsters weren't hiding from the cat the search function might find the replies.

[SwanJack]

When we had a cat we tried the magnetic type, but the flap would only work if the magnet on the collar was directly next to the magnet in the cat flap, so most of the time the cat couldn't get in. We then used an infra red flap like this one http://www.petsathome.com/find/category-is-1+cat/c... which was worked brilliantly. We now have a dog that barks when it needs to go out, but is a git to get back in.

[Simpo Two]

Neighbours have an electronic one, but the batteries in the collars seem to go flat very quickly and water can get in, killing the system. One cat also likes the sound of the clicking as the door activates, so it just sits outside lstening to it clicking!

I knew a chap with the same 'roving tom' issue as you. He caught it and tied a note to its collar saying 'If you don't get this cat neutered, we will!'. Cat never came back!

[SwanJack]

Simpo Two said:

Neighbours have an electronic one, but the batteries in the collars seem to go flat very quickly and water can get in, killing the system. One cat also likes the sound of the clicking as the door activates, so it just sits outside lstening to it clicking!

I knew a chap with the same 'roving tom' issue as you. He caught it and tied a note to its collar saying 'If you don't get this cat neutered, we will!'. Cat never came back!

The batteries in the collar we had used to last a good 12 months. Never had any problems with water getting in.

We also managed to catch a problem feral Tom that was getting into the house to eat our cat's food. We managed to trap it in the house one drunken evening, but our plan didn't get as far as to what we were going do with it once caught. The Tom destroyed the cat flap to get out and left paw prints on the ceiling

[bint]

Marf said:

http://www.petporte.com/ - reads the chip in their neck

I have one of these and it works really well. It can also automatically lock/unlock the cat flap when it gets dark if you keep your cats in over night and has a "vet mode" where you can allow the cat in but not back out again.

+1, have one too, but as stated in other recent thread on same topic, make sure you don't have a dumb cat........

[Simpo Two]

Marf said:

has a "vet mode" where you can allow the cat in but not back out again.

'Vet mode'... marketing department working overtime methinks...

Mine does the same with a little plastic sliding thingy. Not sure what it has to do with vets though.

All you need a is a cat that duffs up intruders. I've heard some splendid 'boxing matches' through the catflap in the small hours of the night!

Edited by Simpo Two on Tuesday 18th August 23:41