microchip catflaps
Discussion
We looked into microchip cat flaps after one of our cats was badly hit by a car, we wanted a way to let the others out but not her. Unfortunately they didn't seem to be able to do this, only stop cats coming in. We did wonder and swapping it around but we didn't get that far with investigating.
This was a few years ago now so they may have improved (It wouldn't have worked anyway as our old cats have old style chips that wouldn't have read so we would have to have had them re chipped!
For normal use though I would recommend them.
One make is Sureflap http://www.sureflap.co.uk/
Maybe worth contacting them and see what they say.
This was a few years ago now so they may have improved (It wouldn't have worked anyway as our old cats have old style chips that wouldn't have read so we would have to have had them re chipped!
For normal use though I would recommend them.
One make is Sureflap http://www.sureflap.co.uk/
Maybe worth contacting them and see what they say.
bexVN said:
100% recommendation for Sureflap.Had one for 3 years or so now. First one was very early production and was replaced without question by Sureflap after it developed a fault. Second is great. Batteries last 6-12 months, so no cabling or mains supply needed.
It won't let you decide which cats you can let out, but it will allow you to programme in the chips of cats you want to let in. I suppose you could install it the wrong way round... Our rather timid, anxious cat got used to it within an hour or two.
I have had a Pet Porte for a few years now, it's been absolutely perfect and completely reliable, the only thing with the Pet Porte over the Sure Flap is that it is mains powered (though has a battery back-up in case of power cuts) so you do need a power socket within a couple of meters.
After years of feeding the neighbourhood and being woken to to fights erupting in the hall at 3 in the morning, the Pet Porte has been brilliant, I would thoroughly recommend one.
After years of feeding the neighbourhood and being woken to to fights erupting in the hall at 3 in the morning, the Pet Porte has been brilliant, I would thoroughly recommend one.
steviegunn said:
I have had a Pet Porte for a few years now, it's been absolutely perfect and completely reliable, the only thing with the Pet Porte over the Sure Flap is that it is mains powered (though has a battery back-up in case of power cuts) so you do need a power socket within a couple of meters.
After years of feeding the neighbourhood and being woken to to fights erupting in the hall at 3 in the morning, the Pet Porte has been brilliant, I would thoroughly recommend one.
Another Pet Porte user here. It's perfect. It becomes an "in only" flap overnight locking and unlocking automatically based on a light sensor which you can calibrate.After years of feeding the neighbourhood and being woken to to fights erupting in the hall at 3 in the morning, the Pet Porte has been brilliant, I would thoroughly recommend one.
It is mains powered, but you can power it from a 9v battery too.
It sems there is going to be an issue stopping a cat going out. They both have selected entry but but not exit. If we turned it aorund then all the controls are on the outside and you couldn't use the night mode.
We have 2 cat flaps in fact - outside to utility and utility to kitchen. I can see us having 2 installed one correctly and one backwards!
We have 2 cat flaps in fact - outside to utility and utility to kitchen. I can see us having 2 installed one correctly and one backwards!
Just had a quick look through the instruction manual for the Petporte i installed a couple of weeks ago. Although its a very good product - much, much better than the Staywell infra-red one that preceeded it - but it doesn't offer the facility to exclude only certain cats from exiting through it. So its probably not going to be suitable for your needs. You could, as others have pointed out install it back to front, but the controls dont look to be very weather proof.
Hi David,
We have a Pet Porte for our 2, biggest issue was trying to get dumb + dumber to work out how to use it....
You can set it so that they come in, and then cannot go out again, what you cannot do is set it so that one can come and go, but the other cannot.
Also be aware that it reads only the last few digits of the microchip - we have a cat in the neighbourhood that can come in, no matter how often we've reset the flap.
We have a Pet Porte for our 2, biggest issue was trying to get dumb + dumber to work out how to use it....
You can set it so that they come in, and then cannot go out again, what you cannot do is set it so that one can come and go, but the other cannot.
Also be aware that it reads only the last few digits of the microchip - we have a cat in the neighbourhood that can come in, no matter how often we've reset the flap.
I spoke to the reps of sureflap at the veterinary congress yesterday and asked them if there were any plans to let the cat flap be programmed so that you can choose which of your cats can be kept in and those that you want to let out.
She said they are working on this but there is no date as yet re: when it'll be launched. She didn't think there was much of a need for this but after I gave her some examples she realised maybe there is!
Good to know that they are working on it, shame there was no date though.
She said they are working on this but there is no date as yet re: when it'll be launched. She didn't think there was much of a need for this but after I gave her some examples she realised maybe there is!
Good to know that they are working on it, shame there was no date though.
Cheers Bex. I've emailed petporte so I'll see what they say.
Poor thing is shut in our bedroom today with food/litter tray etc so the others can come and go. She'll sleep I imagine but its got to be temporary yet we can't risk her getting out on her own anytime soon.
I'll work something out.
Poor thing is shut in our bedroom today with food/litter tray etc so the others can come and go. She'll sleep I imagine but its got to be temporary yet we can't risk her getting out on her own anytime soon.
I'll work something out.
For anyone interested Staywell have confirmed what the reps told Bex. There is a 2 way controlled flap coming but not yet.
They did point out that you can reverse the locking mechanism without having to turn the thing around. You keep the overhang bit inside and the controls. Might be the way to go for us I think.
They sent me the instructions if anyone is interested.
They did point out that you can reverse the locking mechanism without having to turn the thing around. You keep the overhang bit inside and the controls. Might be the way to go for us I think.
They sent me the instructions if anyone is interested.
Staywell Infra Red - AVOID! - had two units and umpteen new collar remote controls over about 5 years.
Total crap, main unit continuously going wrong, sometimes fixed by doing a reset, other times took batteries out and left them out a week, put back in and it started to work again randomly.
Collar remotes kept dying a death, and lost count of the amount of new batteries I had to keep feeding the collar remotes to keep them working. Also, unless the poor cat has it's head literally pushing the flap, it didn't sense the collar and open.
And then when it did unlock, would lock again if the cat hesitated for a second and pulled it's head away. Hence sometimes the poor thing would spend 2 or 3 minutes dipping it's head in and out against the flap, whilst the mechanism kept going 'unlock-lock-unlock-lock' with sod's law dictating the cat would push the flap itself on a 'lock' part of the cycle!
Oh and when it does 'unlock' it does it with a loud 'click' which sometimes made my slightly timid cat jump.
But now...someone recommended me a 'Sureflap'....and by jove, it's brilliant.
Customer service is second to none - I called and asked if I could have a 'white' unit with a 'brown' outside bit - no problem, they made that up for me at the factory and sent it out.
Piece of piss to set up.
Cat only has to get up to the unit now, and it unlocks without fault every time - and stays unlocked until the cat comes in.
And the locking mechanism moves very slowly, and almost silently, so the poor puss never gets startled by a click.
Been in the back door for over 2 years now, never needed attention either - almost forgot it's there actually! Brilliant product.
Total crap, main unit continuously going wrong, sometimes fixed by doing a reset, other times took batteries out and left them out a week, put back in and it started to work again randomly.
Collar remotes kept dying a death, and lost count of the amount of new batteries I had to keep feeding the collar remotes to keep them working. Also, unless the poor cat has it's head literally pushing the flap, it didn't sense the collar and open.
And then when it did unlock, would lock again if the cat hesitated for a second and pulled it's head away. Hence sometimes the poor thing would spend 2 or 3 minutes dipping it's head in and out against the flap, whilst the mechanism kept going 'unlock-lock-unlock-lock' with sod's law dictating the cat would push the flap itself on a 'lock' part of the cycle!
Oh and when it does 'unlock' it does it with a loud 'click' which sometimes made my slightly timid cat jump.
But now...someone recommended me a 'Sureflap'....and by jove, it's brilliant.
Customer service is second to none - I called and asked if I could have a 'white' unit with a 'brown' outside bit - no problem, they made that up for me at the factory and sent it out.
Piece of piss to set up.
Cat only has to get up to the unit now, and it unlocks without fault every time - and stays unlocked until the cat comes in.
And the locking mechanism moves very slowly, and almost silently, so the poor puss never gets startled by a click.
Been in the back door for over 2 years now, never needed attention either - almost forgot it's there actually! Brilliant product.
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