How do we stop other cats getting in through the cat flap ?

Any suggestions for stopping another cat getting in through our catflap ?

Ours isnt brave enough to see it off himself, and we are now starting to get
spray around the front door.
I dont want a magnetic cat flap - he loses his collar a lot, and would also
get locked out when the battery runs down.

Robmaxey u21314@uwe wrote:
: Any suggestions for stopping another cat getting in through our catflap ?
: Ours isnt brave enough to see it off himself, and we are now starting to get
: spray around the front door.
: I dont want a magnetic cat flap - he loses his collar a lot, and would also
: get locked out when the battery runs down.

I had a similar experience. Still haven't installed a cat door, but I
leave my backdoor open a few inches around my homeless visitor's visit
time. A neighbor's cat, stronger bigger well-fed with a collar and
armed with a bully personality, decided barging in and I had to deal
with that.

First, don't have food out inside, smells attract cats from far. (This
reduced my problem, but didn't eliminate it.)

Second, do the "squirt with water" trick. It doesn't harm them but lets
them know they are unwelcome. (This worked for me. Over time I
communicated to the other cat that he was welcome to wander through the
lawn etc but not to climb up to my porch or barge inside.)

(A felt sad about this, because I would have liked to welcome any cat
that came. Another homeless cat visits me very irregularly and the two,
when they came across dodn't mind each other. However this one clearly
didn't need food or want my company, but was only interested in
bullying my regular cat. I would have liked to convey to him that he
was welcome if he behaved, by welcoming and rewarding when he was nice,
but he never gave me that chance.)

Finally, you don't have to leave the cat door open all the time. Open
it when your cat indicates he wants to go out and close it once he
comes back inside.

Good luck. Let's know ow it goes.

Brandy Alexandre wrote:

: Finally, you don't have to leave the cat door open all the time. Open
: it when your cat indicates he wants to go out and close it once he
: comes back inside
:
: That sort of defeats the purpose, doesn't it?

It serves the modified purpose, which is to provide some freedom to
OP's cat and deny it to intruders like Houdini.

: I mean, you get a cat door so the cat can let himself in and out.
: Otherwise, you'd just open the door.

If you knew the cat is outside waiting for you to open the door.

"Ajanta" wrote in message
...
Brandy Alexandre wrote:

: Finally, you don't have to leave the cat door open all the time. Open
: it when your cat indicates he wants to go out and close it once he
: comes back inside
:
: That sort of defeats the purpose, doesn't it?

It serves the modified purpose, which is to provide some freedom to
OP's cat and deny it to intruders like Houdini.

: I mean, you get a cat door so the cat can let himself in and out.
: Otherwise, you'd just open the door.

If you knew the cat is outside waiting for you to open the door.

OP: Just get rid of the cat door. Jesus.



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Perhaps you should try to figure out how to you the magnetic at flap to
your satisifaction -- it sounds like the most logical solution. Just
put it on your calendar to change the batteries -- maybe monthly, just
for your peace of mind. Do you happen to know why/how he is loosing
his collar? If you can solve that one...

What do you think?

Regards,

Stan Beck
http://kitten-pictures.blogspot.com - For unbelievably cute Kitten
Pictures

Ajanta wrote:
Brandy Alexandre wrote:

: Finally, you don't have to leave the cat door open all the time. Open
: it when your cat indicates he wants to go out and close it once he
: comes back inside
:
: That sort of defeats the purpose, doesn't it?

It serves the modified purpose, which is to provide some freedom to
OP's cat and deny it to intruders like Houdini.

: I mean, you get a cat door so the cat can let himself in and out.
: Otherwise, you'd just open the door.

If you knew the cat is outside waiting for you to open the door.

We need to make allowances for Brandy who often doesn't think much
before slamming. :-D

cybercat wrote:
"Ajanta" wrote in message
...
Brandy Alexandre wrote:

: Finally, you don't have to leave the cat door open all the time. Open
: it when your cat indicates he wants to go out and close it once he
: comes back inside
:
: That sort of defeats the purpose, doesn't it?

It serves the modified purpose, which is to provide some freedom to
OP's cat and deny it to intruders like Houdini.

: I mean, you get a cat door so the cat can let himself in and out.
: Otherwise, you'd just open the door.

If you knew the cat is outside waiting for you to open the door.

OP: Just get rid of the cat door. Jesus.

That is certainly an option. Such devices are very rare indeed in the
northern parts I come from.

"Joe Canuck" wrote in message
...
cybercat wrote:
"Ajanta" wrote in message
...
Brandy Alexandre wrote:

: Finally, you don't have to leave the cat door open all the time.
Open
: it when your cat indicates he wants to go out and close it once he
: comes back inside
:
: That sort of defeats the purpose, doesn't it?

It serves the modified purpose, which is to provide some freedom to
OP's cat and deny it to intruders like Houdini.

: I mean, you get a cat door so the cat can let himself in and out.
: Otherwise, you'd just open the door.

If you knew the cat is outside waiting for you to open the door.

OP: Just get rid of the cat door. Jesus.

That is certainly an option. Such devices are very rare indeed in the
northern parts I come from.

The cats should not be outside unsupervised anyway. Cat doors serve
people more than cats, anyway. Lazy people who don't want to be bothered
with either keeping their cats safe or getting off their asses to open the
door.
Those are the roots of the "time honored" UK tradition.



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cybercat wrote:

: Cat doors serve people more than cats, anyway. Lazy people who
: don't want to be bothered with either keeping their cats safe or
: getting off their asses to open the door.

In fact, I am thinking of a cat door myself before next winter.

Keeping the cat inside is not an option as she is not my cat, she lives
outside and comes in to eat and visit.

I don't mind getting up to let her out, but how am I to know when she
comes to the door from outside and is waiting to be let in?

When temperatures are warm, I am likely to be outside on the porch
myself and even if I am not it is no ig deal for her to wait. But
winter changes everything in Chicago. I won't be out, doors will be
closed, and it will be painful for her to wait.

So the problem is not letting her out, it is how to let her in. I have
thought about it long and hard and cannot think of another practical
solution other than a cat door.

Robmaxey wrote:
Any suggestions for stopping another cat getting in through our catflap ?

Ours isnt brave enough to see it off himself, and we are now starting to get
spray around the front door.
I dont want a magnetic cat flap - he loses his collar a lot, and would also
get locked out when the battery runs down.

You get a DOG who only recognizes your particular cat as non-dinner
material..
Another way would be to install a device around the entrance that would
generate a mild shock. Have your local neighborhood jack-of-all-trades
retiree devise a special collar that only your cat will wear. One that
will turn OFF the beam when THEY pass under it only!
Also, you could just set a trap and get rid of the unwanted ones, one
by one as they stumble into your trap.
Just a few suggestions, and a lot more where those came from.
Believe-you-me..

IBen