Help - Cat flap "trap" design

[NoSpam]

My neighbours have a new and very smart cat which has taken to coming through our cat flap every night and walking around on the kitchen work surfaces. I caught it once by setting the cat flap to "in only" and severely "deterred" it - this was effective for a while but the damned thing has started again and it's learned how to lift-up the flap from inside so I can't catch it. Collars don't stay more than a couple of days on our cat so I want to find a way to modify the flap to catch the burglar so I can "deter" it again.

Has anyone got any ideas for how to modify a cat flap so it let's the burglar in but then can't be opened from inside? I thought of a bar pivoted above the door but held up in some way until the flap opens inwards and which then drops down to bar the exit - but I can't work out how to design a trigger mechanism.

Dave

[Dave Starling]

Then you have a trapped cat who won't be very happy :) If your cat has a microchip you can buy catflaps that read the chip and only allow your cat in. The chips only cost around =A320 and at least you have a chance of getting your cat back if he gets found.

I recall reading a message a few years back where someone had rigged up a camera and pc to take an image of an approaching cat. From the side profile it was able to determine if it was the owners cat and otherwise keep the door locked. This feature also prevented the owners cat from entering if it had a small mammal in its mouth ;) If someone can find the link I'd be most grateful to have a read of it again.

Dave

[Steve Walker]

Attach a sheet of canvas or strong pvc fabric, hanging over the flap on the inside of the door and overlapping 6" to each side and nearly touching the floor? It would push up and out of the way for inward travel, but make it very hard to pull the flap inwards for later egress.

[Adrian C]

wonder if the 'face-detect' smarts in the new compact digital cameras work on cats. If so, that could work as well with a bit of hacking.

[Nick]

Large cage of small mesh. Inward opening door. Bait (cat food, brain food etc). Strategically placed and, very lightest, twiglet to close the door when Felix enters.

Nick.

[Steve Walker]

We had a similar problem and after many attempts, I managed to lock the flap from the outside after the cat sneaked in. I came through the other door with a jug of cold water and the cat slammed into the flap so hard, it popped it off it's hinges! The cat was deterred for a long time after!

SteveW

[Dave Starling]

you dispatch it? The cat probably thinks its doing a good thing so you can't really blame him. We've all got an image of you running around trying to catch the rat while the cat lays on the sofa.

Dave

[Dave Liquorice]

Ours hasn't bought in a rat yet but I think thats more down to there not being many about outside. Voles are regular, 3 or 4 a day sometimes, followed by shrews, the odd mouse, bird and baby rabbit. The little horror got a stoat the other day! And that's only what we know about 'cause she brings 'em in.

At least she eats what she catches apart from the occasional stomach from a vole, shrews (apparently they don't taste nice?), some feathers and fur that detaches from the body, everything else is eaten, bones the lot.

[NoSpam]

We've had the whole range: birds, rabbits, rats, mice, shrews, voles, frogs - sometimes dead or mortally wounded and sometimes perfectly healthy. When one of the kids was very young he woke us up to say that there was a rabbit in his room - we told him he had been dreaming and to go back to sleep but I'm sure you can guess the truth.

Dave

[NoSpam]

I like this idea and it's currently being tested - so far no cat!

My next idea is a magnet glued to the flap to trigger a reed switch which will start a 10 second delay before energising a solenoid that will lock the flap.

I'll report back.

[RobertL]

the biggest we ever had dragged in through the cat flap was an adult, live, duck.

R

[Owain]

mmmm. Roast duck.

Owain

[Adrian C]

_Chinese_ Roast Duck (and boiled rice...)

[Dave Liquorice]

Hoisin sauce, spring onion and pancakes.

[NoSpam]

Steve, I am very grateful indeed! This low-tech solution was a total success on the first attempt. The Cat was thoroughly confused and is now slightly bruised, wet and terrified - I doubt it will be back for a while. Total cost was one A4 plastic wallet and two vases that were collateral damage as the cat tried to run round the walls.

Dave (a cat lover, despite appearances)

[Huge]

Hungry now.

[mogga]

We got bit by a stray cat that got in when we tried to catch it to take it the cats home. I've still got the scars a year and half on.

[Lobster]

We had the same when our daughter toddled through to notify us that there was a fish flapping around on the living room floor "yes of course there is, love" "BUT DAAADY! THERE IS!!!!" A rather large goldfish from next-door's pond.

We returned it to them, still flapping, but I'm pretty sure it succumbed so with hindsight I think the clever thing to have done would have been to keep schtum...

David

[ARWadsworth]

My cat brought a live budgie in through the cat flap a few weeks ago.

I am sure the cat would have eaten it but I removed the budgie from the cats mouth in time to save it.

Adam

[Jules]

Our cats leave what they kill outside - but one of our dogs enjoys dragging them inside and leaving them on the rug for us. Grrr...