Purrs In Our Hearts - Cat Forum UK
Cat General => General Cat Chat => Topic started by: Hippykitty on May 18, 2013, 19:08:01 PM
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Hello, back again! Have been busy house hunting. Finally got fed up with living in studentland amongst lots of property developers, bad landlords and students; though the latter haven't been quite so bad recently. Sold my house to a property developer and found a nice 1930s semi in a quiet owner-occupied area of B'ham. Have to go through the legals and actual move.
The new house has a tiny box room; on moving day I'm planning to move the cats first and put them in the box room out of the way of the chaos while the move is taking place. As most of you know, my cats aren't very obliging due to their feral origins, so I hope I can round them all up. Any ideas welcome.
Although I'm going to let the cats out of the box room after the move, they'll be kept in for about 2 months. Is this the right length of time? After this I'll put a microchip cat flap in the external back door and some strategic ordinary flaps in a couple of internal doors; my cats have a habit of playing "we're the wrong side of the door!".
Please recommend good makes of microchip cat flaps and ones for the internal doors which won't look odd. I can't remember whether the doors are upvc, but I think at least one of the internal doors is glass. Will this be an issue?
Also, I'm going to purchase a new vacuum cleaner. I need one which can cope with the fur of 6 cats and hoover upholstery. Please give some suggestions! I've looked at the reviews on Amazon and I'm so confused. :Crazy:
I'm looking forward to being in the new house, but not to the physical move!
Thanks in advance for any help. :thanks:
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Congrat HK on your impending move
I know some folks will be iffy but if you can bribe them with something like Tuna in Brine then you could ask your vet for some ACP tablets that can be crushed and it basically makes them go to sleep or sleepy and then they can be boxed up and moved with less stress all round
I have a Vax Animal and have a lot of hair and it works well on carpet, wood and tiles floors it is a bit noisy but does the job well
I think 2 months is fine but I would go for keeping them in over the summer if poss and letting them out nearer Autumn and Winter as bad weather brings the ferals home
Don't have catflaps so can't help with that one
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Fingers crossed everything goes to plan for you HK! :)
I think your moving day plan sounds good, although I did it the other way round - I cleared one bedroom and put all boxes/furniture from that room in the living room. On the day of the move I put the boys in the empty room with their trays, toys, beds etc. I then taped the door up and put several notices on the door saying don't open!
I moved everything into the new house and then upnpacked one room so it was a 'normal' room with no unpacked boxes/unpacked furniture. The last thing I went back for was the precious cargo and put them in the new room and then set about unpacking the rest of the house while the boys were in the new room.
I guess the problem you might have is that to complete the chain you will not get keys to your new house until you have given over keys to your old house? I was moving from rented so didn't have that issue.
I think 2 months sounds brilliant, and more than most would manage with whining cats! I think CP say a minimum of 3 weeks - I'd want 4-6 as a minimum if it was me.
Re the microchip cat flaps, I know several on here have the SureFlap and are very happy with the product and also the aftersales.
I have a Dyson and can't fault it, the amount of hair that comes out of my (clean looking!) carpets is :Crazy:
:luck:
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I think your plan v the cats sounds great and in your case the best way round but I would go with Helen and tape up the door with notices in the new houise.
If you can stand 2 months with them inside only go for it but would certainly make it 6 weeks min.
I also have a dyson albeit the first one and think they are great.
You need to make sure that all your cats fit through which ever flap you get and sureflap do two sizes now. Misa my giant couldnt get through the small one!
There are many ordinary flaps that you could use inside and for a glass door you would need a glazier to fit it but again you need to make sure the size fits all cats.
Good luck with the move ;D
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When I moved I borrowed a load of cages and put them in doorways then simply shooed the cats into them, my two girls are a pain and hate being in carriers.
I bought a Cat & Dog Miele, it's a little heavier than a Dyson but picks up stuff my Mam's Dyson missed
hth
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Thanks for the replies.
I think that sedating them sounds a good idea. If I can get them into the small room in the current house, feed them the tuna plus, they'll then be easy to cage and move to new house. At the other end, they'll be too dozy to be anxious.
I am a little concerned about the chain. I'm buying the next house with the proceeds of the sale of the current house, which has no mortgage on it. Will have the same problem at exchange of contracts when I have to pay the deposit: I won't have the deposit until I have money from my sale, so will see if it's poss to use my buyer's deposit for my purchase deposit. Hope that makes sense.
As I've been bought by a developer who is eager to start the planning process, I'm allowing her to come round with her architect etc. I'm hoping that she'll then be willing to exchange before I exchange on the next house, same with completion. A case of "you scratch my back cos I've scratched yours"! - the cats helped with that :evillaugh:
Been reading about the differences between PetPorte and Sureflap and prefer the battery operation of Sureflap though would have to buy the larger version because Fred is a monster :Luv2:
Please mention the model number of the vacs. There are so many different Dysons, for example. I had a look on Amazon to get some idea of what peeps thought of them and got totally confused. Easily done.
:thanks:
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Your solicitor should have explained how the system works.
If you own a house even with a morgage, the purchase is secured by the fact that your current house is owned, no deposit is actually paid by you at any point.
If you dont understand this you need to get your solicitor to explain it all to you..............I take it this is not a private sale?
Not a good idea to allow the deveploper access before exchange of contracts, they are ruthless and will never scratch anyones back!
If you ewxchange contracts with the developer before you exchange with the owner who you are buying from you are asking for trouble because the developer can force you out on the day stated in the contract and if the new property is suddenly withdrawn you are homeless!
The contracts protect you and there is a clause in each that if something doesnt happen after the exchange has taken place you have automatic redress at an amount/% stated.
You must get all this sorted now cos you are heading for potential trouble.
When I bought my current property I also sold to a developer who was horrific but owned the lease on my property in London.............you couldnt trust anything that even his solicitor told mine.
After the exchange and while on route to my new property my solicitor rang to say his solicitor said the developer didnt have the money...........a lie of course.............and because the money didnt go thro by the time stated in the contract............its usually a Friday and everything closes early..........I couldnt move into the new property. I had travelled with my cat from South London to SW Wales and my furniture etc was there.
This as you can figure caused a lot of problems and because it was late Friday and the owner of my new property was doing a DIY move everything was chaos and his solicitor went home early afternoon. I did not gain access until midnight monday and the developer had to pay interest and would have had to pay my costs also but to get them I would have had to take him to small claims court. That costs 5 or 600 just to start and I was too scared frankly and didnt want him to know where I lived.
As to sedation of your cats, this is a bad idea as no doubt your vet will explain. Cats fight against the sedation and end up worse than they would have been without sedation.
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Can I say re the ACP tablets I use them under vets guidance and have had no issues with any of my ferals ranging from very nasty and unhandlable to the ones who are so nervous the mirrored wardrobe doors cause them to run at pace
I also moved 24 ferals 6 years ago so do have a bit of knowledge on the subject HK and mine moved 200 miles all penned and cat boxed
Speak to your vet, you know your cats HK and that will lead you to whats best for everyone all round - I still use ACP today to get my worst ferals to the vet for boosters with my current vets support as they are drowsy and can be fully health checked with no damage to anyone involved
Having had some ferals who had general anaesthetic to get an injection I know ACP is the lesser of 2 evils and they sleep for about 4 hours afterwards but wake refreshed and not knowing they have been to the vet apart from the smell
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Good luck with the move. I've never bought a house so can't advise there, but I have a Dyson Animal (cylinder) and find it great.
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Gill, thank you for your advice. This was not a private sale, but the result of a block viewing arranged by my estate agent. Block viewings are common in this area because 99% of the buyers are developers. I have liaised closely with the agent and it was they who asked if I minded my buyer and her architect taking measurements in order to draw up plans to submit to the council. Getting planning permission can take a long time and my buyer has waited with bated breath for me to find a property. I agreed to allow her to come round with her architect because it didn't seem such a big deal to me.
As far as the solicitor goes.....My agent recommended CountryWide. I googled them; they seem to have such a bad reputation and be so expensive that I changed to a local solicitor whose offices are just round the corner. Imagine my disappointment when he emailed the forms I have to complete for the sale! I wanted to see him face to face. When I bought this house, I saw a solicitor - who is no longer in practice - chatted, and he did most of the work; I just had to sign various forms. That was 30 years ago.
I phoned my new solicitor on friday, after receiving confirmation that my offer had been accepted on the house. I asked if I could pop in to see them for help in filling out the forms because I didn't know whether to answer yes or no to many of them. The girl on the phone told me to fill out as much as I could. I asked if that meant she wanted me to print them out. "Did we email them to you?" she asked; when I confirmed this she told me to drop in on monday (tomorrow). So that's as much contact as I've had with solicitors. My only experience of house purchase has been in buying my first home, this one, for which I seem to remember paying a deposit.
The vendors of my new property are unlikely to let me down provided they can find somewhere. They are expanding their family so need a bigger house, but are looking for one close to that which they're selling. I kept in touch with their agents after viewing the house. It wasn't perfect, but had a wonderful atmosphere, so I asked the agent to let me know if there was any movement. Meanwhile I looked at other properties and hated all of them. Then I had a call from the vendors' agent saying there had been an offer - which was way below the asking. I rang my agents, who had offered to haggle for me, put in a slightly increased offer, which was accepted. I realise that my vendors' agent may have been pulling a fast one, but it helped me to make up my mind.
As for the cats, I'll have a chat with the vet. Lucy and her boys are nervous about being handled, though relaxed around the house. Fred loves fuss, but hates being picked up, and Victoria is the same. I think light sedation would help on such a frantic day and with lots of strange movers tromping about. I'll chat to the vets first as they've had first hand experience of my cats. They had to put them in crush cages to microchip them! When one needs to be examined by a vet, a nurse pins him (the cat, not the vet!) onto the table and the vet is still nervous.
Thanks for the help.
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Oh dear HK you do have a problem solicitorwise and all this sounds less than ideal or proper and your agent obviously is getting a cut.
There must be loads of good solitors in is it Birmingham.
I never actually saw my solicitor either but soke to her many times on the phone and she gave me a fixed quote or prices and all the gen,
The form is awful but tbh it wont affect the developer like it may a buyer like yourself. The one that counts for you is for the property you are buying and I dont think you see it right until the end.
I can recommend a good solicioter but in London which would mean all papers being sent by post but she would speak to you and give you all the right advise and does things absolutely correctly as doing house purchases are the only thing she does.
If you would like either to talk face to face in the chat room or via pm I am willing as long as not before midday!
Just to say my only house purchase was the property I sold and as I was starting from scratch as you were, I had to pay a deposit.
But we are both in the situation of not needing to now.
If your solictor was doing his job you should have had papers for you to sign about the purchase and the sale and to confirm costs.
I think its best to take this off forum now as its rather private.
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Gill,
Seeing solicitor tomorrow, after which I will pm you.
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Updating on forum as most of this is general.
Made an appt and spoke to solicitor on the phone. Her only concern was whether the sale was conditional upon planning permission, but as the developer wants to do the same as is done to most houses in my area, getting planning shouldn't be a problem anyway. The solicitor said that she'd ring the agent from her office when I see her tomorrow.
I returned a call from the agent who'd phoned while I was asleep. He was calling about the visit by architect and developer. I told him, nicely, that I would let him know as I'd been advised that this may be a bad idea. I explained that my solicitor would phone him tomorrow. I also gently enquired whether he worked for the buyer or seller (knowing that it should be the seller) because he seemed to have the buyer's interests at heart. He said that he was interested in making a sale and in keeping the buyer happy in order not to lose them. Makes sense.
Thanks for the advice, but I'm reasonably happy with how things are progressing. The solicitor could be a little more on the ball, but I'll ensure that they don't slack.
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That all sounds reasonable and hope this solicitor is much better.
When you see her get her to give you her prices for conveyancing, they should be spilit down into vatious items and ask her if these stay the same for the period of the purchase and sale.
Not trying to teach you to suck eggs but take a list of questions you have cos so easy to forget, a bit like when under stress at vets :hug: :hug:
Look forward to pm and hope all goes well.
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This thread seems to have been hijacked by chat about the legals.
Please give me some vacuum cleaner recommendations, preferably upright. Has anyone got one they totally love and know the model number of?
:thanks:
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I think we did at the beginning lol
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So chuffed to hear about the move. Think 're vacuums the Meile cat and dog, the Dyson ball or an Orek (no on-board tools tho) are all very good.
're microchip flaps I got a sureflap pet door (the big one) and love it. The boys were being bullied by two stranger cats and the sureflap really sorted things out. plus, the bigger version has a curfew mode, so you can choose to keep the cat's in overnight if you prefer at first. We have two internal flaps on the interior doors and got basic Stay well lockable flaps - handy if we need to confine them to one room - e.g. if we're having work done elsewhere in the house.
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All Sues flaps are good unless you have a smart cat like my Lupin......sigh
I put a flap on in only and he hooked it open from the inside and went out :scared: :scared:
No other cat I have had has been this ummmmmmmmmmm norty!
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For "norty" read "cunning feline genuis" ;) :evillaugh: If you also have a cunning feline genius, Staywell do a flap that you just slip a plastic cover into the guide rail effectively sealing off the flap, and that should do the trick adequately well. :)
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Do you know Sue, thats the one I had in London but had totally forgotten ;D
Lupin a feline genious,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,hmmmmmmmmmmmmm I think he is just norty :rofl: :rofl:
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I have a
Sebo X4EXTRA Automatic Upright Vacuum Cleaner, 1300W
and love it, glad are moving on hk, hope it goes smoothly
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Mine can also do the "hook up the cat flap" on a four-way lockable Staywell, so the version with a plastic cover sounds great.
I'll probably get the Sureflap pet flap for the outside door. Fred is enormous. I prefer the battery-run catflap to Petporte's mains connection.
Still undecided about the vac. :shy:
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Well it's mid-August and I still haven't moved. Everything has been so slow. I must have the slowest conveyancer in the Western world!
Now the property developers have started making unreasonable demands, especially bearing in mind that they haven't even had the property surveyed. They want me to remove all the carpets, for which I'd have to employ someone at great cost to me. They also want me to 'remove all rubbish'. Hell, how did they think I was intending to leave the house? I thoroughly intended to leave the house empty of everything but the fittings. They want this as a clause in the contract, also part of the clause will be that they can inspect the property after exchange of contracts and not complete if it doesn't meet their liking. :censored:
So you were right after all Gill. Of course, I'm not agreeing to these terms.
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not sure if its for health reasons that you can't take up carpets yourself but we managed to pull all of ours up in our new house in a day, if it is for health reasons do you have any kind friends with cars who could help and take it to the dump for you?
would be a shame to loose your sale
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I've been in contact with my agent about this. They thought it was a stupid request as I'm on my own. Taking up carpets isn't an easy job. Also, the agent spotted the blindingly obvious (which I had also spotted): that I can't move my stuff out until completion, so if the buyer inspects between exchange and completion, all my things will still be here. The completion day is when I'll get the keys to the new house. And how can I take up carpets when there's heavy furniture on them?
Also exchange of contracts MUST be legally binding, otherwise it jeopardises my purchase because the vendors of the house I'm buying won't be able to rely on the completion date. They need to rely on this as the money I'm paying them is paying for their new house :Crazy:
The agent thought that my buyer was labouring under the belief that I'm a property tycoon, rather than a homeowner. I asked if it might be a good idea to put my house back on the market, which is hot locally (it's all student landlords wanting more houses). She said that my buyer is very keen to buy the house and that she would talk to her.
Fifteen minutes later, I had a return call. The agent had spoken to my buyer who has now dropped the idea of adding this clause to the contract. I think she's realised that I'm a homeowner and that she might lose the house if she's unreasonable.
So far, things appear to be sorted out. On to the next problem... >:(
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It was a blurdy stoopid clause and I question whether she would actually have been able to enforce had she insisted upon it - it sounds like realistically it could have frustrated performance, and therefore would ave been an unfair contract term.......
Some purchasers have very unrealistic expectations. :-:
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As far as I'm aware, exchange of contracts is legally binding, so I think the clause may have been against the law. Anyway, it's been dropped....until she makes more silly demands. :shocked:
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Exchange is legally binding - daft plonker was trying to give herself a "get out" clause, and it wouldn't have worked. Some people have an eye on getting compensation for anything - it happened to a friend of ours who sold her house - because she left a curtainpole behind in the shed, she was "ordered" to "remove her rubbish" failing which action would be taken for damages. Honestly, I ask you - really?
She didnt, and they didn't, so it was all just so much posturing - highly annoying, but pointless. :-:
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Cat flaps - we just have an old fashioned one, but I would say get one with a lockiing over flap so no one can see through if your on holiday etc.
Vacuums - We have a Henry which has dealt with a lot of hair but isn't an upright.
Good luck with the move.
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About the cat flaps: I'll get a Sureflap pet door for the outside door, which leads into a utility area which I'll probably use as a store room. The door into the kitchen and main house area will be a Staywell which I can put a plastic cover over. My cats can lift a locked Staywell flap which doesn't have a cover :evillaugh:
I'm considering a Miele vacuum cleaner. I've watched various comparisons on youtube and they seem best at picking up cat hair.
Sue, does that mean the 'get out clause' wouldn't have been legally binding? Very interesting, thanks.
Complaining about a curtain pole in the shed? The buyers should have been grateful for the gift! Some people try anything. >:(
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I'm considering a Miele vacuum cleaner. I've watched various comparisons on youtube and they seem best at picking up cat hair.
I have a Miele Cat 'n' Dog cylinder; they're not the cheapest but they do what they say on the tin.
Your buyer doesn't sound much of a developer. When I left London I sold my flat to a developer who basically said don't worry about cleaning up because I'm going to gut it :Crazy:. I did whizz the hoover Miele over the carpets before I left (and I did leave a large mirror in the shed ;)).
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Hippykitty - in answer to your question, basically yes, she would have found it very difficult to enforce such a clause, as it's contra to the basic terms of the standard contract for sale used in England and Wales.
You can ask someone to remove rubbish, but it's not likely a court would uphold it a a dealbreaker of a contract term, save in certain limited circumstances (an example being where a contaminated site needs to be professionally cleared of heavy metals sayif you were selling land which had formerly been used as a garage, as certain fluids and contaminants may be found in components used in car maintenance and repair)
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Frances, I thought the same thing. She's basically going to gut the place, build an extension on the back and convert the three bedrooms into five or six by extending into the attic. If she does anything like the developer next door, she'll knock the walls back to the bricks and replaster. Next door, they knocked out all the internal walls and restructured the inside. In fact, they're still working on the house. After redevelopment, the market value of the house nearly doubles. So it seemed very strange to me that with a gang of workmen here knocking down the walls, making a mess, she'd be bothered about carpets and 'rubbish' (boxes of books).
Sue, thanks, that's what I thought. I've read that exchange is legally binding so you can't change your mind between exchange and completion; you have to be certain that you want to go through with the purchase before exchange. I could, in theory, sue her for breach of contract if she failed to complete.
To the best of my knowledge, there aren't any hazardous substances in the house or on the land :shocked:
If she tries any more silly tricks like this I'm putting the house back on the market until exchange.
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Sorry to raise this thread, but the time has come to purchase the vacuum. I'm torn between Miele and Dyson (plus a handheld Dyson for the stairs). Has anyone used both makes? If so, what are your opinions of them. It's a lot of money to make a mistake!
The downstairs of the house is mostly laminate flooring, but the upstairs and the stairs themselves are carpeted. Also need the vacuum to get fur off the furniture. If there are better ways of getting fur off upholstery, please tell me.
Thanks. :thanks:
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I've had both which is why have a sebo lol - the dyson I hated the cloud of dust when emptying and the miele died after six months
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I have the first dyson lol.........cant afford to update but they are great cept for stairs..............just too heavy
I think a handheld dyson for stairs and furniture would be great
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I had a miele cat and dog which was good but as it was a (help what are they called) drag around not upright it hurt my back. That said I now have a dyson animal which is upright but so heavy and noisy I dont use it much.
I tend to use a http://www.lakeland.co.uk/21605/GTECH-Rechargeable-Cordless-Sweeper-SW02?src=gfeed&gclid=CIHc36W8g7sCFRIPtAodxDEAVQ
daily downstairs and a brush in the kitchen
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But that wont do stair carpets
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Probably true but its light enough to do each tread but not good enough for the edges and corners.
I think I probably need some really expensive light and quite thing I cant afford. Sadly until then its a brush on the stairs or borrow my Dad to hoover :evillaugh:
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lol.................I cant do brushing cos just sneeze and sneeze lol.............better just to leave the fur!!
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I've also got hard floors downstairs and carpets upstairs and my Miele works well on both. When I got my latest one it came with a mini turbo for the stairs, which is a lot easier than using the full size brush head. I also use this or the upholstery brush to de-fluff the furniture.
My mum had an upright Dyson which certainly picked up Persian cat hair from carpets. She lived in a bungalow, so didn't have the stairs problem. I found it heavy to use and fiddly to use the attachments, although their newer cylinder cleaners look less clunky.
I also prefer bags to having to empty out the fur/grot.
I had a miele cat and dog which was good but as it was a (help what are they called)
cylinder cleaner :doh:
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Thank you
I knew there had to be somethinh more high tech than drag around :naughty:
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Within reason, cost isn't an issue, it's more important to get something which will do the job and last. I looked at some reviews on Amazon and youtube, the upshot of which was that the Dysons are unreliable and the Miele cat and dog vac is heavy (the upright). I generally prefer uprights to cylinders, they seem less work somehow.
I'll also be buying a handheld model, whether a Dyson or other make I haven't decided. I've never owned a Dyson and don't know if they are worth the hype. I have owned a Hoover bagless, didn't mind emptying it, but there was no suction from the attachments. I fell out of love with that very quickly, plus I hated the expense of changing the filters.
Almost everyone I know with animals says "Dyson Animal" but there are so many models of them that it gets really confusing.
With five cats, I get a heavy load of cat fur in the house - I'm sure many can relate to this - so need a machine which won't clog up and die at the first touch of cat fur, not to mention my own long hair.
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What about and Orek? They are very light weight and do an excellent job, the canister cleaner is also great for doing the stairs and for wandering around getting the ceiling cobwebs off as it has a shoulder strap you can attach. http://www.qvcuk.com/Oreck-XL-Power-Team-Lightweight-Vacuum-with-Canister-Vac-%26-Accessories.product.800035.html?sc=800035-SRCH&cm_sp=VIEWPOSITION-_-3-_-800035
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Dysons are not unreliable and their site is great, to get spare bits..........I have the first model dyson and had to replace the handle unit a couple of years ago.
Another thing is that they are easy to change bits.
I have 3 long haired cats and fur collection no problem................long hair is a pain though cos it wraps round the roller but guess I should pay more attention and clear the roller more often!
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Sorry for yet again raising this thread, but it will soon be time to have the cat flaps put in. I've decided upon the SureFlap for the door into the garden, but I'll need to put one into the kitchen door which leads into the garage (where the door into the garden is).
My cats can break open the type with the four-way locking system, so I'm looking for one I can lock using a panel system. Does anyone know who still makes these?
Thanks for all your help.
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Sorry donr know what a panel system is
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Don't know how to do linked quotes, but on May 21st Sue said:
Staywell do a flap that you just slip a plastic cover into the guide rail effectively sealing off the flap, and that should do the trick adequately well.
I've looked this up on Amazon, it has some very bad reviews. I wondered if another company made one.
Instead of the knob which locks the flap - which many cats, like mine, can hook up, - you put a panel over the entire cat flap, preventing it from opening. If you have never come across this system, then you probably don't know of any makes. Thanks anyway.
Also, is it possible to put a flap into a pvc panelled door, as opposed to a flat wooden one (which I had at my old house)?
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I had one of the those staywell ones for years in London, simple and effective.
Cant imagine why it has bed reviews.
I have a fourway locking flap that I put into a pvc double glazed door here, not as easy to pur in as in a wood door,,,,,,,,,,or is it I am just older and doing things at low level with a balance problem is hard!
I cant remember if the staywell one comes with the fixings for a thicker door so you would have to check.
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Hippykitty - I had two of the type I originally referred to, and never had a spot of bother with either of them - in fact we only replaced the last one with a Sureflap scanner type because it was smashed by an intruder cat (the insert wasnt in place, the flap was just operating normally, but the huge intruder Tom panicked, hurtled straight at and through the flap smashing the whole thing due to the force of exit and his overall size - irresistible force and immovable object physics came into play! :innocent:)
If you're not looking for anything fancy, they're cheap, sturdy and do the job well. Once the insert is in place, the flap is secure. Hope that helps.
And yes, you can put a flap into a UPVC panel, in spite of what they tell you about this having to be done at the time of manufacture. You will need to seal the flap sides with a good weatherproof sealant. If you weren't too confident, you could replace the whole panel with a new one - again, most competent installers will be happy to supply you with a new panel at not a huge cost. We got a number of quotes of late when we were looking to fit a flap in a UPVC door - in the end it suited us to get a completely new door, but the options are certainly there.
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Thanks Sue, that info is really helpful. I think the Amazon reviews did mention that they'd had similar flaps from Staywell in the past and that the quality was much better. I'm going to have to buy these and the SureFlap type for the outside door soon, because the cats are constantly meowing with boredom.
I've been getting to know my neighbours and have discovered that one of them is in the home maintenance business so I may ask him to install the flaps. Hopefully he'll know what he's doing. I don't want it installed into double glazing but into a pvc door - those white, half-glazed things.
A couple of my cats are big, so would you recommend the SureFlap cat or pet door?
Thank you so much for all the help and advice.
BTW the cats love the area: the quiet; the "squirrel tv" through the french windows; and the absence of constant building work from property developers. The only building noise will come from work I've got to have done :Arrrrh:
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I would say the pet door, out of the two to avoid any tight squeezes. ;) and yes should be fine in the kind of door you have - don't be put off if you get a knock back from the first two or three people you try, although a handyman type of guy sounds good.
Squirrel watch. :evillaugh:
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HK - this is the sort of thing I mean - Plenty of UPVC panels can be replaced, but it isnt necessary. This gives some good examples of what people do/have done:
https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=cat+flaps+in+upvc+doors+with+panels&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=CqfLUsK3J5CShge4rYCIAQ&ved=0CAcQ_AUoAQ&biw=1024&bih=1173
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My door has panels like the top right one...........no the fat parrt goes all arounf at the bottom height of the long panels so had to cut through it, flap is a 4 way locking one and i would go for the biggest size you can get.
misa cant get through the small sure cat one and dont think sasa would be able to either........make sure you get your cat and flap measurements sorted before you buy.
the other thing to note is there doors tend to be a long way off the ground outside so unless you have a step you may need to make one. i had to put slabs of pavement 2 pr 3 layers so sasa with sort legs coud manage ane even misa need with his long leg...............why is nothing straight forward!
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My door is a bit like the pic I'll try to attach except that there isn't the space at the bottom because the panels go further down. This is the door I want to put the panel-locking flap in. It leads from the kitchen into a poorly-built utility area.
The SureFlap will go into a door which leads from the utility area into the garden. I'm not so concerned about this door as I might have it changed anyway.
Thanks so much for all the advice, it's really helpful. I think I'll probably have to get the pet version of the SureFlap because Fred is a big cat. :innocent:
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A flap will go in that door it just makes it a bit harder as you have to cut thro the thick bits and you will need to use a filler maybe although if its indoors maybe not
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After everything, I've gone for this: Cat Mate - 235W - 4 Way Locking Cat Flap/Door With Liner - White (from Amazon UK), because the sizes of the panel-locking Staywell ones were either too small for my monster Fred, or too big and would allow a burglar through. :scared:
The heavy rain earlier in the week exposed problems in the side utility area, which will need considerable work, plus a new roof (corrugated plastic to replace cracked glass) and I'm going to replace the rotting wooden walls with brick on two and an half sides (one side is already built up to waist level). Because of this, I'm leaving purchasing the microchip flap for now and will put it into a newer door later. For now, I'm just going to clear all 'valuables' out of the side area and leave the door into the garden open, so that when the cats go through the flap in the kitchen door they can walk through the ramshackle 'utility area' into the garden.
I'm hoping I don't have visitors because there are no ferals round here; just keeping fingers crossed that the abundant local squirrels don't find their way in. :shify:
House moving! I don't recommend it! I'm glad to be out of the former area, but it is all so much hassle. :Crazy:
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House moving is on the top of the stress table!
I agree so much hassle and although I would love to come back to England I get older every year and dont think i could face it again.
that flap is the one i have on outside door and really cant understand why sureflap didnt consider a normal size flap that 7.5 kg cats could get through!
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I imagine that Wales is a nice place to live, why bother coming back here?
I've told the cats that the flap is on its way, but they want it now! :evillaugh:
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Its not here especially if you are English!
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Oh dear! I hope you're surviving, Gill.
Problem with the cat flap. I opened the Amazon parcel to find a flap which Fred could in no way squeeze through. I even went round the house measure cats' whiskers! (I was always told that their whiskers are the widest part of their body.) So I'm having to return this one.
So I'm looking for a non-microchip one (the mc catflap will be put in later) which large cats could get through. Fred especially is a large cat, but only George could have got through the Cat Mate flap: he's little and cute.
At the old house I used to have Staywell flaps, not sure which models, but Fred had to squeeze through those after meals. He isn't a fat cat, just big.
Any flap suggestions welcomed by Monsters Inc. :shocked:
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Aw poo! :(
Staywell do a "Big Flap 280 series" and I know petmate used to do a large cat flap which was retailing around £18.00.
Got a link
http://www.ebay.co.uk/bhp/large-cat-flap
Quite a lot to choose from on there, but if you dont have an ebay account they'll be available elsewhere too. :)
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Just about surviving thanks
I will go and measure my flap cos huge Misa gets through, well did when it wasnt blocked off and Sasa did too
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Forgot cant measure cos cant see as has a tray taped across!
However have found the packet for the one for shed which is the same............Cat Mate large cat flap 4 way locking and size to get through is 7 1/8 x 7 1/2 inches (180 x 190 mm) will also take small dogs up to 14 inches shoulder height like yorkies, mimi poodles, pekesm dashounds, spamiels.
Whisker siz not important as both mine have long whiskers and top whiskers too. Picture of Misa !
I think I had a large Staywell with a sliding partion in london
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What a lovely big boy he is! :Luv2:
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If Misa can get through it then I'm sure Fred can! He's not as fluffily wide as Misa, more of a traditional British black and white neutered tom. He grew large on Asda's own Tiger food when I had the colony of eight (kept him and Vic, rehomed the others). I seem to grow big cats, Lucy and Cydric are large also.
I have an ebay account; I sometimes buy cheap Chinese fountain pens from there, but will take a walk down to the local shopping precinct where there's a (very expensive) pet shop, so that I can see the flaps in person. Will buy them from the cheapest option.
So it will be either the Staywell big flap 280 or the large Cat Mate.
I'm sure cat flaps are getting smaller, or are the cats getting bigger?
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I think the flaps are getting smaller!
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And cats are definitely getting bigger :evillaugh:
Loving the piccies Gill :Luv: