# My cat can break through locked catflap!



## tinky75 (Jul 1, 2012)

Hi, my two cats 1yr 3mths have been going outside for 2mths and are now both finally using the cat flaps to get in and out :dita:. Belle doesn't leave garden much and Jasmine wonders a little further and tends to be out in the evening. Both are willing to come in around 9pm and then settle down for the night and the cat flap is then locked. We have 2 cat flaps, one from kitchen door into garage, then from garage back door to garden. A few weeks ago I went downstairs in morning to hear lots of miaowing - and found both kitties in garage desperate to come in, it seems that one of my cats is breaking through the locked flap, she pushes and pushes it till it flips over the red locking dial, but she is then stuck on the other side and can't push it back. So both cats can then escape and able to go out at night. 

I am unable to keep them out of the kitchen at night so I am trying to think of an easy way to block off the flap at night. At the moment I am putting a clear plastic box around it and using tape around it - but that's not enough, Jasmine scratches it off, so now I have the Hoover and a small suitcase in front of the box and came down one morning to find she had broken through that !! 

Any ideas anyone? 
Thanks


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## LDK1 (Oct 1, 2010)

I had a very nasty incident once where Rosie was racing around and went to bolt through the cat flap like she often does, not realising it was locked! She hit it with such force that the left corner of the flap bent outwards enough for her to get her paw caught in the gap and she was writhing around and screaming in agony - it was really, really bad. 

I think these flaps should have locks on both the left and right sides. Edit: actually I've just looked on the Petmate* website and the design has changed to the one I've got so maybe this addresses that problem.

Anyway, since then I always put a small kitchen bin in front of the locked flap at night. You just need something with a bit of weight in it.

*Another edit: Actually, it's the Staywell 4-way manual locking one I've got and the design _*hasn't*_ changed - so it is still weak on the left side.


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## Wiz201 (Jun 13, 2012)

They're a bit more money but a microchip cat flap might have a stronger mechanism? It certainly works with unwelcome visitors I used to get.


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## Jiskefet (May 15, 2011)

I don't have a solution for their breaking out, but you can set regular cat flaps to 'can come in but not go out', so if they manage to force their way out, they can still come back in.


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## Staysee (Oct 19, 2009)

Reminds me of our jessie when she was younger, she wasnt allowed out at night but she could easily break the cat flap open to get out....then we put the washing up basket in front of it, thought it'd deterr her....nope, she pushed and shoved the basket out of the way....add a diningroom chair...nope she'd still move it all.

In the end it was a washing basket half full of clothes, a couple big bottles of water, my mums briefcase for work and the diningroom chair and finally she wasnt able to move it all.

In the end we decided it was too much every night, well my parents did and so they got a new door [i think] and no cat flap, so they could come in and out all day when we were there and we could keep her and the other cat toffee [r.i.p] in at night with no worries of either escaping.


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## Harveybash (Apr 29, 2013)

Harvey actually broke the catflap clean off one night (when it was locked) .. I woke up to a hole in the kitchen door!! 

After that I decided to buy a microchip catflap, they are expensive, but no way could he break that


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## tinky75 (Jul 1, 2012)

Wiz201 said:


> They're a bit more money but a microchip cat flap might have a stronger mechanism? It certainly works with unwelcome visitors I used to get.


I looked at replacing the outdoor catflap with one of these but now wondering if worth spending money in case can still break out and also reading reviews of problems with not opening and paws getting caught  so now don't know what to do  lol


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## tinky75 (Jul 1, 2012)

Staysee said:


> Reminds me of our jessie when she was younger, she wasnt allowed out at night but she could easily break the cat flap open to get out....then we put the washing up basket in front of it, thought it'd deterr her....nope, she pushed and shoved the basket out of the way....add a diningroom chair...nope she'd still move it all.
> 
> In the end it was a washing basket half full of clothes, a couple big bottles of water, my mums briefcase for work and the diningroom chair and finally she wasnt able to move it all.
> 
> In the end we decided it was too much every night, well my parents did and so they got a new door [i think] and no cat flap, so they could come in and out all day when we were there and we could keep her and the other cat toffee [r.i.p] in at night with no worries of either escaping.


Well tonight taped box around it (thankfully hubby brings good parcel tape from work lol), litter container full so hopefully can't move it, Hoover, step ladders and cat carrier 

I think that might just do it lol


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## Iheartcats (Aug 25, 2011)

Sorry OP I can't offer any advice just sympathy with your plight. Our cat flap is patched up with duct tape as Fluffy our resident tortie had a hissy fit and head butted the "locked" cat flap and smashed her way right through it. She wasn't injured fortunately just a bit dazed and confused.


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## maisiecat (Jul 27, 2011)

Bob was able to break through ours when he was in the mood, luckily we had the enclosure built around the back door by this time. He would just bash into it and that was it, he was out - didn't break the catch.

I used to pile things up in front of it, a tea tray and something heavy to keep it in place.

Someone in a group I was in fixed up a sheet of wood which slotted into some holders and could be locked in place in front of their catflap, covered the bottom of the door completely. I think they put a bar across it with a padlock on to be on the safe side.


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## Jaguar01 (May 6, 2013)

I actually witnessed one of my neighbours cats take a running leap at a locked cat flap that took it clean of its hinges and he just stood there outside and literally blew a raspberry at his owner


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## Alan Wilkinson (Jun 1, 2016)

We have a microchip protected catflap.

At night we set it to IN-ONLY.

Our largest cat (smart boy!) hangs around the flap until he electronically activates the catch, catches a claw on the edge of the flap and lifts it inwards and then ducks out under the flap.

I wouldn't have believed it until I saw him do it last night!

So, I used strong duct tape as a temporary solution. Cat was out again when I awoke and I'm currently attempting to remove the duct tape from his fur..


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## TallulahCat (Dec 31, 2015)

I had a cat who would rip the flap clean off. We also had a locked yard before you got to the garden, and there was a little arch for cats cut out of the bottom of the gate. I blocked that with a brick that my other cat couldn't shift, but Mr Cat would be through so quickly. Where I lived then was fairly safe at night so I let him go out and fortunately he never came to any harm. 

I wonder if a dog flap would have a more sturdy catch. 

Or you might be able to rig up something you could slide a wooden board into at night.


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## Squeaks (Oct 16, 2014)

TallulahCat said:


> Or you might be able to rig up something you could slide a wooden board into at night.


This is pretty much what we've had to do as I didn't want to be moving bins and dining room chairs etc around every time we wanted to shut them in! Every now and then Dino still manages to rip the cover off and break out the locked catflap, but then my OH does some alterations and he's contained again.

Same as the catproof garden actually. For now, both the fence and the catflap can contain him. :Joyful


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## Alan Wilkinson (Jun 1, 2016)

Ha! Maybe WILL get a dogflap. Need something that denies inward access too, even with the chip. The two Maine Coon's look a little comical squeezing out through the small flap anyway.

Having said that, there was once a stranger appeared in the back lane and two alarmed Maine Coons came in through the flap in parallel, rapidly followed by our (much) smaller little black moggy. She's grown up with the boys and I'll swear she thinks she's a Maine Coon. Maybe start a new breed - Miniature short hair Maine Coon anybody?


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## CanIgoHome (Oct 25, 2008)

two of mine can open a locked cat flap too so I put a pin board in front with a heavy bin which the cats can't move


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## Vanessa131 (Nov 16, 2014)

We have the sureflap pet door, Bronn has been dive bombing it tonight to try to get out, he hasn't been successful yet.


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