Project cat flap

I had a cat now. I also needed a catflap! Or maybe more than one. Once the cat is settled, the idea is that she can just walk in and out, so I needed to make a plan. The house did have a catflap, but it only led from the kitchen to the space where the washing machine stands, so that's not much of an improvement. So where to put one? I didn't want to put one in glass; I don't even know if you can. The space with the washing machine basically has either brick or glass between itself and the outside world. That didn't seem to be a good option! So where else?

Another option was the front door. It is a PVC door and you can saw in that. It would also be a reasonable place to enter the house. But the door's panels were a bit complicated and I didn't really see that work. So where else?

Then there is the location where the from door used to be. At ground level, it is now a little cupboard with the electricity meter in it. Its outer wall is rather thin! But in order for it to become a catflap you need to leave the cupboard open and I didn't like the idea of that. So where else?

The option I settled on was the bedroom. It has a rather simple door to the conservatory; I foresee no problems sawing in that. And then the conservatory is mainly glass, of course, but at ground level it's just plain PVC. I think that is something I can saw in! And it will mean that I will close the catflap at night as I don't want the cat to be able to stomp into my bedroom and wake me up at whatever hour she thinks is a good idea, so she will be committed by the time I go to bed; it's either in or out, and then you can't change your mind anymore until I get up in the morning. But I still think it's the best option!

I first tried the local pet shop to see if they sold catflaps, but they didn't, so I ordered one from Waitrose. I didn't want to buy from Amazon! And I decided that the catflap in the door to the conservatory could just be the recycled catflap from the kitchen. It must have been quite old, but I'm sure it would still do the job. And then I could also make their door a bit better insulated. That catflap was installed in an atrocious way! And I won't do a tidy job, but I'm sure I can improve the insulation.

I have gathered the material I want to cover the gap with in the kitchen door, and the ordered flap is on its way, but it will still be a bit of work before this is all sorted. But that's okay as the cat has to stay indoors for a little bit longer anyway! Stay tuned…

The questionably installed catflap in the kitchen