New house with cat flap - how do I block it up?
 

Chaps

We're hopefully moving to a new house which I noticed has cats in it. While the place is spotless, and the cats do not seem to be badly behaved, the owners do have a cat flap in the back door and one interior door, and did mention that another cat often comes in which they do not mind.

However, when they leave I would imagine this other cat will try to come in as well and I do not want this at all with young kids around. Thus I need to block the cat flap.

How easy is it to do, and what is out there to do it. And I assume the only way of fully getting rid of it (without having an ugly flap at the bottom of the door) is to buy a new door?

Any thoughts or solutions? Thanks

Andy

Most cat flaps can be locked to prevent them being used...

Ooooohhh a cat thread :norty:

**sits back , popcorn et cetera**

;)

buy a new door or get a cat

there should def be a lock on them to stop the cats from coming in

Lock it and run a bead of sikaflex round the the flap for extra security and to stop the draught :)

Ive recently had this issue. Various options.

1) lock the cat flap door. Normally have in/out/locked modes.
2) If pvc door, buy a new section for the lower part.
3) If glass buy a new glass section.
4) Buy a new door.

If you dont have a cat, then i would replace the panel / door, as these these are a real draught / heat escaping issue.

My g/f has 4 cats, sad 8itch :-) and she lives with me, so I am constantly fighting off other cats or trying to make the cat flap more `heat` friendly.

Little 8arstards !

Sbk

One of those sweet baby Pitbulls should keep any stray cats out?

lock it and hope the local cats havent learned to unlock standard flaps

or as suggested - buy a new door, or even a cat lol

There are various ways of keeping cats out.

1) Try talking to them nicely - this often works.
2) Poison
3) Buy a dog
4) Pee around the cat flap and around your house - this will put them off

Get a dead cat and stuff it in the hole :D

Cheers fellas. Pretty much as I thought. No real alternatives. The bloody thing looks crap, that's all, so was hoping there may be a fill in. Was not aware you could lock them - can you wire the buggers to the mains as well?

Not buying a cat - cheers for the obvious. Would rather a dog and even that is not going to happen with very young kids/babies.

Other than having a wazz around the door, are there any other options for keeping the cat away? So it doesn't keep waiting outside the door, or running in when we open it. I could try talking to it of course, but knowing my luck it would be a Polish one yet to learn the local language!

Andy

Get a cat, overfeed until it lodges.

Make a hole in the flap and stick a hose pipe through it.
Next make a pressure pad and stick it outside the cat flap.
Now somehow connect the hose pipe to the mains and the pressure pad to the hose pipe (i'm sure this is easy).
Now when a cat trys to use the cat flap it will be met with mains pressure.
Alternatively if your worried about wasting water replace the hose pipe with a shotgun.

:lol1:


Or go for the classy look and nail a bit of plywood over it.

Buy one of those alarm thingies (someone will know what I mean) about £30 in B&Q, emits a noise that cats don't like, you will only be able to hear it very faintly so it won't bother you, it will stop the cat coming in your garden and crapping on your plants.

chavtastic fella - that's the spirit...

We've just done '2' as we did have cats but now don't and the cat flap was losing heat. £75 for a new panel fitted (one of those pvc, wood-efect back doors - fairly new).

As for 1 - the cheaper ones have no lock. But even if it does it's not too easy to seal out the draught so I would still go for a new panel. Even with a wood door you should still be able to replace the panel, depending on the style.

Dave

:lol1: Keep 'em coming :D

if you replace the panel will the local cats not then be sat looking at your nice new door wondering where the cat flap has gone?

get a noise thing to keep them well away, failing that violence, firearms or other means to keep them at bay

What type of door is the exterior one?

We had a massive great cat flap in our back door when we bought the house.

It was a really nice stable door that I didnt want to lose. One of the guys that works for our business used to be a chippy. He came around and changed the slats in the bottom half of the door for me.

If its upvc, I am not sure how easy that is to alter. I suppose it depends on the style of door.

good idea - thanks...

Thanks - will be the same as the house is only 4 years old with upvc doors so no doubt will benefit from a replacement panel. Did you just get a window company to do it?

What a lot of total crap there is posted on this thread. People who nothing about animals really shouldn't try to advise on them.

A cat will try to come in through the cat flap because it's learned that there's food and/or attention available. If you shut the flap, the cat will soon work out that the buffet is now closed. It might sit and miaow outside once or twice, but they're intelligent animals and will soon work out that it's pointless.

A good cat flap will have a locking mechanism to keep it shut and a magnetic seal to stop draughts - if the one in your door doesn't then it might be easier to actually put in a better cat flap to fill the space than to fill the hole.

Andy C, how correct you are. Everyone knows that cat's can't talk, well not to you anyway, but maybe Dr Dolittle. Perhaps you give him a ring, see if you can get him round to sort out that cat !

Failing that, see if the little boy from the safety adverts years ago is still about. You know, he had a cat called Charlie ? "Charlie said never go with strangers...."

He seemed to understand what the cat said, so he would be of tremendous help.

SBK

There's the obvious answer then - don't buy the house!

Perhaps your kids would actually like the cat and learn that it's not some sort of rabid, dangerous animal that will kill them. You must have led a very sheltered life! :rolleyes:

Id make the flap into a guillotine and rig it up so that when a cat jumps through it gets duplicated :D

What if they dont want the fugly cat flap in the door?

I'm sure you can work that one out for yourself if you think hard enough.

I was merely suggesting that, of things that might be used to fill the space formerly occupied by a poor quality, draughty cat flap, a good quality one with a lock and a magnetic seal would be a possibility. If it's that or a whole new door, I know which would be cheaper and easier.

Andy C, just had a call from Charlie, he said "Meow meow meow meeoooooooooooooooooowwwwwwww".

Just run it though Bablefish and the translation is "My breath stinks of fish!"

Does that help ?

SBK