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

On Nov 1, 7:22*pm, NoSpam wrote:
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
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?
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 £20 and at
least you have a chance of getting your cat back if he gets found.
http://tinyurl.com/n3ro6b

Anecdotely, 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

NoSpam wrote:
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.

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.

Dave Starling wrote:

Anecdotely, 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.

Here ya go!

http://www.quantumpicture.com/Flo_Co...lo_control.htm

I 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.


--
Adrian C

"NoSpam" wrote in message
...
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

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.

On Sun, 01 Nov 2009 11:37:39 -0800, Dave Starling wrote:

... This feature also prevented
the owners cat from entering if it had a small mammal in its mouth

I could *so* much do with that: http://stumbles.org.uk/John/ !

--
John Stumbles

Time flies like an arrow
Fruit flies like a banana
Tits like coconuts

On Sun, 01 Nov 2009 19:22:28 +0000, NoSpam wrote:

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

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

On Nov 2, 1:50*am, John Stumbles wrote:

I could *so* much do with that:http://stumbles.org.uk/John/!

I've never known one of my cats to bring home such a present! How did
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

On Tue, 3 Nov 2009 01:30:35 -0800 (PST), Dave Starling wrote:

I've never known one of my cats to bring home such a present!

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.

--
Cheers
Dave.

Dave Liquorice wrote:
On Tue, 3 Nov 2009 01:30:35 -0800 (PST), Dave Starling wrote:

I've never known one of my cats to bring home such a present!

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.


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

Steve Walker wrote:
NoSpam wrote:
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.

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.



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.

On Nov 3, 11:01*am, "Dave Liquorice"
wrote:
On Tue, 3 Nov 2009 01:30:35 -0800 (PST), Dave Starling wrote:
I've never known one of my cats to bring home such a present!

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

R

Owain wrote:
On 3 Nov, 13:16, RobertL wrote:
the biggest we ever had dragged in through the cat flap was an adult,
live, duck.

mmmm. Roast duck.


_Chinese_ Roast Duck (and boiled rice...)

--
Adrian C

On Tue, 03 Nov 2009 14:19:57 +0000, Adrian C wrote:

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

mmmm. Roast duck.

_Chinese_ Roast Duck (and boiled rice...)

Hoisin sauce, spring onion and pancakes.

--
Cheers
Dave.

NoSpam wrote:
Steve Walker wrote:
NoSpam wrote:
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.

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.



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.

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)

On Tue, 03 Nov 2009 15:55:56 +0000, NoSpam
wrote:

NoSpam wrote:
Steve Walker wrote:
NoSpam wrote:
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.

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.



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.

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)

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.
--
http://www.halloweenfreebies.co.uk
http://www.holidayunder100.co.uk

NoSpam wrote:
Dave Liquorice wrote:
On Tue, 3 Nov 2009 01:30:35 -0800 (PST), Dave Starling wrote:

I've never known one of my cats to bring home such a present!

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.


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.

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

"NoSpam" wrote in message
...
Dave Liquorice wrote:
On Tue, 3 Nov 2009 01:30:35 -0800 (PST), Dave Starling wrote:

I've never known one of my cats to bring home such a present!

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.


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

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

On Tue, 03 Nov 2009 19:41:33 +0000, ARWadsworth wrote:
My cat brought a live budgie in through the cat flap a few weeks ago.

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...

On Tue, 03 Nov 2009 13:57:17 -0600, Jules wrote:

On Tue, 03 Nov 2009 19:41:33 +0000, ARWadsworth wrote:
My cat brought a live budgie in through the cat flap a few weeks ago.

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...

Our cat did start bringing things in - much to my now wife's consternation,
as she sat writing out our wedding invitations, he dropped a live mouse
right next to her! Oddly enough this was only the second thing he'd brought
in in six years - the other being half a buttered barmcake!

SteveW

In article ,
NoSpam writes:

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.

That's pretty much exactly what mine brought in too, except rats.
I woke to find a rabbit in my bedroom, having escaped from the cat
and got behind something the cat couldn't reach. I gave the rabbit
a 10 minute head start across the garden, before letting the cat
out of my bedroom. That was the only rabbit which was still alive
when we found it.

We had loads of squirrels in the garden too, and she used to stalk
them. They took no notice until she was a few feet away, and then
shot a tree. She never got one, but did get stuck up a tree for
some time trying to, when she was a young cat.

--
Andrew Gabriel
[email address is not usable -- followup in the newsgroup]

On Nov 3, 3:55*pm, NoSpam wrote:
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.
Dave (a cat lover, despite appearances)- Hide quoted text -
What did your cat have to say about all that going on lol and how did
you manage to get the other cat out the kitchen in the end?

Dave

Dave Starling wrote:

What did your cat have to say about all that going on lol and how did
you manage to get the other cat out the kitchen in the end?


How does anyone get to manage cats?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jwXVohhRdWY

:-)

--
Adrian C

Dave Starling wrote:
On Nov 3, 3:55 pm, NoSpam wrote:
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.
Dave (a cat lover, despite appearances)- Hide quoted text -
What did your cat have to say about all that going on lol and how did
you manage to get the other cat out the kitchen in the end?

Dave



My cat just slept; burglar cat was "shown" the back door (via a bowl of
water).

On Wed, 04 Nov 2009 08:31:36 +0000, NoSpam wrote:

My cat just slept; burglar cat was "shown" the back door (via a bowl of
water).

When a tom came a visiting here our cat high tailed it out and wasn't
seen for about an hour before cautiously returning. The tom however
hasn't been seen since, I don't think it appreciated being scruffed
to the extent of being half strangled, sat on and finally lobbed 15'
out through the door. I still have the marks from being scratched but
I know that the only (relatively) safe place to grab a cat is the
scruff of the neck, hard. You then only have to worry about claws
rather than a mouth with teeth designed to cut flesh and crunch
bones...

--
Cheers
Dave.

Dave Starling writes:

Anecdotely, 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.


Here?
http://www.quantumpicture.com/Flo_Control/flo_control.htm

--
Jón Fairbairn
http://www.chaos.org.uk/~jf/Stuff-I-dont-want.html (updated 2009-01-31)

On Wed, 04 Nov 2009 09:19:21 +0000, Dave Liquorice wrote:

On Wed, 04 Nov 2009 08:31:36 +0000, NoSpam wrote:

My cat just slept; burglar cat was "shown" the back door (via a bowl of
water).

When a tom came a visiting here our cat high tailed it out and wasn't
seen for about an hour before cautiously returning. The tom however
hasn't been seen since, I don't think it appreciated being scruffed to
the extent of being half strangled, sat on and finally lobbed 15' out
through the door. I still have the marks from being scratched but I know
that the only (relatively) safe place to grab a cat is the scruff of the
neck, hard. You then only have to worry about claws rather than a mouth
with teeth designed to cut flesh and crunch bones...

Stray cats are a perfect excuse to go out and buy a Super Soaker N
(greater N the better!)



--
Use the BIG mirror service in the UK:
http://www.mirrorservice.org

On Wed, 04 Nov 2009 00:22:45 +0000, Adrian C
wrote:

Dave Starling wrote:

What did your cat have to say about all that going on lol and how did
you manage to get the other cat out the kitchen in the end?


How does anyone get to manage cats?

Angle grinder.
--
(\__/) M.
(='.'=) Due to the amount of spam posted via googlegroups and
(")_(") their inaction to the problem. I am blocking most articles
posted from there. If you wish your postings to be seen by
everyone you will need use a different method of posting.
[Reply-to address valid until it is spammed.]

On Nov 4, 9:36*am, Bob Eager wrote:
On Wed, 04 Nov 2009 09:19:21 +0000, Dave Liquorice wrote:
I still have the marks from being scratched but I know
that the only (relatively) safe place to grab a cat is the scruff of the
neck, hard.
I was always told if you carry a cat by the scruff of the neck it
doesn't hurt them. It also makes their body go limp as you are
pinching a nerve. As in when mother cat carries kittens by the neck
they don't kick around. Also when father cat is get personal with
mother cat he bites her neck so she can't wriggle away.

Dave

On Wed, 4 Nov 2009 06:42:39 -0800 (PST), Dave Starling wrote:

I was always told if you carry a cat by the scruff of the neck it
doesn't hurt them. It also makes their body go limp as you are
pinching a nerve.

They do go limp(*) as that is the way mother cats moves them as
kittens but I don't think it's anything to do with pinching a nerve,
more a reflex froma tight grip on the skin/fur on the back of the
neck.

(*) Well eventually said tom wrapped his claws around my lower arm
and hand until going floppy but he was in a fighting mood until I got
a *very* firm and tight grip on the scruff of his neck.

--
Cheers
Dave.

Dave Starling wrote:

they don't kick around. Also when father cat is get personal with
mother cat he bites her neck so she can't wriggle away.

Works for me, too...

Dave Liquorice wrote:
On Wed, 04 Nov 2009 08:31:36 +0000, NoSpam wrote:

My cat just slept; burglar cat was "shown" the back door (via a bowl of
water).

When a tom came a visiting here our cat high tailed it out and wasn't
seen for about an hour before cautiously returning.

I don't think I've ever laughed so much as the time years ago when our
cat came tearing down the garden with another (unknown) in hot pursuit.

Ours dived through the magnetic-collar-controlled catflap like a bat out
of hell, and about a millisecond later the other cat - which didn't have
the benefit of a magnet - slammed face-first into the door. Don't how it
didn't break (door or cat, either of them); but it was a pure
Tom-and-Jerry moment.

David

We were somewhere around Barstow, on the edge of the desert, when the
drugs began to take hold. I remember RobertL
saying something like:

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

Heh.
My ex-town cat took to country living like he was born to it and used to
kill hares on a regular basis. This went on until one night he tangled
with a badger...