How big a cat flap do I need ?

[pariscat]

Sorry for not posting recently.  Things are going well with Stango & Morris. As all cats they are still sometimes ding-a-ding-a-ling stark raving neurotic when it comes to eating (Monday we ADORE our chicken-meatballs-in-sauce, Tuesday the same, rather pricey, meatballs send us straight into a traumatic paralysis..... ), but I relax now and trust Nature to get the better of them.

They have their castration and ear tatoo coming up on 15th March and then soon after it's garden time, probably over Easter. As we are such a pious nation, we get 5 free national holidays in Denmark in a row (Good Thursday to Easter Monday included).

I want to install the microchip controlled cat door SUREFLAP, so that only they can enter the house  (with or without half-dead mice or sparrows...... beurk !) - but I am so much in doubt as to the size ?

Regular:    150 mm (W) x 155 mm (H)    = approx. 6.0 x 6.1 inches

http://www.sureflap.co.uk/products/details/1-microchip-cat-flap

XL:  188 mm (W) x 212 mm (H)   = approx.  7.4 x 8.3 inches

- this is intended for "pets", being large cats and small dogs  (although not necessarily cohabiting !)

http://www.sureflap.co.uk/products/details/19-microchip-pet-door

I don't want them to get stuck like Pooh in Rabbit's hole !   Would you go for the big solution ??

pooh-3.jpg

• pariscat
• Mar 4, 2013

 Here is Morris helping mommy with the knitting

morris.png

• pariscat
• Mar 4, 2013

 

[vball91]

I'm not sure how big your cats are, but I would think the Regular size would be big enough for most cats. You could try measuring across their shoulders to be sure, but 6 inches seems plenty big.

Love your kitty helper. Morris is one adorable kitty.

 

[pariscat]

As they are only 5 months now, they are still quite small, but at some points they will grow to be big, castrated housecats. And if they grow to be anywhere near as big as our neighbour cat Futte, then I do need the XL.

 

[vball91]

Hmm, since they're still kittens with no way to tell how big they will be, I agree that getting the XL would be the better option.

 

[jcat]

Hmm, since they're still kittens with no way to tell how big they will be, I agree that getting the XL would be the better option.

It would be a real waste to get the smaller one and then have to replace it later. "Too big" is definitely better than "too small".

 

[pariscat]

I know a pedigree breeder who says that the fomula for housecat is
= half house + half cat.....

 

[GoldyCat]

My cat door has an opening 6" x 6". I put it in when my largest cat was about 11#. I now have a big guy who is 15.5# and he has no trouble at all getting through the door.

 

[betsygee]

I read several reviews (maybe it was on Amazon.com, I can't remember) that the 6x6 size was too small. We have three cats of varying sizes, so I just ordered one in the larger size. I can't wait to get it and hope it works! We've had a neighborhood cat coming in during the day while we're at work and wreaking havoc with our kitties' peace of mind!

 

[carolina]

I have one, the regular, I believe (when I got it was the only one available). There is no way either Bugsy or Mac would fit through it. Lucky does, but she squeezes through pretty thigh.
They are all on the larger size being ragdolls, but Still - that is not even close to being a regular sized door.
It works great though...... But definitely get the XL one. If you have a large cat or a Dog, they won't get stuck, but they won't go through it either.

 

[pariscat]

Thanks everyone, I am glad I got the bigger model, as I can see how comfortable it is for the kitties to bounce in and out from.  BTW, after 2 weeks it suddenly stopped scanning the cats as they approached from outside and wanted in.  I have complained about it, naturally, and there will be no problems with having it replaced.  So far I have just gone totally "low-tech" and put adhesive tape over the pegs that go up to close the flap. So now it is totally open, for every neighbourhood rattlesnake, dachshund, pussycat etc.

However, this will soon no longer be a problem, as I am now having the garden fenced in. I can not live in a state of constant worry and fright that they may be hit by a car, so I have to find a compromise. It is clear how much they thrive with the outdoor life, it would be torture not to let them out - but in a week or so, when the fence is up, they will have to make do with our garden.

Will post pictures !

Stango og Morris.jpg

• pariscat
• May 11, 2013

 

[betsygee]

We just got and installed our SureFlap door yesterday.  Works great so far.  We have one cat that's pretty big--not fat but just big and tall.  He got through it just as well as he did with the previous door.  We have three cats who I like to have shut in at night.  Sometimes one or two cats will be in for the night but if I leave the cat door open for the third to come in, the other two will want to go out again of course.  So the curfew feature on the door is awesome--I can program in a time for their "curfew" and after that, the door allows cats to come in but not go back out.  Ingenious!  And most of all, it will keep out the neighborhood cat who's been coming in while we're gone at work, eating our kitties' food and fighting with them.

It's only been one day but I'm loving it so far.