Microchip cat flap Petporte smart flap
Petporte smart flap – Microchip Cat Flap
How it works
The Petporte smart flap – Microchip Cat Flap has been designed to allow your animals easy access to the outside world whilst keeping other troublesome cats out of your house. The smart flap does not require your animals to wear collars or accessories. Instead it reads the identification number stored on your cat’s microchip that your vet has implanted in your cat.
Note: Please programme the cat before fitting, hold the green button down until the green light goes solid, take your finger off, you will hear one beep now hold the cat under the scanner, the petporte will beep 3 times
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Customise to your cats
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Night modeNight mode uses a built-in light sensor which activates in-only access for authorised cats at dusk and automatically allows free exit at dawn. This keeps cats in at night. Button Activation Press the Red Button for less than 2 seconds | Vet modeVet mode applies a similar setting that allows authorised cats in-only – handy when they are due a trip to the vet. Button Activation Press the Red Button for more than 5 seconds | Customisation modesExtended modes (requires mains power) allows cat owners to customise the cat flap to their cat’s routine and their own convenience. Button Activation Press and hold both the Red and Green Buttons for more than 2 seconds |
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| More PetSafe Solutions for You and Your Cat | This Microchip cat flap is compatible with the most common microchips – the improved microchip reader can be programmed for up to 40 cats | A free-falling stream of water entices pets to drink more, and helps prevent urinary and kidney diseases through increased hydration. | Set the Peek-a-Bird to One-Time-Play or Play-All-Day mode to keep your cat engaged and entertained throughout the day | Lasting for up to 30 days, the PetSafe ScoopFree Litter Box, automatically removes Waste into a discreet, concealed area without the need to be handled. | Control your pet’s meal time from anywhere using your smartphone; app requires an apple iPhone or iPod device iOS 9.0 or later or a compatible Android smartphone 6.0 or later |
| Weight: | 1.56 kg |
| Dimensions: | 15.86 x 23.2 x 23.2 cm; 1.56 Kilograms |
| Colour: | White |
| Colour: | White |
Costly compared to a bog standard car flap, but worth it. Large infrared tags also bothered my cat, no need with this cat flap, and best of all works off the mains!
This is our 3rd petporte…they are great for keeping unwelcome cats out of your home…and take quite a battering over a few years from our cats before needing to be replaced
we were very pleased with it and the cat uses it after a few goes
Works Great once you have got used to the various key functions. I have extracted the key operations and compiled a simple set of the main instructions for the benefit of the family and ‘cat sitters’ We use primarily with the night time function which prohibits exit after dusk but still allows entry with Microchip detector this function works very well.
Great cat flap to keep out unwanted visitors. It took a while for the cats to get used to it because of the click noise. The instructions were a bit difficult to understand and also to de-activate the sound.
Great product 3rd one to date our cats dive through it and break it 🙁
Excellent product, wish they had clearly specified that need to purchase extensions to fit in brick wall. Apart from that easy to fit and to operate; works perfectly and no more Tom Cats getting in and stealing my cat’s food (not to mention spraying……… ugh!)
I love the product just wished the cat did! The only way he will use it is if we tape the flap open! Hopefully, he’ll master the art of pushing it himself but at 13, I might be expecting too much
Excellent now, but it did take the cat a week to get used to it, had to keep ‘posting’ her in and out. Keeps other cats away from her food and from spraying in our house.
best thing I ever brought! keeps all cats out apart from my own and it clicks so I can hear them come in. highly recommended and has a 3 year guarantee
excellent cat flat, simple to install and program and the kitties soon got used to working out how to use it. I like the mains power feature too, which for my location works easily (conservatory white panel installation).
Took a bit of installing but now we have peace of mind that only our cats can get into the house. Might seem pricey but definitely worth the money.
Wished I’d got this item sooner. It has stopped unwanted cats coming in my home and stealing my cats food and scaring her. Great invention!
Owned for over a year now, still can’t get one of our cats to come in though (even though he will go out ok!)
Excellent flap. This is my 2nd one and they are grea
Brilliant bit of kit and good value for the peace of mind.
An excellent cat flap which operates using the microchip embedded in the neck of the cat. You set the sensor to recognise the cats you want to pass through, pass it near them and then save the data. It won’t open for any other cat, which we find gives our cats confidence, plus they don’t have collars, nor dangling magnets which might be the same as another cat’s. They can get in or out at any hour of day or night which makes our one with (post-operation) bowel problems much more relaxed. Fairly easy to fit if you are practical and can read the manual carefully.
Does exactly what it says on the box – perfect – no strange little creatures coming in now – only my two perfect black feline models
Difficult to set up and install but once you’re there it’s excellent.
Note that it still makes my cat jump after a month of use when it clicks open. Doesnt stop her using it though!
Bought this to replace old cat flap which had stopped working. New one is smaller in size so didn’t fit gap already in door but handy husband managed to insert piece of wood to fill in space. Waiting for the winter weather to see if it’s weather proof! Cat isn’t too happy that’s it’s a smaller size either!
This replaced an earlier version of the same cat flap we had. One of our cats sometimes didn’t trigger the sensor and couldn’t get in. This new one is much more sensitive and has never failed to trigger with any of the cats. Very happy with it.
Not able to take the cat flap from our previous house without having to buy at least a cheap replacement to fill the gap, and being very satisfied with the quality and performance, we ordered the same again, with no regrets since. We have one not so bright cat who puts his head under the hood to activate the flap about a dozen times before actually coming/going through, but we’re wondering if he just likes the reassuring bleep… Well worth the money and peace of mind knowing that no other cats than yours can enter the house. We’ve had only one break-in, very flukey, when our tail-less cat was chased in so closely and so fast by the neighbourhood tom, that they both landed on the inside mat together, both amazingly on the same bleep – much to Tom’s surprise, who then whipped straight back out and made himself scarce. This has never happened again!
The electronic flap seems very hardy and reliable, and the different modes allow for every moggy eventuality including making sure your cat is indoors ready to take to the vet.
This is my second of these cat flaps – the first lasted 3 years before we started to run into problems. Initially we managed to fix it after email advice from the customer services (who were very helpful and efficient!) but unfortunately it completely gave up on us recently after 4 years in use. The new cat flap is working perfectly and was really easy to install (we already had the hole in the door ready!) and the cats are fine using it. We haven’t tried timer mode or anything as we lock and unlock it ourselves but everything else works well. I wouldn’t have any other cat flap!
excellent product, well worth the money, but training our cat not quite so good. This is not the fault on the product.
Many thanks for an all round for a very good experience. C.D.
Bit pricey as I needed 9 in total ( ouch!) but good neat finish!
It’s simple to use , it’s simple to put in , simply a good produc
An excellent product at a good price. Just got to train the Cat!
This is certainly the best cat flap I have ever owned. I bought this one to replace an earlier model which packed up after many years of faithful service.
My only complaint is that we have ours through a standard brick and block wall but the cable from the outside chip reader and the interior circuit boards is only just long enough, another inch would have been much better and something you’d think the manufacturers would consider.
The cat flap is also over branded now with a ridiculously large and totally unnecessary PetSafe logo splattered across it. Who exactly are they hoping to advertise to? Other cats in the neighbourhood, maybe?
Other than these minor annoyances though this is an excellent product as above all else it means no more dangerous and easy to lose collars for cats.
Just what it says on the tin. One cat took to it, one was reluctant on hearing the click, but soon got used to it. Great.
This is the best microchip cat flap. My three cats come and go as they please. Very happy.
Perfect extension cable, being used with the Microchip cat flap from PetSafe. 5m long and I’ve been able to trail it along the top of the skirting board neatly. Strong construction, quality cable.
Excellent piece of kit – read the instructions and all will be fine- my cat used it within 5 minutes – 3 year old never used a cat flap before- fantastic product- highly recommend
We needed this extension wire as the lead the cat flap came with was about 2 inches too short!
Instructions weren’t the best, but was easy to put together. Scanning cats was fun! Now installed it is a great cat flap. Nice that the cats don’t need collars.
Fast delivery, quality product, easy to fit. Our cat likes it too,now his friends can’t steal his dinner.
I purchased this to replace one I bought many years ago which was damaged when the exterior of the house was repaired. Absolutely delighted with the customer service I received when it did not work. No questions were asked and a replacement was received 2 days later. The replacement works well and I and the cats, are really pleased. Hope this lasts as long as the original which only needed changed because of the workmen rather than it stopping working of its own accord.
Really pleased with this cat door. Keeps out all the nuisance cats. Our cat soon got used to it having used the old type stay well cat door. I did alter the setting to silent so that there’s no bleep when the cat is scanned as he did not like that sound! Definitely recommend this item and is well worth the money having been pestered by other cats coming in spraying etc!
Bought this to replace the old model made by Petporte before PetSafe took them over. The old model had given reliable service for several years but had started to fail intermittently. This one is exactly the same size and the bolt holes are in the same place, so it was a simple matter of disconnecting the old one, bolting on the new, scanning the cat and it was ready to go. The only difference to the old one, apart from the branding, appears to be that the part that scans the cat (the “porch”) is now enclosed. Here’s to several more years service and a happy cat who can come and go as he pleases!
Great pet flap don’t have a clue how to building up send is built j will let anaxo
Very good cat flap. Easy to program.
Beware that during strong wind, the flap can stay open. It will then lock, allowing stray cats in, but all cats would be unable to get out again.
To prevent a cat war, I have fitted a sliding wooden door inside to prevent it being used when I am out.
Have used this now for 7 months. Generally good. Easy to fit over existing hole for previous staywell manual cat flap, just had to drill one screw hole in a different position. 2 issues though:
1. Cat has discovered that if she hits the flap hard this deactivates the “vet mode” and she can get out. We deal with this by placing the vacuum cleaner in front after locking the flap first.
2.Cat occasionally slips in slowly to avoid noise attracting other cats. Unfortunately this means the flap does not swing with sufficient force to activate the no entry mechanism, meaning other cats can get in!
I run it on battery only and its doing fine. Cat figured it out no problem
A sensible and reasonably robust product; it will frustrate foreign felines but wouldn’t baffle a burglar. You’ll need a competent handyman to prepare and install the door panel that it sits in but the instructions are clear and helpful; read them first (you can probably get an e-copy before you buy). There’s no point in buying this relatively expensive cat-flap unless your cat(s) is/are microchipped; ours are and, after an initial concern about the beeps that signal recognition and activation, they learned the system quickly and now barely pause on their (frequent) passage through. Consider the placement carefully; it needs to be at a reasonable height and to allow an exiting cat to emerge into a reasonably secure location – we use potted plants to defend that space. Assembly of the cat-flap, electrical connection and cat introduction (ie chip registration) are all easy – if you follow the step-by-step instructions; once again, read everything before you start tinkering with the toys…
Easy to fit was a replacement from one I bought on 2011 best cat flap on the market and the customer service is amazing highly recommend
Does what it says but is the lead only which description is awful
Marvellous! Easy to set up, my two herberts sussed it within a few hours and we had a full night sleep without disturbance from the regular visitor who ate their food and sprayed everywhere. Fitted into the hole where the previous flap of the same make had been. Managed to quickly suss the modes and turned the beep off and lengthened the “return lock” timer as my furbies like to stand by the flap for a while before coming in!
These are so useful. We have a neighbourhood cat who decided to start coming into our house (a bit of a surprise when I met it in the hall one day) and my cats were none too happy about it either. Now it stays outside and I have two contented kitties.
Good Product, difficult to set up with more than one ca
A superb product which works beautifully and is exactly as described in the literature. I would recommend it to anyone with cats that are micro-chipped.
excellent product works brilliantly able to set for dawn and dusk. Cats gotused to it very quickly
excellent product works brilliantly able to set for dawn and dusk. cats got used to it very quickly.
Takes away the uncertainty of the batteries failing whilst you’re on holiday etc. Easy to fit,just plug into socket.
Excellent purchase,always had microchip cat flaps to stop unwanted visitors however this one is electric (lead supplied) and has battery back up – Brilliant.
A very good product but the bleep is quite loud and both my cats are taking ages to get used to it. As soon as it bleeps they jump back from the tunnel and wait for one of us to open the door! It definitely does it’s job keeping intruders out but,at present, ours as well!!! It seems a bit less draughty than our other catflap although time will tell when the real winter arrives. A sturdy and well made product and like the idea of having it plugged into the mains and having battery back-up.
does what it is suposed to do,
Cats are ok with it has numerous actions inat night not out , vet mode keeps them in. Or on the mode for chipped (your own ) cats ony can access it any time .
,A bit fiddly to fix into door 2 persons to make it easier to fi
Took a few goes to get it to work, have six cats, three use with no problems. The other three have a few problems but that’s cats!
Fantastic! Does exactly what it says in the tin. One down side though is that the wire could be unsightly but I have a tip to disguise it……. Use carpenters “mitre mate” or equivalent to stick it to any Upvc door. Unless you’re looking you cannot see ours now.
Having previously used the battery powered version of this type of catflap, we decided to try out the mains version after the existing catflap started draining batteries at an alarming rate. Although not quite as robust, it does everything it says on the tin and removes the worry that the batteries will fail and render the flap useless.
Unlike previous catflaps using the cat’s embedded microchip, this has a strange kind of ‘porch’ on the outside, which wasn’t entirely obvious from the picture. It’s not small, and takes a bit of getting used to.
The 3rd one I have had too have.(Nasty Cats after mine)
Highly recommend this gives you peace of mind knowing its only YOUR cat/s that can come in.
Two friends have now changed their old cat flap for this type.
Cat likes it, I like it – although I got it on lightning deal for considerably less than its current selling price. On the whole it works really well, I have it set to lock when it gets dark so he can get in when he’s ready but not get out again til it’s light. You can set the level you’re happy with too.
A few niggles, the hood thing which contains the sensor is a bit big and gets caught on things easily, but I haven’t broken it… yet… and I don’t know if it would work so well without it. That said, it still fails to unlock occasionally but cat usually finds the right position eventually.
Finally the controls are bewildering and you will need to keep the manual handy to change modes
A bit fiddly to programme, but an excellent product. Recognises the chips in our three cats and has enabled us to keep a persistent stray invader (and associated smells!) out of the house.
We have 2 old cats (approx 10 years old) who adapted to this well considering they haven’t used a cat flap since they were kittens! We were able to check their microchips were compatible via the makers website before purchasing. We programmed it to omit the beep noise as they entered/exited but after a power cut the beep noise returned even though we had battery backup. Intending to read the manual again to alter this, both cats have got used to the noise so we have left it to beep which is quite useful as it makes us look up to see which stealthy cat is returning.
Excellent product highly recommended. High quality product. Petsafe provide excellent product support and 3 year warranty for this catflap. This is the Rolls Royce of cat flaps!
Great value, easy to set up and Archie uses it. The big plus is that it works with his chip and as he loses collars regularly it is a major benefit. Highly recommended.
Our second one bought to replace the same model that had given years of service for our two cats. Peace of mind to know your cats are able to come and go without danger from other cats.
This is brilliant, I can’t believe I waited so long to get one. I love that I can set it to different modes, like night mode, which locks at night, letting the cats in but not back out during the night and it will automatically open in the morning.
It was very easy to instal but make sure your cut is straight or the flap can get stuck in the open position as I found out.
My cats are still getting used to it but I have only had it a few weeks and they come in quite slowly meaning the lock pops up before the flap is in the closed position, meaning it doesn’t lock properly, I had a visitor a couple of days ago because of this but the timer can be changed, I just haven’t done it yet.
I would recommend to anyone.
The flap works very well but it beeps when my cat enters or leaves and this she found very off putting at first. Had to let her get to use is for a week before she built up her confidence enough to cope with the lock. There is a setting that allows a cat to get in out out without it beeping and I have the flap on this setting now. I found the instruction book very difficult to follow, the language was very convoluted and it took me a while to understand what I had to do to get the flap to function in the way I wanted it to. Even my son, a very computer literate person, struggled to follow the instructions.
The setup and installation is a little complicated, but the user manual does help guide through the process well. Programming the cat flap to the cat is fairly easy, it just requires the sensor to pass over the cat. The flap fits perfectly in the hole for the four way manual cat flap, which saves any door cutting. The one downside is the screws do not align, so I had to drill new holes in the door (for an M6 screw size).
The cat flap runs off the mains rather than batteries. Advantages of this are batteries are not required, and I suppose the sensor is more powerful when running off mains rather than a battery. It can run off a backup battery with limited functionality. Downsides are you need to run a power lead to the cat flap (not always close to the door) and it is a little less tidy looking than the battery operated cat flaps.
Once installed the final hurdle was getting Smudge to come through the cat flap. He was initially very wary of the cat flap. Once he got the confidence to come up to it to go through it, the clicking of the locking mechanism upon detecting his chip spooked him. However after a few hours he started using it, and although he goes through it with trepidation, I’m sure in time he will get used to the clicking noise of the lock.
Overall I would recommend this microchip cat flap. It certainly does the job I needed it for (keeping unwanted visitors out!). Especially good if you have an existing PetSafe manual cat flap and wish to upgrade it.
Works great! Keeps cat in other cats out and that’s what I bought it for!
The cat flap is good but my cat is not so keen at the moment but I’m sure she will get used to it I’m very happy with i
his is great no other cats coming in and you can alter the settings. i have a longer opening time as Lenny was very nervous but in and out all the time now at least i know he can get in warm and safe when i am at work x
My cats are not sure about the click it makes when the microchip is recognised, they stop going forward to come in, then reverse and look and sniff the flap and sit there. Great cat flap but a bit complicated to program for me.
This is sort of brilliant, but it is not perfect. Because the wind blows against my back door this holds the flap a bit open, which means that the lock doesn’t engage and the neighbours cat kept getting in. I have taped a rock to the flap – not very elegant, but this has solved the problem by giving the flap a bit more weight. The only other issue is that if the cat runs in too fast it doesn’t open fast enough and poor kitty gets a sore head! Oh yes and I had to build a platform the other side of the door so that kitty goes through horizontal, rather than up vertically and through because otherwise the chip scanner didn’t work. Reading this you are probably thinking on my goodness, it’s rubbish, but now the cat has learnt not to run through too fast, step is in place and flap is weighted down, it works a treat!
Also has to be wired into the mains to work best. Which is easy as long as your cat doesn’t chop through the wires like mine did before I’d had a chance to nail them down!
Absolutely love it. We had an uninvited cat coming in through the night and spraying. Distinctly unpleasant odour, ate our cats food and terrorised them. Bought the new flap, sensor detected our cats chips and the unit was programmed instantly. No more unwanted guests and we can all sleep well. Hurrah!
All round great product saved the stress caused to our own cats as half the neighbourhood’s cats where visiting all the time
I already have one of these installed in my house for over two years now , they are so good I’ve just installed one in my mums place to prevent unwanted male cats coming in to eat and spay everywhere
eplacement for existing pet porte that failed after around 3 years. Generally a good produc
A good device, which has kept my neighbours cats out of my house while allowing my cat access. One disadvantage is that by default it emits a loud beep when the cat uses it. This was a problem when I bought one for my mother, because she has a nervous cat and the beep scares the living daylights out of her. You can program the unit to not beep when the cat passes through, but unfortunately there is no way of knowing whether the beep is turned on or off except by placing the cat near it. I have now established that the beep really is turned off, but my mother’s cat still refuses to use this cat flap because of prior experience. It would be better if there was a visual indication such as a flashing light instead of a beep.
Works great; I feel a lot better knowing my cat can’t go out in the dark.
Only two criticisms; if you have two cats and one isn’t allowed out (for example, while they recover from an injury) there’s no way to selectively prevent just that cat from leaving.
The other problem is that as the light sensor is inside the house, if you have a light on in the room it’ll unlock itself for a few minutes; mine is in my kitchen and my cat has snuck out a couple of times while I made myself a sandwich.
However, given the design, I can’t really see a solution and they are quite minor.
I was a bit sceptical about this – would it work? After 3 months, i can say that it is the best cat flap we have ever used. It fits into the same space as the previous (manual) cat flap. The power lead could do with being a bit longer. Instructions are a bit confusing but once you see your cat come through the flap – having activated it via a chip in their neck – you realise how cool new technology is. The other cats in the neighbourhood can no longer eat our cats food – nor terrorise her in her own home!
An excellent piece of kit. Not too hard to assemble, and easy to program your cats microchips to it. I have bought two, as an idiot stood on the outside piece and broke it. I rang the helpline, as I planned to only replace the outside piece (as it seems the memory is on the inside, and I hoped to avoid re-programming), but I was advised to replace it all, in case of slight model changes. I was ok with that.
I have recommended this to others. Great for keeping other cats out. Only downside is it really needs to be plugged in to the mains, as batteries don’t last very long at all. This can be a problem depending on your door, so be aware. However I am pleased with it.
This is the third Petporte catflap we have had over the years. Until recently we had 6 cats, all of whom were microchipped and gained access when required. The feature which allows you to set the light levels for opening and closing is very useful. One of our younger cats, however, is very determined and has managed to force his way out of the cat flap. I rang up Petporte Customer Services but unfortunately, they were not able to offer a solution, so we purchased a further cat flap (different style) which we put in our inner kitchen door. These two together seem to have solved this problem but now we have a stray cat who is also very determined and he has breached the defences!
We had the older version of this flap for years until the electro magnet stopped working. The new flap is even better than the last one. The flap itself is smaller (but still allows one of our larger cats access) and better fitting which stops draughts. The buttons are on the top making it easier to see and the battery back-up is a god send (we get power cuts a lot and if a bulb blows it can trip the circuit).
Set up can be a bit tricky but once all cats are programmed in job done. Do read all the instructions before starting. The final result is worth the initial set time.
I’ve tried every kind of cat flap on the market but this is the one!! I had to get my cat microchipped but that didn’t bother her too much. It took a bit more training than the other cat flaps but I don’t know if she’d got so frightened of previously being chased in through the cat flap by randy toms or she had just forgotten how to use it. It took about 2 days but she finally worked it out. I’ve not had any other cats even approach the door. It has a kind of porch cover on the outside so maybe not visible to other cats? I love the time delay setting. Previously it’s only been possible to have a 4 or 5 second delay which is long enough for other cats to get in, with this one as soon as the cat is in it locks. Other reviews say the locking system is noisy? I’m not sure what they mean, my one just clicks quietly when the cat comes in. Oh also it doesn’t keep clicking when the cat is nearby only when she actually uses it. FABULOUS!!! Buy one now!!!
Hi!
My name is Suki and I am 7 years old. I had a Petporte in my previous house and I really loved it and the freedom it gave me to come and go as I liked, night and day.It worked perfectly for years and gave me a bolt hole too so I could escape from the big cats when they came in my garden and faced me down when I spat at them – they really don’t like that and sometimes tried to smash my head in with a quick right hook, so I have learned that sometimes discretion is the better part of valour (as they say). I hated the programming business because I don’t like being told what to do, and also, it looked scary. Now I’ve moved with my people to a new ground floor apartment and I’ve got a new smart white Smart Flap and I decided to programme myself in to save all the fuss. I just wandered up to the flap (it’s installed in a double glazed window looking out to my thicket where I spend most of the day now) and walked through it slowly and “Bingo” the beeper sounded and that was it. My person pressed the right button and I did the rest – Double smart!! These Petporte people really did us cats a huge favour when they made the Smart Flap – everybody should have one!
I purchased this product after comparing several similar cat flaps – this was chosen mainly because it would keep the kittens in at night and because it runs off the electricity supply and not just a battery.
I was concerned that the micro-chips wouldn’t register with the ‘porch’ as my cats are small and their micro-chips were placed lower than the scruff of their necks when they were put in.
I had spoken to Petsafe about this concern, they had not been able to give conclusive advice but amazon said they would give a refund on the item if it didn’t work for me & my kittens.
Registering the kitts with the flap was easy, installation was a bit fiddly but not too bad, the flap fitted into the existing hole for the previous flap. Unfortunately the door was cracked, but I contacted the manufacturer and they have sent a replacement.
The flap does work for my kittens, their chips do register with the ‘porch’ even though they are small, they do have to stick their heads up to the door for the it to open and because it is their micro chip which opens the door it doesn’t matter when they loose yet another collar, the automatic lock at night shuts them in at dusk and I haven’t found the problem that other people have mentioned that when the lights in the kitchen are on it will stop this working, so maybe it’s be the light sensor has been moved or improved. On the down side, they are still nervous (nearly three weeks after installation) when the door opens or locks, as although I have turned off the beep they aren’t keen on the clicking sound it makes, if they are being chased there is a short delay before the chip registers and the door will open, so they cannot fly in through it as they used to do with the previous one and the porch which is where their chips register is heavy and sticks out further than I had expected which pulls down on the top of the plastic which surrounds the hole in the door so it isn’t flush to the door…this is because the screws to attach the flap are on the sides and their is no attachment at the top (probably because the electrics are at the top on the inside.)
Overall a great item, I’m pleased to have bought i
We bought this cat flap to stop a neighbours cat coming in and harassing our cat.
Very easy to set up – was very amusing to watch my boyfriend scanning the cat under the door to register the micro chip.
Our cat was unsure to start with and bolted every time the door beeped. We switched the beep off and he realised pretty quickly that the click meant the door was now open so he could come back in.
The cat was fine after a day of us installing the door and is a great deal happier now the neighbours cat can’t get in.
The only negative is that the electric wire to the catflap looks a little messy but that is not a big issue seeing as the door works so well.
Definitely recommend.
It may just be my cats, but the magnet to hold the flap shut (weather-proofing it) was very strong and they struggled to open it, so I had to remove it (fairly easily done) however if one of the cats comes in too slowly the latch shuts before the flap is closed, so the flap part is on the wrong side, meaning that another cat could come in afterwards without ‘opening’ it. I’m not sure if removing the magnet has caused this to happen or if it would have happened anyway. The only other thing is that the plug does get quite warm. Other than that I do really like this catflap and so far we have only had one ‘cat burglary’ since it was installed.
I decided to purchase this type of cat flap after a strange cat was coming in and helping itself to my cats food! I also bought the extension lead as my nearest electric socket is a fair way from the back door. Prompt delivery.Getting them under the sensor to programme their individual chips was a bit of a performance but that was because I did it on my own. Bound to be easier with 2 people, one holding the cat and the other the flap. This takes place before installing the flap into the door. It took 2 of us to install the flap as you have to hold the parts together as it is screwed together at the door, but not really complicated. My two cats, although already used to using cat flaps took a little while to get used to it but I changed the default 4 seconds of the flap locking to approx 10-15 (difficult to judge exactly) and this helped them get through the flap before it locked on them. A few days on and they are quite happy with it……….and so am I!
We previously installed a battery powered cat flap from another supplier and our cat had great difficulty with it. Somehow he could never get his chip close enough to the sensor and would always end up with his head jammed up against the flap mewing pitifully. With a large coil sensor in the porch, this Petsafe model is the one for him and he can now torment the other local cats safe in the knowledge that he’ll be straight in the house when things turn nasty. Being mains powered he can also go in and out 20 times a day without stacking up a huge pile of dead batteries.
I note that some other reviews of this have taken place after they’ve had the flap for a while, but I thought I’d give my first impressions.
First off, this almost exactly fit the hole in the door from our old Staywell 31 flap – which isn’t that surprising given that they’re manufactured by the same company. I did have to put new securing screw holes in the door, though as they’re marginally further apart on the new flap. I also had to cut out a small piece so that the sensor plug could pass through the door. Other than that, though, a perfect fit.
It takes 2 people to fit the flap as you’ll need someone to hold up the other side when offering up the screws. You also have to take the whole of the face plate off the inside portion of the flap in order to fit the mains lead and the sensor plug into their sockets. For me, this is a design flaw as it exposes the delicate circuitry to possible damage during fitting.
Be warned also that the microchip reader coil is horizontal and its housing sticks out some 6″ from the outside of your door, just at shin height. It will almost certainly cause you problems when shifting large items, such as furniture, through the doorway.
The only other problem we had is that the flap wouldn’t read the microchip of one of our cats. If this happens to you, don’t immediately assume the flap is faulty. It turned out that the microchip in the cat had failed, so he’s had to have a new one injected (poor s*d). Obviously, that’s less likely than a flap fault, but it’s worth keeping in mind if you do have a problem.
Final point: the magnet holding the flap shut is much weaker than those on the old Staywell flaps, so the cats can open them more easily – which is good. What’s not so good is that in windy weather, the lack of the weight of the magnet and the absence of its strong attraction to the frame means that the flap may not fully close behind your cat, allowing interlopers to enter.
The main reason I bought this particular cat-flap is because it only allows my cats in, being activated by their own individual microchips.
I’m so glad I didn’t opt for the `microchipped collar’ variety because that would have proven to be a disaster! Having chosen to only let them wear breakaway collars (advice from my vet), there would have been several occasions, at least ten in the previous two weeks where they would have been locked out using that other choice of cat-flap! Because I’ve been using a Loc8tor unit to keep track of my cats’ whereabouts, I’ve discovered the lost collars caught in bushes and even five feet up a conifer tree so it doesn’t bear thinking about my cats’ fate had they not been able to break free.
Another significant factor for choosing this cat flap is that it seems to be the only one with the night-time mode. I really wanted this, having researched that many cat fatalities occur at night and I’m not entirely convinced that foxes don’t play a small part in this. My cats have only been old enough to be allowed out in the past month and have adapted well to this night-time curfew as being out during the daytime they are worn out enough to settle contentedly for the evening/night.
The only thing to be aware of is that this night-time mode will not function if there happens to be a powercut which prevents your cats getting in or out. I discovered this when I thought to check at the time the electricity supply happened to be cut off for a few hours. (The battery back-up doesn’t provide cover for this setting). This shouldn’t be a problem normally as if you are aware of the powercut at the time, the cat-flap can be reset. However, if you are away for a few days, it might be an idea to use the more everyday settings which wouldn’t be affected in those circumstances.
I needed to fit this Petsafe Smart Flap in a double glazed glass panel.This means that you have to get a new glass unit made up because a hole cannot be cut in the existing glass. This didn’t really present any problem as I contacted a reliable glazier from Yellow Pages(You know,the people who fit Upvc windows etc.)and he came along,measured up and got a new glass unit made up with a hole of the correct size cut in it. He then came back with the cat flap already assembled and fitted the panel in place,not cheap but job done. What you must be sure to do before anything is to program the cat flap with moggies microchip to make sure it works ok.I had no trouble doing this at all following the instructions.You can phone the manufacturer before you buy as I did if you like and they will tell you if your cats microchip is compatible,You will find the code on the vet’s certificate that he gave you.I have to say that I had no problem at all getting our moggy to use it,worked straight off.I did find though that it works much better connected to the mains.There are quite a few programs that you can use and I find the Vet Mode handy last thing at night which lets moggy in but not out again,saves waiting up which has been a pain in the warm weather. So far I would not hesitate to recommend Petsafe Smart Flap. My wife and myself have now got to find an alternative form of excercise as we do not have to get up and down every five minutes or so to open the door to let our moggy in or out.(Come on you’ve all done it!)
Bought this to replace the old version of the Microchip cat flap and am very pleased with the purchase. Product works well and does the job. Only issue is that it does get a bit annoying that you can’t have the light on in the room where the cat flap is installed, or the light sensor picks up the light level and unlocks the flap even when it is pitch dark outside. We have this in a spare room and it’s annoying, can’t imagine how irritating that would be if it was in your kitchen! Essentially we have to position something in front of the flap the whole time the light is on. It’s also still annoying when your cat is bashing against the locked flap first thing in the morning, but I would think that is more of an issue with the cat and not the cat flap!
This is actually a great cat flap once fitted and you eventually get to grips with functionality.
It took my husband a few hours to fit despite already have a hole in door from magentic staywell catflap. The cats took to it really well with no issues.
We had problems with the night funtionality as it is very sensitive to ambient light – we could never get it to lock as darkness fell. After persevering for a few days, I rang the help line. I explained our problem and she immediately pointed out that it was probably picking up the inside light and therefore not locking when it should. She then said she would send me instructions so I could set it to lock and open at certain times – exactly what we needed and it works perfectly. Why on earth is this functionality not mentioned in the user guide?!
Great product, slightly dubious user guide!
This product has been well worth the money as our two female cats were being terrorised by the local male bruiser cat, a stray, who we’ve caught several times, either actually in our house eating their food at night, or trying to come in with our cats batting him through the catflap. No longer. We’ve actually seen him headbutting this flap but to no avail. Not the easiest item to assembly, took both my husband & I (one to read the instructions carefully, the other to assemble it), and we had to saw the bolts down as they were too long for our door. When up and running, it took one of our cats longer that the other to get used to the click and the quiet beep, but once left to her own devices, she soon got the hang of it. We’ve noticed their dry food is lasting longer so it’s put paid to the stray coming in while we were both out at work. Now, we have two safe and contented cats and two happy owners.