How many people have these for their homes? I'm looking at getting one for the garage entrance to allow my cat access to the garage from the outside, but only access to the house via collar key. Basically I'm trying to keep the strays from getting in the house but allowing them in the garage when the weather gets too cold. I've poked around the web and there are many of them out there, all for a reasonable price, but am wondering if they work, if they are reliable, and what kind of caveats I might encounter.
"Eigenvector" wrote in news:pNOdnX-Yn8CYxfrbnZ2dnUVZ snipped-for-privacy@comcast.com:
Unknown but...(story time!)
Used to have a collar on a cat. Came home one day without it. Got it another. Months later was under deck/porch. There is the original missing collar snagged between two joists where the critter jumped between the girder and decking. Fortunately animal was able to wiggle out. Replacement collar came off for good.
I know they intentionally make expandable collars so they can wiggle out for the snag reason but not sure if you want to chance the electronic key tag that goes on the animal for the door. Who knows what a replacement, if available, would cost.
Yeah I was pondering that one too. I find my cat's collar on the ground from time to time. I was considering making him wear an H harness instead but wasn't sure if those things are meant for all day wearing.
If it comes to that it won't be a problem, my cat only fights with strays when they wander into his territory - the house. So if the strays can make it in with my cat then at that point I won't worry about it - he's obviously made peace with them. I'm content to feed the strays and take them to the vet for shots and all that. I just don't want them coming in and duking it out or stealing his food.
They should make a door that triggers on the implantable RFID microchip you can get put in your pets. Then you need no collar to hang up on things,and the "key" never gets lost.
I have cats. They are the first I have had but have learned a lot in two years. My one cat Donny is unreal. I wanted to put collars and bells on because unspeakable carnage was occuring with the local wildlife. I have these beautiful flying squirrels behind my place. One day I saw his handiwork on one of these peaceful creatures. It was skinned alive. Still alive, it was dragging itself on broken legs into the woods to die and freakin Donny over there licking his paws. I had nightmares over this.
Well cat, Donny, he has made it plain he can get out of any regular collar. Apparently his claws are as sharp as razors because I saw him do it one time. He looked me right in the eyes and cut the collar off with one swipe of his claw.
Well, it made me mad so I decided to put a length of nylon coated steel cable around his neck with a dozen bells and see how he likes it. It did work, he never got it off and did not like it. It did eventually cause a sore on his neck though and I had to take it off. Since then he has been so nice to me that I haven't bothered to put it back on again. So long as he keep his kills in private then I will allow him to be collar free.
My other cat is so laid-back that she never even tried to get her collar off. She still has the first collar I ever tried on her and one little bell. So, you can't depend on a collar staying on a cat unless your cat is already accustomed to a collar and you know it will stay on. My cats can can make a noise on the storm door when they want in.
I know that the real cat lovers never let their cats outside. They also would not approve of any regular collar, only those that stretch. So you cat lovers out there need not flame me, I am aware. I posted to the cat group one time and they practically tore me a new one!
As the other posters have stated, yes they work. The key is nothing but a simple magnet and some cats don't like collars....
One problem I've encountered with this type of cat door is that the model I have has a little knob that you can turn to set to door to one of 4 modes 1. Allow in and out traffic 2. Allow in only traffic 3. Allow out only traffic 4. Lock the door so neither in or out is allowed.
Well one of my cats is a tad intellegent and very persistent. For those times where we set to door to in only that cat managed to get a claw under the edge of the door flap and *pull* the door open (as if a cat was entering from the outside). Once the cat pulled the door open, it would duck under the door and go outside.
If you're worried about the cat not liking the collar and fighting it, then you might want to contact the people on this web site for thier very unique solution to having a cat door and restricting access.
Are these things online only or do the animal megastores have them? I haven't noticed anything but the normal ones at the stores around here and my local pet shop doesn't carry them either.
I don't think I'll have to worry about that one - the cat frequently forgets how to open the door. But of course if I scare him he'll go right through like second nature.
That's pretty cool. I'll have to take a look at that and see what I can do with my computer besides harass online newsgroups.
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