Hi

I just wondered if anyone else finds their Bengals seem to have accidents with cat flaps..? We have a cat flap in a double glass door from the kitchen to the conservatory where we keep their litter trays. Most of the time this is no issue but Hendrix has already fractured a growth plate in the flap (Christmas Day 2013 of all days) and has got his paw stuck a couple of other times as well... and today Jagger kept poking his paw in and out and then at the top hinge for some reason, promptly got his paw stuck and from the howl he let out, he hurt himself.

He's walking okay so I don't think he damaged himself too badly but I'm wondering how often they manage to do this when I'm not there to rescue them.

When we took Hendrix to the vet he had never heard of a cat injuring himself in a cat flap and said that it was a freak accident but sometimes they start to come through by pushing the flap with their paw, get distracted, try to pull back, the flap falls down and they get stuck. Either that or one of them wants to come through and the other is waiting on the other side as they also use it to ambush each other or stop the other coming through and smack it back down as one tries to get through. So it's a fairly regular occurrence in our house!

Is it just my boys are a bit daft or does anyone else have this issue? I'm looking to get another flap installed that recognises microchips in the spring giving them access outside without other cats following them indoors and also so I can still lock it when needed so they are indoors at night. But now I'm wondering if I should leave it as it seems to cause injuries and will double the chances of them hurting themselves!

Have to say, I'm bit worried about what I will find when I go home tonight as Jagger hadn't been back through the cat flap this morning before I left for work so I have everything crossed if he needs the trays he will still use it! Fingers crossed his paw is okay as well, which is way more important!

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Clare
Hendrix and Jagger, Brown Marble Boys (born 18 August 2013)
Hampshire, UK

Raiden uses a cat door to access his outdoor enclosure. It's made of rigid plastic. He's never gotten caught in it. He pushes it with his head and many times his tail is left on the other side, but this door is a tension / gravity door and not spring, so there is nothing that's going to pinch his tail. The door just rests on his tail and he can pull it on through.

It may be the type of door you have. My husband modified this door as it's on a thin piece of acrylic, so he basically sawed the width of the door so it was about 1/4" thick when put back -- each panel is on one side of the acrylic, so what I have isn't like your typical cat door.

It sounds weird that your kitties would be injuring themselves in using the door. I don't know if your door has any tension adjustment that might alleviate the problem.

Thanks, Sherry, you've answered my question, my boys are daft! They don't go head first, they push it open with a paw, change their mind about going through, the flap falls back down on their paw and jams it when they try to pull it back. You'd think they'd have learnt that head first is the way to go!

There is no spring on the flap, there is a magnet in the bottom of the flap and the frame to ensure it closes properly and if they go through and their tail is still in it, that doesn't get hurt as it will rest on the tail like your cat flap and its not trying to be pulled out in a way opposing the flap.

I don't think I will get another cat flap as clearly this is going to be an ongoing issue and I don't want to double their chances of hurting themselves!

I assume that when I showed them with my hand how the cat flap worked, they mimic with their paws lol

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Clare
Hendrix and Jagger, Brown Marble Boys (born 18 August 2013)
Hampshire, UK

This has happened to my boy a few times now. I am concerned. What happens when I'm not around. He screams the house down and doesn't see to be able to free himself. I am looking for a safer cat flap. Any ideas welcomed. :(

What type of flap is this? Hard plastic? Flimsy plastic? Raiden's is hard plastic and he still has never caught his paw in it.