I need help on this. There is a new cat product, KittyKorner, which is about enter the market and the inventor is seeking funding under a kickstarter appeal. It looks like a neat solution. The cat’s owner cuts a corner off an internal door and the manufacturer provides a template for this, instructions and a hinged system. It got me thinking as to when might a cat owner need an internal door cat flap. Although let’s be clear, KittyKorner is not exactly a cat flap but is has the same function.
The advertising for KittyKorner says you might need an internal door cat flap if you place a cat’s litter in, for example, a utility room designated for that purpose or to stop a dog coming into an area where the family cat might frequent.
However, I couldn’t think of that many occasions where you would need an indoor cat flap. It might be handy for example if your house is a bit cold and you like to heat one room because you want to keep the bills down so you close the internal door to that room most of the time. The KittyKorner might be useful in this situation as it would allow your cat to move freely throughout the house while preventing most of the heat in the room escaping.
On principle, the only reason why you would need an internal door cat flap is because you want the door shut but your cat doesn’t. And for the life of me I don’t think you will need this product very often. This is because you can leave a door slightly ajar if you want to keep out sound or cold but allow your cat through it. I’m not sure why you would want to keep a dog out but let your cat in through an internal door.
Catio
If you have a catio (cat enclosure attached to your home) you might like to leave the internal door to the cardio closed all times and in which case the cat flap leading out to the catio would be applicable. I think that that is one occasion when it would definitely be useful. But not many people have a catio!
Can you think of an occasion when you might need an internal cat flap? Or perhaps you have one already?
It is an odd looking product. We put a cat flap on the door between the interior of the house and the utility room. It serves more than one purpose: The cat can visit the litter box and the dog cannot. The cat can access his food and the dog cannot. (The dog was NOT happy about the results.) Plus, it allows us to keep the door closed and regulate the temperature inside the house. The utility room does not seem to be well insulated.
Thanks Cat’s Meow. That’s exactly the kind of comment I was looking for.
This is a curious idea. It seems to be designed for people who don’t like having to
let their cat in and out of rooms, or are maybe unable to do so
If it can be locked easily it might be handy for keeping cats separated for whatever reason, but it doesn’t strike me as as useful as a cat door. As it damages doors, it won’t be possible for renters to use either.
We have screen doors which can be removed easily. Very useful if the cats need to be separated or for keeping them safe inside when deliveries or visitors arrive. Both are FIV+ so extra care is needed.