Magnetic collars and murderous cats!

Hi,

Our cat was being terrorised by the neighbourhood stray, who enjoyed coming into our house and eating his food. Bad cat. So anyway, I fitted out the back door with one of those fort knox style magnetic cat flaps. His collar has a small magnet pendant hanging from it - the magnetic field induces a current in the door mecanism, thus opening it. You know what I mean.

Anyway it means that his metal bell no longer rings as it's attracted to his magnetic pendent. What THIS means is that since attaching the magnet to his collar, he's been on a blood thirsty rampage - bringing in a dead mouse, two birds and leaving one poor wretch outside injured to play with later (which I had to pick up and release in the park). It's not that I have anything against this in principle (cat's will be cat's!), but ours seems especially adept in the art of dealing out death and I'm pretty squeamish.

I'm guessing nothing can hear him coming now he has a silencer on his bell.

My question is this: magnetic collars are common. Cat bells are common. The two can't be mutually exclusive! There must be a simple solution to adding a small noise making device to his collar, which wont be attracted and silenced by his magnet. A plastic bell? An alluminium bell? A wood wind chime?

Any ideas? I'd rather not be woken in the night by a limping mouse agani please!

Thanks guys


Matt

Hi Matt, and welcome to TCS. I want to just make you aware that you are likely to get many replies telling you that you should keep your cat indoors and not allow him outdoors at all. My 2 boys are indoor/outdoor boys and its very common here in Australia, however this is not the norm in the majority of the USA.

I want to remind everyone that in different parts of the world outdoor cats are very common. Please do not post if you are not able to offer some constructive advise.

Plastic bells would not stick to a magnet. But can't you just keep him inside at night and let him outside during the day?

Does he have a tag? I'd suggest getting a couple of plastic cat tags--they will clack together when he moves too.

Our cat has access to outside all the time (no litter tray or anything), which is normal here in the UK unless you're near a busy road. It's true that he does his hunting during night time though, so maybe limiting his access to outside to the day time is something to consider.

I've thought of getting a plastic bell - but surprisingly have yet to find evidence of such a thing's existance! Is it available to buy somewhere? Or would I have to borrow one from a Christmas cracker?

Thanks all

Matt

hey matt wow a UK person wooooo!
lol anyway down to business....
try getting the metal thing that holds the bell on the collar to sit tightly on the back of the collar...
i keep our six indoors because were by a main road, but believe me once i move il be allowing them outside access!

I have seen a magnetic collar with a bell option in the USA ... I think the bell is plastic

You could also try setting up the collar so that the magnet hangs on one side and the bell hangs at the opposite side (or even a short distance apart). You could achieve this by attaching an extra loop.

Ah. Glad I saw this as I`m having the same problem with a neighbours cat coming in and was looking for a magnetic cat-flap but also Kitty is a big hunter so he needs his bell and the metal ID barrel it knocks against for extra clangyness.

In my quest to find a new cat flap, I notice they make ones with an infra red censor but I`m worried about the batteries dying and him not being able to get in
http://www.petdoorsonline.co.uk/

and there`s anouther one that works by identifying the cats unique microchip, but I`m struggling to believe it works ( Far too cynical, I know )

They are pretty pricey too but itdepends what you`re willing to spend.

Can you sew the bell onto the oposite side to the magnet?

Well, you could try buying a "Catbib" or a "Liberator Cat Collar" both of which are supposed to stop cats from catching prey. If you do a google search you should find places which sell those products.

Mostly for your amusement: Flo control is a webcam attached to a computer which only opens the cat door when the cat doesn't have an animal in its mouth. Looking at other pages of the website, apparently Flo is deceased, two different cats use the door, and they are developing a commercial version of this device. One of the cats tried to bring an animal in at the beginning of May and didn't get in.

Of course, this device doesn't keep the other animals safe, it only keeps the injured animals out of these people's house. And I don't think it could keep out a stranger cat. But it's certainly cute!

Get a different bell and attach it at a different spot on his collar you might have to make a hole in his collar for the ring, but at least you will have both 'devices' for him.