cat flap in a wall
Angela
Before I have always had a cat flap in a door but now I have a new house and
the back door is a large double glazed door which would just cost me to much
to have a flap put in. A builder friend has offered to put one in the wall
for me. Has anyone any experience of doing this? I have a couple
questions:
1. As it's a cavity wall do cats have a problem going through a tunnel?
2. The actual door seems to be on the inside leaving the tunnel exposed to
the elements (or have I got that wrong?). What's stopping it filling with
rain and allowing water to seep into the cavity wall?
Knocking holes in walls is quite a drastic thing to do so I don't really
want to do it unless it really is the right thing............though I'm not
sure what else I will do if it isn't!!
Thanks in advance
Angela
The Natural Philosopher
held back by similar misgivings.
Andy Hall
> I hope someone can give me some advice if any of you have done this.
Yes.
>
> Before I have always had a cat flap in a door but now I have a new house and
> the back door is a large double glazed door which would just cost me to much
> to have a flap put in. A builder friend has offered to put one in the wall
> for me. Has anyone any experience of doing this? I have a couple
> questions:
>
> 1. As it's a cavity wall do cats have a problem going through a tunnel?
Not really unless it's a very old cat.
>
> 2. The actual door seems to be on the inside leaving the tunnel exposed to
> the elements (or have I got that wrong?). What's stopping it filling with
> rain and allowing water to seep into the cavity wall?
Because the rain doesn't really drive in horizontally, unless you live
in Newcastle.
There are plastic tunnel liners that can be fitted together in
sections. You can glue these together with plumbers solvent weld if
you like
>
> Knocking holes in walls is quite a drastic thing to do so I don't really
> want to do it unless it really is the right thing............though I'm not
> sure what else I will do if it isn't!!
>
It's better than using a DG door.
EricP
wrote:
Go for it. A hole in a wall costs a few pounds to get rid of but a
hole in a door, particularly a plastic one costs serious money to
remove, as two neighbours are finding out :))
geoff
<whok...@whoknows.com> writes
>I hope someone can give me some advice if any of you have done this.
>
>Before I have always had a cat flap in a door but now I have a new house and
>the back door is a large double glazed door which would just cost me to much
>to have a flap put in. A builder friend has offered to put one in the wall
>for me. Has anyone any experience of doing this? I have a couple
>questions:
>
>1. As it's a cavity wall do cats have a problem going through a tunnel?
>
Yes, they will go through a tunnel, but it might need training. You
might need to keep the cat flap open for a couple of weeks while it gets
used to the concept.
Mine has no problems going through such a tunnel, although, being a cat,
it will play the game of trying to get you to open the door just for the
sake of it
--
geoff
geoff
Philosopher <a@b.c> writes
--
geoff
Adrian C
> Mine has no problems going through such a tunnel, although, being a cat,
> it will play the game of trying to get you to open the door just for the
> sake of it
>
Friend of mine installed a 'dog' flap in his house by making a hole
through a wall, the only issue he did initially have was that for most
of the ground floor of his house, the inside floor level was
considerably higher than the outside level.
However, one room - the downstairs loo - had the least outside drop so
the tunnel was installed there!
It was a small loo, room for one person only - or make that one person
and a dog, if ye were unlucky to be on the throne and the animal had
just come scurrying in by your side!
Privacy Nil!
:-)
--
Adrian C
scm
the hole a couple of bricks and lining the 'tunnel with ply. The Tunnel
is about 1 brick wide by 3 high
The Cat Flap is on the inside. The Cat manages to come through fine,
but boy does he complain that it is not as convenient as the old one in
the conservatory was!!
SCM
The Medway Handyman
Owain
> Mine has no problems going through such a tunnel, although, being a cat,
> it will play the game of trying to get you to open the door just for the
> sake of it
Might just be easier to use a low-level doorbell and train the cat to
ring for entry.
Owain
geoff
<owain...@stirlingcity.coo.uk> writes
Mine makes a big fuss to be let out of the front door, just to appear at
the back 5 minutes later - on it's way to the front door just to play
the same game again
You don't train cats ...
--
geoff
Andy Hall
Dogs have owners. Cats have staff.
chris French
writes
>In message <fOSdnTjt8YlGxI_V...@brightview.com>, Angela
><whok...@whoknows.com> writes
>>I hope someone can give me some advice if any of you have done this.
>>
>>Before I have always had a cat flap in a door but now I have a new house and
>>the back door is a large double glazed door which would just cost me to much
>>to have a flap put in. A builder friend has offered to put one in the wall
>>for me. Has anyone any experience of doing this? I have a couple
>>questions:
>>
>>1. As it's a cavity wall do cats have a problem going through a tunnel?
>>
>This doesn't appear to have been discussed for several years
>
>Yes, they will go through a tunnel, but it might need training. You
>might need to keep the cat flap open for a couple of weeks while it
>gets used to the concept.
>
In the end we had to stuff one of our into the tunnel to make it go
through the tunnel and flap.. Once she'd done it once she was fine.
We had similar thing, though ours went through two walls eventually, as
the hole to the outside was in a corner hidden by cupboards, washing
machine etc.
I lined the hole with ply - the plastic tunnel extensions seemed
expensive compared to a bit of scrap ply, with the flap on the outside
(no good though if you want a locking flap)
--
Chris French
Angela
"scm" <jun...@removethis-btinternet.com> wrote in message
news:MY2dnVNowe2v_o_V...@bt.com...
> I have just 'converted' an old boiler flue into a cat tunnel by lowering
> the hole a couple of bricks and lining the 'tunnel with ply. The Tunnel is
> about 1 brick wide by 3 high
> The Cat Flap is on the inside. The Cat manages to come through fine, but
> boy does he complain that it is not as convenient as the old one in the
> conservatory was!!
> SCM
My friend has suggested using the extension tubes as well as a plywood
tunnel as well to be absolutely sure it wont leak.
Thanks for all advice, I think I will go ahead.
Rod
> 2. The actual door seems to be on the inside leaving the tunnel exposed to
> the elements (or have I got that wrong?). What's stopping it filling with
> rain and allowing water to seep into the cavity wall?
If the tunnel has even a very slight slope it would only fill with water
when you are being flooded.
(Only partly tongue in cheek do I ask this!) I assume that if the
catflap has any transparent area it requires Fensa registration or
building control approval? And do the catflaps themselves need to have
any approval (BBA?, BS/EN?)?
--
Rod
Hypothyroidism is a seriously debilitating condition with an insidious
onset.
Although common it frequently goes undiagnosed.
<www.thyromind.info> <www.thyroiduk.org> <www.altsupportthyroid.org>
Lobster
> I hope someone can give me some advice if any of you have done this.
>
> Before I have always had a cat flap in a door but now I have a new house and
> the back door is a large double glazed door which would just cost me to much
> to have a flap put in. A builder friend has offered to put one in the wall
> for me. Has anyone any experience of doing this? I have a couple
> questions:
>
> 1. As it's a cavity wall do cats have a problem going through a tunnel?
No, we have one which works fine.
One of our cats had to wear one of those plastic conical collars
recently following an combat wound which she kept picking at; as the
collar diameter was larger than that of the tunnel we set up a litter
tray inside for her the house. But oh no, somehow she still managed to
negotiate the tunnel - just took rather longer than usual. It was sight
to behold!
Our tunnel has a substantial wooden frame built into the house side, to
which the catflap is screwed - thus if we ever need a new cat flap,
maybe of different dimensions, it will be pretty easy to fit, ie won't
require 'building' work.
> 2. The actual door seems to be on the inside leaving the tunnel exposed to
> the elements (or have I got that wrong?). What's stopping it filling with
> rain and allowing water to seep into the cavity wall?
Well for a start the tunnel slopes outwards slightly, so any rainwater
would run outwards. Ours is in a solid wall, and is lined with mortar.
David
robgraham
> On 2008-04-26 01:04:34 +0100, geoff <ra...@kateda.org> said:
>
>
>
> > In message <7q2dnRsjNeI98o_VnZ2dnUVZ8sLinZ2d@plusnet>, Owain
> >> geoff wrote:
> >>> Mine has no problems going through such a tunnel, although, being a
> >>> cat, it will play the game of trying to get you to open the door just
> >>> for the sake of it
>
> >> Might just be easier to use a low-level doorbell and train the cat to
> >> ring for entry.
>
> > You are joking, aren't you ?
>
> > Mine makes a big fuss to be let out of the front door, just to appear
> > at the back 5 minutes later - on it's way to the front door just to
> > play the same game again
>
> > You don't train cats ...
>
> Dogs have owners. Cats have staff.
Absolutely - as well I know - not only for food and water, but "I want
to play now", "I want to be petted now", etc. His only attribute is
that he is Bagpuss personified, otherwise he would have been out the
door long since.
Rob
Gib Bogle
> Angela wrote:
>> I hope someone can give me some advice if any of you have done this.
>>
>> Before I have always had a cat flap in a door but now I have a new
>> house and
>> the back door is a large double glazed door which would just cost me
>> to much
>> to have a flap put in. A builder friend has offered to put one in the
>> wall
>> for me. Has anyone any experience of doing this? I have a couple
>> questions:
>>
>> 1. As it's a cavity wall do cats have a problem going through a tunnel?
>
> No, we have one which works fine.
>
> One of our cats had to wear one of those plastic conical collars
> recently following an combat wound which she kept picking at; as the
> collar diameter was larger than that of the tunnel we set up a litter
> tray inside for her the house. But oh no, somehow she still managed to
> negotiate the tunnel - just took rather longer than usual. It was sight
> to behold!
Backwards? What goes up the chimney down, but won't go down the chimney up?
The Wanderer
Depending on what sort of cat flap you want to instal, it would be possible
to have a flap on the outer end of the tunnel.
If you want one of the 'four way locking' types, you're more or less bound
to have the flap on the inner end of the tunnel, but if you go for a
Staywell 700 series, this flap will sit quite happily on the outer end with
a security drop-down panel on the inner end.
http://www.petdoorsonline.co.uk/
--
the dot wanderer at tesco dot net
Lobster
You'd think so, but she's not that bright - no, she just battled through
forwards...
David
Stuart Noble
The OP doesn't say whether it's a single panel door. If it has two, it's
easy enough to replace the bottom one with pvc and put the flap in that
Peter Parry
wrote:
>1. As it's a cavity wall do cats have a problem going through a tunnel?
Yes - they won't go through a cat flap sized tunnel. They will go
through one which is a bit bigger so they can stand as they come
through - so about 3-4 bricks high.
>2. The actual door seems to be on the inside leaving the tunnel exposed to
>the elements (or have I got that wrong?). What's stopping it filling with
>rain and allowing water to seep into the cavity wall?
The cavity wall is designed to be wet - but why not put the cat door
on the outside?
>Knocking holes in walls is quite a drastic thing to do so I don't really
>want to do it unless it really is the right thing............though I'm not
>sure what else I will do if it isn't!!
It's actually easier than modifying the door and simpler to remove if
you ever need to.
Owain
>> Might just be easier to use a low-level doorbell and train the cat to
>> ring for entry.
> You are joking, aren't you ?
Not really, ours trained himself to do doorhandles. Rats can be trained
to press a button for food, cats are way more intelligent.
> Mine makes a big fuss to be let out of the front door, just to appear at
> the back 5 minutes later - on it's way to the front door just to play
> the same game again
The doorbell doesn't stop the game, just provides another way of the cat
attracting your attention.
> You don't train cats ...
Okay, but they understand bribery :-)
Owain
Neil
news:fOSdnTjt8YlGxI_V...@brightview.com...
>I hope someone can give me some advice if any of you have done this.
>
> Before I have always had a cat flap in a door but now I have a new house
> and
> the back door is a large double glazed door which would just cost me to
> much
> to have a flap put in. A builder friend has offered to put one in the
> wall
> for me. Has anyone any experience of doing this? I have a couple
> questions:
>
> 1. As it's a cavity wall do cats have a problem going through a tunnel?
>
> 2. The actual door seems to be on the inside leaving the tunnel exposed
> to
> the elements (or have I got that wrong?). What's stopping it filling with
> rain and allowing water to seep into the cavity wall?
by little magnets to stop draughts,
and a lockable flap on the inside. No problems with rain, since the outer
door kep all weather out (except in real storms when there were a few drips,
but nothing to worry about.) Does mean the cost of two cat-flaps...
The tunnel was lined with hardboard, needed cleaning (muddy paws) every few
months.
The cats needed a bit of persuasion to go though at first - holding the
other door open made it less scary for them.
After a couple of weeks they were happily using it.
hth
Neil
Andrew Gabriel
catflap tunnel through the wall. The opening was complete
with a 12" concrete sill and lintel. The BCO thought it
was very funny.
--
Andrew Gabriel
[email address is not usable -- followup in the newsgroup]
geoff
<ne...@chatfield.me.uk> writes
>"Angela" <whok...@whoknows.com> wrote in message
>news:fOSdnTjt8YlGxI_V...@brightview.com...
>>I hope someone can give me some advice if any of you have done this.
>>
>> Before I have always had a cat flap in a door but now I have a new house
>> and
>> the back door is a large double glazed door which would just cost me to
>> much
>> to have a flap put in. A builder friend has offered to put one in the
>> wall
>> for me. Has anyone any experience of doing this? I have a couple
>> questions:
>>
>> 1. As it's a cavity wall do cats have a problem going through a tunnel?
>>
>> 2. The actual door seems to be on the inside leaving the tunnel exposed
>> to
>> the elements (or have I got that wrong?). What's stopping it filling with
>> rain and allowing water to seep into the cavity wall?
>Our cat tunnel had a flap on the outside to keep the weather out (kept shut
>by little magnets to stop draughts,
>and a lockable flap on the inside. No problems with rain, since the outer
>door kep all weather out (except in real storms when there were a few drips,
>but nothing to worry about.) Does mean the cost of two cat-flaps...
>The tunnel was lined with hardboard, needed cleaning (muddy paws) every few
>months.
I put a bit of carpet on the floor of mine
good for cleaning the paws and easy to clean by banging against the wall
every so often
--
geoff
david.c...@tesco.net
> I hope someone can give me some advice if any of you have done this.
>
> Before I have always had a cat flap in a door but now I have a new house and
> the back door is a large double glazed door which would just cost me to much
> to have a flap put in. A builder friend has offered to put one in the wall
> for me. Has anyone any experience of doing this? I have a couple
> questions:
>
> 1. As it's a cavity wall do cats have a problem going through a tunnel?
>
> 2. The actual door seems to be on the inside leaving the tunnel exposed to
> the elements (or have I got that wrong?). What's stopping it filling with
> rain and allowing water to seep into the cavity wall?
>
> want to do it unless it really is the right thing............though I'm not
> sure what else I will do if it isn't!!
>
>
> Angela
Take the easy option and change the double glazed panel in the door
for one with glass and a UPVC panel. Then ask the window company
to cut the panel for a cat flap. Job done. Should cost more than about
50-100 for
a panel for a door+ fitting.
Angela
<david.c...@tesco.net> wrote in message
news:5b761d16-138c-4344...@s50g2000hsb.googlegroups.com...
> On Apr 25, 11:22 pm, "Angela" <whokn...@whoknows.com> wrote:
>> I hope someone can give me some advice if any of you have done this.
> for one with glass and a UPVC panel. Then ask the window company
> to cut the panel for a cat flap. Job done. Should cost more than about
> 50-100 for
> a panel for a door+ fitting.
Thank, that's what I would have donw but the door is wood frames and the
sealed unit is the full door. I would consider having the full pane
replaced but I can't figure out how to get it out, it looks like the door
was made with the glass in - it's really weird!