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Microchips For Pets Explained

Why does my pet need microchipping?

For your pet to use these microchip pet flaps, they must be microchipped. Microchipping is compulsory in Wales and Northern Ireland for dogs, and will be mandatory in England from April 2016, click here for more information. Having your pet microchipped will allow them to be identified if they have been lost, which is great because pets going missing is a big worry for many of us pet owners. Having your pet microchipped removes many of the benefits of having a collar. Neck collars on your pets can be uncomfortable for them and can get caught on bushes and other things when they are roaming around.

The microchipping procedure

The microchip is inserted between the shoulders of your cat or dog by a vets, trained members of animal welfare groups and local authorities. The insertion of a microchip in your cat or dog is just like an injection and the microchip will not bother your pet after it has been injected. The microchip injected is the size of a grain of rice. If your pet has not already had the microchipping procedure, I would recommend that you have it done. It is entirely safe and cheap, the procedure costs between £20-30 in UK.

Tracking lost pets by their microchips

Once the microchip is inserted in your cat or dog, then you supply your address so it can be input on to a database of all pet microchips and addresses. Each microchip has a number, which is read by scanners and it is the number that will be input into the database. If you and your pet changes address, make sure this is updated on the database.

The microchip will also be used to identify your pet as it attempts to pass through the microchip cat flap. This is great as it means you can have a cat flap that selectively allows your pet to pass through your cat flap selectively, without having to wear a collar.

Microchips and microchip cat flaps

Different microchip cat flaps will allow you to store different numbers of microchips, so check if you would like to allow access to a large number of pets. Be aware that not all microchip types might be compatible with each microchip cat flap, so be sure to check the product information before making a purchase. Sureflap and Cat Mate microchip cat flaps are compatible with 9, 10 and 15 digit microchips and PetSafe with the most common type, the 15 digit microchips. Some chips may not be read as well as others and a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tag on a collar may be used if the microchip cannot be read for whatever reason.

Take a look at the best microchip cat flaps, broken down by brand names.

If you have a question about this post then leave me a comment below.

Why Microchip Pet Doors And Cat Flaps?

That might be the question you are asking yourself, let alone which microchip pet door to get! All cat flaps and pet doors allow pets to move in and out of your home without needing you to open those doors, and that gives your pet freedom and you some convenience.

However, there are a number of differences between the automatic cat flaps and the other types which are listed below, so you can see why a microchip pet door would be right for you and your pets.

Microchip Pet Door

Microchip cat flaps and pet doors use the microchips that many pets have between their shoulder blades. The pet doors have a microchip scanner that reads your pet’s microchip and gives access to pets with microchips registered with the microchip cat door. These electronic cat flaps often have four way locking and do not require your pet to wear a collar, whilst still allowing for selective access.

For many pet owners, this is why they prefer microchip pet doors to any other types of pet doors. Microchip cat flaps are more expensive than normal and magnetic cat flaps, but the value provided by the improved well being and freedom for your pet far exceeds the other types.

Conventional Pet Door

These kitty and doggy doors come in a range of sizes for cats, large dogs and all sizes in between. They are operated by the door being pushed open by your pet as it passes through. Some of these are lockable cat flap cat flap doors and they offer ‘four way locking’ – open both ways, closed both ways, entry in only and entry out only. They are relatively cheap and do not require any power.

These analog kitty flaps do not allow selective access. This leaves open the possibility of other pets, stray pets and wild animals, such as foxes, from using the pet door to invade your home and harass your pets.

Magnetic Cat Flap

Magnetic pet doors are similar to conventional pet doors, except the cat flap door requires a magnet to open it. Your pet must wear a collar, with a magnet, around its neck to unlock the pet door. They are more expensive than normal pet doors and the collar can be uncomfortable for your pet.

They may try and succeed to remove the collar and then they can’t use the magnetic cat door. It has also been known in rare cases for cats to get their collars caught when they are roaming around.

Radio Frequency Identification Cat Flap (RFID Cat Flap)

RFID cat doors work in a similar way to magnetic cat flaps. Your cat or dog needs to wear a collar which has an RFID tag on it, and this leads to the same short comings as using the magnetic cat doors.

Take a look at the best microchip cat flaps, broken down by brand names, such as Sureflap. Here is my Sureflap Microchip Cat Flap review, Sureflap Dualscan Cat Flap review and Sureflap Microchip Pet Door review.

Replacing a Cat Flap

If you have decided to upgrade to a microchip cat flap for your home and replace a cat flap, you might have the issue of finding a microchip cat flap to fit the hole left in your outside door or window left by the old cat flap or pet door.

The best thing to do would be to find a cat flap or pet door that requires a hole that closest fits the one you already have, as well as providing microchip reading technology.

Sometimes cat flaps break after a while and this can be a problem. Maybe you plan on replacing the cat flap or maybe you don’t need the cat flap because you no longer have a cat. The broken cat flap can look unsightly and more importantly, not work or just not good enough for yours and your cat’s needs!

Replacing a cat flap

Another option would be to choose a microchip cat door that is slightly larger, and then you would make the hole a little larger than the existing hole. This may be preferable to getting a new microchip cat door that was too small for the hole in your door or window. It is likely that your new cat flap requires a similar size hole to your old cat flap.

The only problem I can see is if you want a cat flap that is much smaller than the one you already have. In this case, there may not be anywhere for you to screw in your new microchip cat flap.

This is very simple to do. The only holes in the door would be the hole for the cat flap and holes for screws. These holes can be covered up by the new cat flap. Microchip cat flaps often provide a paper cut out template that can be stuck to your wall or door for you to use. This makes it really easy to fit your cat flap.

Cat flap installation

If you would like more information on cat flap installation then see posts on cat flaps in glass doors, brick walls and uPVC and wooden doors.

Microchip cat flaps can be fitted into all sorts of materials, like wood, uPVC, brick and glass. They can be simple and straightforward to fit and replace as long as you follow the instructions provided by the manufacturer of the cat flap and of course this site offers advice 🙂

Cat flap fitters

If you are unsure how to do this, it would be a good idea to hire a professional cat flap fitter to install your new microchip cat flap for you. Find a local pet door installation professional here.

Removing a cat flap

If you have a cat flap you don’t want to have at all, then removing the cat flap itself is likely to be the easy part. There will still be a hole to fill in which would let in a draft, the rain and is obviously a security problem!

If the door is made out of wood or uPVC, I think it would be best to replace a panel of the door to cover the hole. You could just look to patch over the door, but I don’t think this will look very nice.

If the cat flap is in a window or patio door, then it would be best to get a glazier to replace the panes of glass. And if the cat flap you want removing is in a brick wall, then it would be best to consult with a professional on how to fill in the hole. This may require a builder or a bricklayer.

Learning to use your Microchip Cat Flap

For a kitten or a cat that has not used a cat flap before, there is a learning curve that has to be negotiated. The process of using the microchip cat flap has a lot that may seem strange at first. The cat flap door may look impassable, having to push through against the door to pass through, then having the door run along their back and worrying if the cat flap door may close and trap their tail. This can make the cat flap experience unpleasant for your pet. The sound of the cat door mechanism can also be quite discomforting to the pet.

Setting up your microchip cat flap

If you are having problems setting up your microchip cat flap then here is some advice on how to set up your microchip cat flap.

Break up using your microchip cat flap

This problem can be solved by breaking up the process into smaller chunks. Start by fixing the door open with some tape, so your pet can walk through without contact with the door. If it helps, your pet can start on the outside so they are looking towards a familiar, comfortable environment.

Once they are happy to walk through the cat flap with the door open, then the door can be lowered slightly and then tested again with your pet. Continue this until your pet is happy to walk through the cat flap with the door down. Another tip, if your pet is struggling through these steps, is to bribe or incentivise your pet with a favourite toy or snack. Make sure to reward progress and offer plenty of encouragement!

Add your cat’s scent to your microchip cat flap

Other things you can do include adding your cat’s scent to the microchip cat flap. You can do this by wiping a cloth on your cat and then onto the microchip cat flap. Cats have sensitive smell and are territorial, so adding their scent to your microchip cat flap could make it more familiar to your cat.

In short, try not to rush the steps, be patient and be willing to offer plenty of tasty treats!

If you have any questions about this comment, just leave a comment below

How to Set Up A Microchip Cat Flap

Microchip cat flaps being a bit more sophisticated than other cat flap types, take a little bit of setting up. This is likely to vary for different models, but there will be a few common steps. On this page there are some really good videos of Petporte and Sureflap microchip cat flap instructions to help you set your microchip cat flap.

Before you install your microchip cat flaps!

First, it would be easier to set up the microchip cat flap before you install it into your wall, door or window. Another important thing to do, is to measure the distance between the floor and the stomach of your pet. This will make sure that the microchip cat door is at a comfortable height for your pet. Be aware that the level of the ground on either side of your door, wall or window might not be the same level.

Power your microchip cat flap

To set up the microchip pet flap itself, you need to put the right batteries into the microchip cat flap to power it or plug it into the mains. The microchip cat flap will need to be put into ‘learning’ mode. On the learning mode, the microchip scanner looks out for pet microchips to scan. The microchip scanner is in the frame of the microchip cat flap and you need your pet to walk into to the microchip pet flap for their microchip to be recorded. One way of doing this is to entice your pet by putting some food on the inside of the microchip cat door, beneath the scanner. Hopefully your pet will go to eat the food and will have their microchip scanned. Make sure you do this for all your pets that you want to use your microchip pet flap. You may just be able to place the microchip cat flap over your pet for their microchip to be read.

Sureflap microchip cat flap instructions

Have a look at this Sureflap video on how to set up a Sureflap microchip cat flap,

And here is a Petsafe video with set up and installation advice for Petsafe microchip cat flaps,

Take a look at our best microchip cat flaps.

Managed to set up your microchip cat door, but your scaredy cat won’t use it? Find out how to teach your pet to use your microchip cat flap 🙂

If you have any questions about this post, just leave me a comment below.