Purrs In Our Hearts - Cat Forum UK
Cat General => General Cat Chat => Topic started by: sixfurballs on September 21, 2007, 15:49:10 PM
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I have always used Staywell cat flaps and have had one of their magnetic ones before although the magnet in it gave up after about a year. I am now on the lookout for a new one for my back door (uPVC and no flap in it at present). I would prefer the magnetic type as we do have a cat flap in the garage door and have had 2 other cats using it in past. I also usually go for the 4 way locking ones. I saw an infrared one advertised on zooplus but has pretty mixed reviews. Anyone got any recommendations?
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If i ever get a cat flap im going for the one which reads microchips and auto locks after dark when all the programmed chips have returned home. :Crazy:
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Oh I haven't heard of that - sounds great - anyone know what it is called and is it mega expensive?
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Think this is the one.
http://www.petporte.com/
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Just been reading about it - love the idea of not needing magnetic collar and not mattering if they lose their collar but would prefer if could be able to just keep one cat in say if need vet etc and not too keen on price! Anyone know of anywhere it can be bought a bit cheaper?
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I think with it being so new it'll be hard to get it anywhere else, let alone cheaper! But if anyone does find it, I'd be interested in knowing how much you can get it for too. :)
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You can deny access by not programming in the chip of that cat :sneaky:
Its been about a while but as i dont actually need a cat flap i never did a price hunt.
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I am very seriously considering ordering one of these Petportes - my cats are forever losing collars and with infrared or magnetic that means I am always replacing collars and magents so with 4 cats that can soon mount up. Perhaps in the long run would be better of with Pet porte. Anyone got any experience of it or could recommend another alternative before I splash out £100?
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thanks urbantigers and milly's mum for telling me about petporte. I have ordered one although just got an email to say white door mounted ones are out of stock so have to wait a little longer. Can't wait to get it fitted now and hope it works! I ended up paying full price for it but think in long run should still be good investment as would soon exceed this in buying and replacing collars and magnets or infrared collars for my 4.
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That catflap sounds a fantastic idea!
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Ooooh I'll be very interested to hear what you think of it! The main thing I hate about those magnetic/infra red ones are that the cat has an enormous great tag hanging off their collar all the time; can't be comfy and if it's not hanging in the right place, it doesn't open. Please do keep us posted!
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ooh, cant wait to hear what you think of this, i LOVE the idea, just wish it was a wee bit cheaper, but i seriously want this!!!!!!!!!!
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Cool, we will need action shots :rofl:
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:rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:yeah of hubby and me spending 4 hours reading instructions, throwing them out and trying to fix the :censored: thing to the door :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:
I had hoped it would be here this week but now looks like it will be next week so another week of Bronte cooped up inside - she will be pleased. Anyway, will most certainly let you know what think of it (and the instructions of how to afix it)
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Yes we definately need a report on this and how it works with pictures of both of you on yer knees getting angry at the fitting :rofl: :rofl:
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Hello
Been a lurker for a while but thought I'd let you know we bought a Pet Porte cat flap last week (from their website so at full price!) and will be fitting it this week. Will let you know how we get on. We needed to do something to keep out the local bully cat who comes into our house at least once a day looking for food and a fight!
Great forum by the way.
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:welcome: Lolly
We look forward to your update ;D
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oh yes :welcome: Lolly and :thanks: - love to hear how you get on with it. How does the cable work that has to be plugged in - am sort of picturing it dangling between door and socket which doesn't seem too safe
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:welcome: to Purrs Lolly ;D
yes we definately need to hear how it works.
Great site............awwwwwwwwww thank you thank you :-[ but not really cos we know its simply the best ;D
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Well, we are just in the middle of getting a lot of work done in the house and so got a special socket put just next to the back door to eliminate the problem of trailing wires from socket to cat flap. Have to say the electrician gave us quite a slagging when he found out what the socket was for! :shy:
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strange man. My back door comes into the utility room. There are counter-tops in it and so they sockets are raised up to just above the counters and there is one just beside the back door. Am just wondering what it will be like as the door is being opened and closed. Cannot wait for it to arrive.
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:welcome: lolly!
Can't wait to find out how well these cat flaps work. They sound like such a good idea, and if they take off I'm sure the price will drop (or others will get in on the act and competition will force prices down).
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susanne - thats exactly what i've been hoping and waiting for!!!!!! :wish: :wish: :wish:
nice to meet you lolly, now stop chatting and go fix the cat flap!!! :evillaugh: :evillaugh: :Luv:
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Well, cat flap fitted. It is a little bit confusing for Hector at the moment. He was having trouble timing his return throught the flap from outside. The flap reads his microchip but then only gives him a short period of time to get the door open and he isn't quite timing it right yet. We have left it on the 'open' mode today so it acts like a normal cat flap letting any cat in or out. We hope this will get him more used to it and then we'll try setting it for his microchip again when we get home and see if he can master it.
I am sure once he has done it a couple of times he'll get the hang of it. I hope so anyway!
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so will I need some valium at hand when fitting mine (if it ever arrives) or was it fairly easy. Hope Hector gets the hang of it soon. Bronte and Dino are really accustomed to a cat flap although they have not had one into this house before and Heidi and Huxley seem a little wary of them yet but think its just because this is new territory so I hope none of them spend too long looking through or dodging in and out of it before poking heads through!
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Have to admit we asked the joiner who is working on our kitchen to fit ours. OH looked at the instructions and didn't think it looked too complicated but it seemed sensible to get a professional to do it while he is around.
Hector is used to a normal Staywell cat flap but needs some practice in timing putting his head in the right place to be read by the microchip reader and then opening the flap in the time available. I'm sure he'll get used to it in a couple of days.
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oh dear - sounds a bit complicated for my little angel. for some reason he doesnt get on too well with the cat flap, i'm always going to see what all that noise is, just to find out its him just trying to get in or out. i dont think he likes bumping his nose against it so trys to open it with a paw first and then... well you can see how the rest doesnt go so smooth. also my little one aint so little. think i might need to upgrade him at some point anyway so he can get his big bum through!!!!! how big is the petporte doorway? not that i can really afford, but still very interested in it!! :innocent:
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My lot all have there own way to get in and out of cat flaps and it ranges from head butting to banging with a paw, or in an emergency charging in like a cannonball :rofl:
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Hector is a big lad and has no problems size wise with the flap. It is actually a little bigger than the staywell one we had before. He uses a paw and head combo to open a cat flap so I am sure your cat could manage it too. :)
Latest news is that he is happily using it as a normal cat flap at the moment. I think we'll wait till the weekend to set it for microchip opening so that we are around to see if he can get that timing right. Will let you know how that goes.
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first mine was out of stock and now I here there is to be postal strike so beginning to think will never get it!
EDIT: just got email to say sent by recorded delivery yesterday so very excited now
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Well Hector seems to have mastered the new cat flap and is able to get himself back in the house when it is set to the microchip setting.
I am so pleased. Now we don't need to worry about cat intruders and the night setting will be really handy during the winter when it gets dark early.
I'd recommend it.
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mine has not arrived yet and am getting so fed up now. Even is it comes this week it will be at least the weekend before hubby can get it fitted!!!
So pleased to hear that Hector is getting on well with it. How long did you just leave it on the normal setting before changing to chip setting?
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We left it on normal setting for a couple of days to allow him to get used to it and then switched it to microchip setting over the weekend so we could be around if he had problems. If you are fitting it over the weekend you might be able to put it straight onto the microchip setting. Good luck! Look forward to hearing how you get on.
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If i ever get a cat flap im going for the one which reads microchips and auto locks after dark when all the programmed chips have returned home. :Crazy:
thay is a great idea !
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Woohoo - post man arrived this morning with a lovely parcel from Guernsey so got to be the new cat flap. I can't wait to get it fitted now. Guess what hubby is going to be doing this weekend!!
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Excellent - let us know how great it is !
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Postman!!! Wheres my post then grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.
Sorry, pleased its arrived ;D
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now that I know Heidi and Huxley finally have their microchips registered to me I am going to programme all the chips into the Petporte today and then hubby will fit it tomorrow. Petporte recommend programming it before fitting it so that you can check it works with your cats microchip.That also means Bronte can get out after 4 weeks stuck in the house and Heidi and Huxley can start really exploring. Don't know who is more excited - me or the cats!
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Hope the programming goes smoothly! Look forward to hearing how you get on.
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The petporte cat door sounds like a great idea but the price :wow:
Worth it if several cats need access and have a habit of losing collars, lol!
Does anyone else have cat doors inside their house? I have one on the front door for outside access and two inside the house to allow the cats freedom to roam anywhere in the house (saves me having to open doors all the time as well!). One is on the kitchen door and the other is on the living room door leading upstairs. Of course, this means any cats from outside can also get anywhere in the house too. :doh:
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I have 4 cats so in long term price well worth it for me.
Its all fitted now although did take hubby ages to get it done. I think its great. Dino is getting on really well with it. Heidi and Huxley are still having a little difficulty with the timing of it - they get scanned an it opens but they just look through it and don't push it so then by the time they do push it the door has locked again. Anyway hopefully they will get used to it in time. The other problem is that when it got dark it automatically locked and they went nuts trying to get out a few times and kept pulling the power cable out which meant the whole thing just locked.
Heidi and Huxley are absolutely loving being outside and were so tired when the came home last night.
My only big worry is that we got Bronte to go out through it with some coaxing but she immediately ran away and has not come home since. She has been known to ignore us in a huff before for a couple of days but I really hope she appears again today or will get really distressed about her.
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Arent you going to look for Bronte?
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Having spent most of the day looking for her with no hint to her whereabouts I was giving her another call out in the back garden as I was tidying up outside for the night when someone walking up the lane alongside my house shouted over that she was in the front garden. I raced round and there she was calmly prowling up and down. Am so relieved to see my big white ball of fluff!
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great news!! what a relief!
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Great news ;D
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I could do with some advice on Bronte.
As it was edge of dark when she finally came home last night the cat flap was locked so she could not get back out. She prowled around the house last night and was fine. She even got up into a chair with me and Heidi although that fell apart in a whirl of hissing furballs when Huxley jumped up as well and as she was half asleep caused her to jump 6' in air - I got a nice scatch on my foot for that one!
The cat flap opened this morning and the other 3 have gone out but Bronte has not. I do not want to force her out so have let her be but what should I do with her. How do I make her aware that it is there and is safe without upsetting her OR do I just ignore the situation and let her find it and go in her own good time. She is a very nervous cat and I don't want to cause her any further upset/stress.
EDIT: just went to check on Bronte and she has gone out. We have left the petporte on open mode until the cats gt used to it so its not beeping as they come and go as not scanning them. Hope she comes home ok now :scared:
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Leave her to figure it out herself. If she has not done so in a week, then try another introductory session. My guess is as soon as the weather looks even remotely attractive out there, she will suddenly 'discover' how it works. Mind you, at the rate we are going, that could be sometime next June :rofl:
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Any more updates from pet porte owners? How's it going?
Can the canopy bit be flapped down flat? Our utility room door opens inwards so with the canopy open I'd trip over it every time I tried to go outdoors :rofl:
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It is going really well. Hector has totally got the hang of it and we are all relieved that there are no more fluffy intruders.
I am afraid you can't flatten the porch bit down though.
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Hi all, newbie here.
Just wondering how strong you have found your Pet Porte flaps to be.
Nasty big greedy cat has been coming in and eating little Meg's dinner and generally being a pain in the bum. Vet has diagnosed her with stress following some odd behaviour and, untimaetly, some blood in her urine. A recent purchase of a Staywell magnetic flap (replacing an ordinary one) has not helped - bully cat just forced his way in.... I secretly videoed him doing it!
I ordered a Pet Porte today, having read their claims that no amount of bashing will get an unwanted cat in!! I hope they're right! Are they?!
Thanks for having me! Useful site this..... ;)
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Any thoughts folks? :-:
Thanks again.
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might be worth sending a personal message to fourfurballs (below) she has one I think - sorry to hear Meg is being bullied
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Thanks, good idea; I may well do.
Meg is a good deal better at the mo as we have only been opening her flap when we are here, so not restricting her movement too much, but keeping out Mr Naughty. She is also on Metacam from the vet to ease the pain of her (probable) cystitis brought on by the stress of her home being invaded. No distressed meeowwing or odd behaviour for a few days now ;)
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Aww poor Meg - what a horrible bully. I have responded to a PM to Megsdad about this but just for general info I have found it to be very strong. My Bronte quite frankly batters the life out of all cat flaps in her impatience to get out and so far the Petporte has withstood it.