Setup is easy, with one-button programming. However, this flap is marginally slower to open than some others and this may take your cat a little while to get used to, so be patient. The cat flap has a green light that appears when a chip is read successfully, and the LED light will also indicate when the battery is running low. Powered by four AA batteries, battery life is impressive at around 12 months. Finally, remember that your cat won’t want to reach up too far to get in and out of the cat flap. Make sure you install it at a suitable height for their legs.

Outdoor cats love exploring. But you can’t always be there as and when they ordain themselves to come inside for TLC. A good option is to install a cat flap. If you’ve got more than one cat, the Dual Scan from Sure Petcare could be just the cat flap you’re looking for. It works with both microchips and the SureFlap RFID collar tag but allows you to programme it for individual cats. Glass requires a circular hole for installation so, if you’re using a rectangular cat flap, you’ll need to buy a circular mounting adapter. Brands that are well known really did come through here. PetSafe, SureFlap and CatMate rule the market for good reason. Types Of Cat Flap MicrochipHowever, you won’t get all these features without the hub, and this needs to be plugged into your router with an Ethernet cable as well as into the mains. You will also need four C cell batteries, which you should expect to last a maximum of six months. If you want to keep your kitty safe, the best microchip cat flaps are a particularly clever invention. They give your cats free access to the outdoors while preventing any neighbourhood moggies from sneaking in. These cat flaps have a built-in sensor that recognises your cat’s microchip, meaning only they can go in and out of the flap. This puts them at a huge advantage over a normal, non-chipped flap – particularly if your cat is being bullied or you have a greedy, six-dinner Sid living nearby.

If you would like to learn more about this cat flap, read our full SureFlap Microchip Cat Flap review. If you have more than one cat, DualScan technology lets you set exit permissions for each cat, and up to 32 are remembered. You can fit it in a door, wall or window, and the batteries should last around six months. Smart technology has taken over homes up and down the country, and if you want to use your phone to also control your cat’s movements, this microchip model could be ideal. Microchip identification flaps are often thought of as the best option for keeping unwelcome moggies out of your home. But they’re also great if you want your cats to come and go as they please, or if you want to prevent one going out but not the others. Cat flaps in general are a godsend for those of us who are servants to moggies, meaning we don’t have to get up and down every five minutes to let a cat in or out through a window or door. Allowing cats access to the outside world, in a safe environment, gives them the best life possible, so it’s worth investing in a good cat flap to let them come and go as they please.Ease of use is also important for this reason. If you don’t want your cats going out after 8 pm, the worry of them getting out because you couldn’t work out how to set the cat flap could cause a lot of grief. As for fitting, there are professionals out there who can fit a cat flap but many can be done by yourself if you have the right tools. Proper fitting is key to ensure a working cat flap and a fit that doesn’t let in air or rain. Prop the cat flap open with a peg or strong tape. Give your cat time to get used to going in and out through the hole and lower it slightly over time so that they have to start pushing it a little. If your cat is reluctant to use the flap, try enticing them through with their favourite treats. Prop the cat flap open to begin with and give your cat some time to get used to it. You can then begin to lower the door bit by bit.