Cat flap routine??!

Glowing

Hi,

I've just installed my kitteh flap over the weekend and my cat is overjoyed with her new found freedom. She's 7 months old, and has been spayed and vaccinated.

We've had a routine up to now where she stays in all day while we're at work (has the run of the house, and usually sleeps on our bed), then when we get home we let her out from 6 until about 9 or 10, when we call her and she comes back. At least we know how long she has been out for etc. Then she's in overnight.

Since we installed the flap, she's been whinging and pawing at the door in the mornings to get out, and she looks so sad and forelorn. Is it a good idea to let her in and out during the day while we're out at work, or should we stick with our routine? Will she get used to it?? Is it going to confuse her that sometimes the door works, and sometimes its locked? Not sure what to do, is keeping her in cruel???

Thanks in advance for your suggestions!

Crafty-Chel

hi, if your in a safe area ie no major roads or fast drivers ect, then there shouldnt be any prob letting you cat out, cats love to be outside hunting and you'll find he'll get bored of going out all the time and he'll be in most of the time anyway.

they do love there freedom

GigaByte

Same here, my cat doors always open. Mine tend to spend most of the time in doors sleeping on anything I don't want them to sleep on.

muppet_man

Pretty much same ere. I leave my cat flap open all the time & he comes and goes when he wants. Goes out in the morning after feeding for hour or so comes back and sleeps most of the day. He always come home and stays in at night as he know he's safe and warm.
He loves his freedom so much that when I locked the flap on Saturday afternoon cos of holloween by the following morning he had broken the locks and had got out. I hate having to keep him in but some people are really sick and cruel

Glowing

Thanks everyone for your replies! Think we might try letting her out tomorrow and see how she gets on. Hopefully the weather will be crap so she'll stay in anyway!

morgana

Mine have the cat flap open all the time, they come and go as they please but have their routines too. But its a very rural area with hardly any traffic. When its sunny they sleep inside and when its raining they suddenly just HAVE to get out! Add accusing looks directed towards human household members to say the weather is shi*** make it go away will ya?!

mymo

I had a cat flap for years(got new double glazed doors so no flap) it was a four way locking one.
I left it open when I was around, but set it to in only if they were out when I was going out for a while, or if they weren't in at bedtime. So I knew once they came in they couldn't get out again. It could also be set to out only but never used that. They get used to the idea very quickly, and I found if I was locked they just walked away. One thing if you have cats in the area get a magnetic lock one, I had a stray cats eating their food and a tom spray the whole kitchen more than once with the ordinary one.

muppet_man

mymo wrote: »

I had a cat flap for years(got new double glazed doors so no flap) it was a four way locking one.

Sorry for off topic. But I have my catflap on my double glazed sliding door. So it is possible

GigaByte

muppet_man wrote: »

Sorry for off topic. But I have my catflap on my double glazed sliding door. So it is possible

I've had a catflap in my double glazed patio door like you but after a year its started to fog up now, its also very expensive to replace and if you need to put in a different cat door you'll have problems. I also have the problem of a nasty Tom sneaking in and eating all my cats food. He even sneaks upstairs while I'm in!!!

So I got my 2 cats chipped and I now have the Pet Porte microchip cat flap which will be put into the wall on Monday! I've tested my 2 cats and its working perfectly.

I'll also attach another flap to the main entrance of the hole to keep it looking tidy

mymo

@muppet_man: I know it can be done but I don't own the house, so not possible.
My sister in law did put cat flap in her double glazed door, think it cost about €250 for the panel or something.