Rather OT I know, but following in from my thread about fitting cat flaps through double glazing in turns out that the cost difference between a new double glazed door panel and a plastic one in minimal, so we’ll opt for a glass panel.

The hole for the cat flap needs to be cut at the suppliers (possibly before the glass is hardened) so we need to specify a flap first in order to size the hole. The cat flap needs to be circular (or fitted to a circular surround), presumably to prevent stress risers in the glass around corners.

Since there are plenty of local cats who’d quite happily visit we’d need a chip controlled one. There’s lots of choice (and prices) including, it appears, advanced add-ons that allow to to log all sorts of details about your cats’ comings and goings. Are they all much-of-a-muchness or is there a go to brand/product (hoping not to spend a fortune as the replacement panel is a bit pricey for us)?

LOL, I thought the same, especially with flat caps being in for the demographic here .

I had a neighbours tom cat come in and piss on my cycling shoes so we had to go for one that recognises the chip on the cats. Shoes had to be thrown out as they stank 🙁
We have a Sureflap one for our two cats, been working faultlessly for a few years.

Sureflap microchip 👍🏼

Petporte

I used the cat chip and can be mains or battery powered.

Even has a darkness threshold so locks them in at night

+1 for Petporte, ours has been in for 8 years now….

[url=https://flic.kr/p/f27BY6]Pet Porte Cat Flap[/url] by Ben Freeman, on Flickr

Sureflap. Chip identifying flap and good value. Batteries last ages and simpler than wiring one in.

Sell quite a few at work. Researched a few before selling them a good few years ago. Mines been in about 5 years. No issues.

Can you get them big enough for a Lab Collie cross?

Sureflap were good when one of ours broke part of the cat flap – they sent spares out for free. But if I was replacing it I’d get one that had microchip and an automatic lock in function.

We have the Sureflap Microchip pet door, which is touted as suitable for large cats and small dogs. Seems more robust than the Petporte it replaced, and was preferred by our larger cat whilst not being so big that a small scrote can get in.

We’ve had a Petporte fitted to the old door for years. We’ve just bought a new one, to go on the new kitchen door we’ve had fitted.
So, +1 Petporte.

We’ve got a sureflap fitted in our glass door. Has been perfect for the past 5 years.

We got the Sureflap microchip one last year, it seems to do what it’s supposed to do.
https://www.petmeds.co.uk/SureFlap-Microchip-Cat-Flap/p/I0046467

You need the separate mounting adaptor too;
https://www.medicanimal.com/SureFlap-Mounting-Adaptor/p/I0046469

Thanks everyone.

Yes, a SureFlap and adapter is currently top of the list; there are some decent prices on Amazon at the moment.

Can you get them big enough for a Lab Collie cross?

Yes you can. BUT: I’ve a Staywell dog flap in our utility door for our collie. It’s crap – blows open in the slightest of breezes, is big enough for me to make my way in, despite being a medium sized door and the secure shutter to close it off when we go on holiday is laughable. What I really want is one of these Just don’t look at the price!

We had a microchip cat flap and a word of warning. During the winter last year it stopped working with the cat outside on a freezing snowy day. If the neighbours hadn’t stepped in to help him I dread to think what would have happened. no warning lights, not battery low indication, just dead. Changed it very quickly.

We have a SureFlap microchip one in a double glazed door. There’s quite a bit of tolerance between the hole size and the adapter / seal so your measurements don’t have to be purrrfect.
I have a pretty big (6kg, tall but skinny) cat and it’s quite tight but he slides through it well, once he’s decided whether to use his nose, or foot to open it, or to wait for someone to do it for him. It allows entrance without exit which is handy.