microchip cat flaps

[DaisyMae]

Has anyone any experience of these cat flaps? They are fixed to the door in the normal way but have a microchip reader which only lets recognised chip numbers through. The animal does not have to wear a collar which is a big plus in my view, our cat managed to lose every collar we put on him within a few days. If you, or someone you know has one, I would love to hear your opinions as to its usefulness etc.

[Jugglering]

My two Thugs use one of these cat flaps to get in and out of the house and we are all so glad ! It wasn't cheap mind (around �100) but since the girls don't have to wear heavy magnets (which in themselves are quite expensive to replace) and only they can get in, they are happy Thugs !

All you have to do to is get your cat microchipped, then post him/her through the cat flap, holding a button down on the flap and then the microchip number will be programmed into the cat flap. You can have 12 cats programmed at any one time, and can easily delete them if any are rehomed or pass away. The flap itself is virtually identical to an ordinary cat flap but there is a little *projection* on the outside that houses the techie bits. It was easy to fit and just needs to be plugged into a normal mains power socket - it comes with a 2.5m cable but you can buy a longer one if you need it.

You can programme the flap for a variety of different modes - like no going out at night (useful for bonfire night) or *vet* mode (no going out at all, cos you are going to the vet tomorrow hehe) etc.

Well worth every penny, in my opinion !

[DaisyMae]

Thank you Juggerling, that is very helpful. I have seen two varieties and I'm debating which to get. One uses batteries, the other is the one you have. I may be forced to get the battery driven one because our outside door is rather a long way from an outlet socket.

[DaisyMae]

Sorry Jugglering, I misspelt your name.

Can you tell me how long you have had the catflap, it would be useful to know how it stands up to the battering in day to day use.