Catflap conundrum!
Discussion
Was in the kithen about to retrieve my grub from the microwave and heard a noise by the door. Looked round and there was cat about to come in through the catflap. While I watched, she (a fairly small slender cat) barged in and the bloody door broke off its hinges in front of my eyes!
Next step was to try to stem the freezing blast coming in, so grabbed a sheet of paper and some sellotape and covered up the hole. Catflap door is now on radiator with busted piece superglued on and I hope it will hold, but I'm not feeling lucky because the Superglue was very viscous and didn't grab in 10 seconds, and that's usually the sign it's buggered. Should've used Araldite...
The catflap is only a year old; I guess the plastic must have been made brittle by the freezing weather. Great product Staywell, not.
Hopefully the repair will be strong enough to refit the door before cat wants a poo, otherwise she'll be faced with a sheet of A4 to get through!
Next step was to try to stem the freezing blast coming in, so grabbed a sheet of paper and some sellotape and covered up the hole. Catflap door is now on radiator with busted piece superglued on and I hope it will hold, but I'm not feeling lucky because the Superglue was very viscous and didn't grab in 10 seconds, and that's usually the sign it's buggered. Should've used Araldite...
The catflap is only a year old; I guess the plastic must have been made brittle by the freezing weather. Great product Staywell, not.
Hopefully the repair will be strong enough to refit the door before cat wants a poo, otherwise she'll be faced with a sheet of A4 to get through!
Staywell flaps are very weak. Our cat has broken his, and my Dad's cat has broken his.
In my view the weakest point is putting the 'lock' to one side, allowing the cat to put pressure on a full side of the door. Stupid design.
As for your problem, you do have a litter tray and litter handy - haven't you? Not exactly something that perishes
In my view the weakest point is putting the 'lock' to one side, allowing the cat to put pressure on a full side of the door. Stupid design.
As for your problem, you do have a litter tray and litter handy - haven't you? Not exactly something that perishes
My mistake, it was a Catmate catflap.
To my surprise the superglue held for the night, but the dear beast has just knocked the flap out again coming in after her morning dump.
Hopefully the local DIY shop will have a replacement, otherwise I'll have to dig the car out...
It is most annoying having a 6" square hole in one's house in this weather!
To my surprise the superglue held for the night, but the dear beast has just knocked the flap out again coming in after her morning dump.
Hopefully the local DIY shop will have a replacement, otherwise I'll have to dig the car out...
It is most annoying having a 6" square hole in one's house in this weather!
Edited by Simpo Two on Friday 3rd December 10:22
I think I do.
Anyway being snowed in I took a trudge to the local DIY store and luckily they had catflaps in stock. Unfortunately it was a Staywell, and I have to say that apart from having a stronger hinge design, it is inferior in every respect:
No tunnel (an optional extra you have to telephone customer services for) so the ugly cut edge of the door shows on the inside.
Flimsy plastic construction.
Bolts so small they almost pull through the holes.
Horrible loud CLAT CLAT action in use (the Catmate has brush edges)
Big draught blows through hinge gap at top.
The Catmate was superior in every respect *apart* from the hinge design which killed it after 1 year.
Anyway being snowed in I took a trudge to the local DIY store and luckily they had catflaps in stock. Unfortunately it was a Staywell, and I have to say that apart from having a stronger hinge design, it is inferior in every respect:
No tunnel (an optional extra you have to telephone customer services for) so the ugly cut edge of the door shows on the inside.
Flimsy plastic construction.
Bolts so small they almost pull through the holes.
Horrible loud CLAT CLAT action in use (the Catmate has brush edges)
Big draught blows through hinge gap at top.
The Catmate was superior in every respect *apart* from the hinge design which killed it after 1 year.
Stretch cling film over the hole. This will keep the heat in.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fErbxtKMOWM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fErbxtKMOWM
Roo said:
One of our cats is built like the proverbial outhouse and could break the catflap by running at it. We now have a catmate catflap and it's lasted very well.
One reason why the hinge failed might be because the little step (wot I fixed to the door outside so puddy doesn't have to scrape her ickle tummy) had 2" of ice on it - so the cat was coming in at a higher trajectory than normal...I use the word trajectory advisedly; I was in the kitchen once when she came in (re-entered would be more like it) and I'm sure she crossed the entire 11' of kitchen without touching the floor. Thing needs an arrester hook sometimes.
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