An exercise for you, cat flaps

[Jim K...]

Our old cat managed ok with a tunnel fractionally bigger than a hole in a door would be. Was about 11" long.

[Jim K...]

Google for the installation instructions for a few makes and study what they say?

[FMurtz]

I just tried to find out the size of tunnel needed through brick walls,(and maybe DIY ideas)(Without buying commercial flap and tunnel), not how to (I already know how to cut holes). Exceeding difficult, all hits are how to, using commercial kits ,not measurements

[whisky-dave]

I'd say it depends on the thickness of the brick wall, perhaps that's why they didn't put cat flaps in castle walls.

[Andy Burns]

And the fatness of the cat.

[Tricky Dicky]

We have a Sureflap microchip activated cat flap and they recommend an opening of 170mm X 170mm with a slight slope to the outside.

We have two cats one quite petite and the other a real bruiser. They both negotiate our door mounted flap easily but watching them coming and going I think they would find using a tunnel a lot more awkward.

Richard

[Mike Halmarack]

I've seen a lot of very fine doors mutliated by catflaps, so tunnels through the walls gets my vote.

[ARW]

gf was most surprised when her cat brought a pigeon in yesterday (his first ever present) as she thought that a pigeon would not fit though a cat flap until I explained that a pigeon is about the size of a rat but just has a lot of feathers.

[Chris J Dixon]

;-)

Chris

[jeikppkywk]

But no point in having it match the cat given that they don?t last forever. Makes more sense to make the hole big enough for all cats.

[jeikppkywk]

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You wont be laughing when the large footed fellas show up, boy.

[tabbypurr]

tunnel needs to be bigger than flap, the cat needs to be able to walk comfortably in the tunnel.

NT

[nightjar]

Cats tend to be suspicious of small dark tunnels. They need to be quite large and have a transparent flap, so the cat can see straight through.

[Brian Gaff]

One other thing to consider is that Cats may not trust deep holes. Also of course how do you add sufficient insulation to stop heat loss and draughts? Brian

[Robin]

I agree about size. Helps if cat can turn around on discovering it's raining. But we've had 2 that were happy using a 9 inch long tunnel (solid brick wall) with opaque flaps at each end.

Well, happy after after an initial training period with a servant at each side of the wall to open flaps and wave bacon rind.

[Terry Casey]

Yes. A cat steps through a cat flap so it only needs to be big enough to comfortably allow the body to get through.

Anything longer would need to be high enough for the cat to stand upright, even if it had a conventional cat flap at each end.

[whisky-dave]

works for me OK.

there is a problem that if it;s too large it;s easier to break in or push a small kid through who can be trained to unlock a door from an ealry age by thieving scummy parents.

[whisky-dave]

some people don't like holes either. Apple's iPhone 11 Pro 'triggering' fear of holes

I had to check the date as I'm pretty sure we are in september rather than the start of April

[Andrew]

And some quite comical video clips elsewhere on that site.

[Andrew]