The title is what I’d like to know. I have several outbuildings that I’d like to use for hay storage and barn cat shelters, but I can’t figure out how to keep possums/racoons and other smaller creatures from using any in & out doors I install.
Thanks.
I’m sure they are pricy, but I’ve seen ads for pet doors that only open for pets wearing a collar that unlocks the door.
Not really practical for barn cats.
you can get pet flaps that only allow animals with the right microchip in (assuming your barn cats are tame and not ferals)
We have the type that has a tag you put on the collar and the door only opens for them. It is on our garage and was intended for our outside dog to be able to come in and dry off and sleep. Didn’t do us much good since our dog that we got it for would never use the door! It was not terribly expensive, I think, as I don’t recall being that upset over spending the money and never using it. I bet they’ve gotten even smarter as this one is from about 14 years ago, when we built.
I wish I knew. I have mice in my barn! I need to let my cats in there to take care of the problem, but I don’t want to have to wrestle a raccoon for a bag of feed one day. I don’t think it’s safe to leave collars on cats, so I don’t want to do the microchip-activated door.
I believe they activate off the regular id microchip - no collar required
These were feral mamas and kittens until I managed to catch them and have them neutered/spayed. Now they’re quite social around us, but of course avoid any strangers. They’re not a problem where we live now, but we’re moving to a place that has lots of wildlife (no hunting allowed), and I want to take them with us rather than just abandoning them & letting them take their chances with the new owners.
Thanks for the info on ID required collars and microchips. I don’t like to put collars on cats either, but I think I’ve seen a break-away collar somewhere that might work.
I also wonder if the wild creatures would be attracted if I didn’t leave food inside the little buildings.
Thanks!!!
After having found someone else’s cat asleep on my sofa a couple of times, I now have a cat door that is activated by my cats’ embedded microchips. It works great.
[QUOTE=Hermein;8455002]
These were feral mamas and kittens until I managed to catch them and have them neutered/spayed. Now they’re quite social around us, but of course avoid any strangers. They’re not a problem where we live now, but we’re moving to a place that has lots of wildlife (no hunting allowed), and I want to take them with us rather than just abandoning them & letting them take their chances with the new owners.
Thanks for the info on ID required collars and microchips. I don’t like to put collars on cats either, but I think I’ve seen a break-away collar somewhere that might work.
I also wonder if the wild creatures would be attracted if I didn’t leave food inside the little buildings.
Thanks!!![/QUOTE]
Not the collar tags, but the identification microchip inserted by the vet.
Cats pick us… That cat liked your place
[QUOTE=atr;8455010]
After having found someone else’s cat asleep on my sofa a couple of times, I now have a cat door that is activated by my cats’ embedded microchips. It works great.[/QUOTE]
[QUOTE=MDMom;8455023]
Not the collar tags, but the identification microchip inserted by the vet.[/QUOTE]
Which is pretty nice compared to the “old” type like ours, that was a tag on a collar (and kind of big, if I recall correctly). Figured in 14 years, they had gotten better and obviously they did!
i have not had problems with raccoons, possums going where (or at least causing problems where) there is no food reward. Might be worth just trying the pet door and ensure that there’s no food there, and increase complexity only if needed.
We’ve had good luck by putting the cat food away at night. I figure the cats have all day to eat.
We have the electric door with collar for our cats and dogs. Much better seal and keeps unwanted animals out.
I’d never be without or have a plain doggy door again. Even my 8 pound papillon has no trouble wearing the little collar. My only complaint is that we do grow through a lot of collar batteries with 5 animals.
[QUOTE=HealingHeart;8455050]
Cats pick us… That cat liked your place[/QUOTE]
I know. I keep trapping him and sending him home, which is a good three miles away across really wild mountainous terrain. My resident cats hate him and pee all over the house when he’s around, and he beats up on them, which has cost a few vet bills this year, and I’m really not in the market for yet another cat, and his actual owners know where he ends up… or I’d have just stolen him and shut up by now.
We also have never had a problem because we don’t leave any food exposed at night; its part of the evening chores to make sure no grain or cat food is left on the floors or anywhere at night. Food/grain is also behind doors which are closed up at night. Any cats can be either closed in at night, also. I can’t imagine a need for cat doors.
I woke one night to dog running up then down the stairs barking and then loud strange screams. Yup a racoon decided the house looked cozy, no food was left out anywhere,the racoon was just exploring. He made it out of the house and has not been back. Apparently not a rare event.
We had the magnet attached to a break away collar.
Cats loved it and was guaranteed to be raccoon proof (it was).
Ran around $400 years ago. Totally worth it, as raccoons used to use the cat door before.
It’s now run under the name Solo doors I think.
[QUOTE=NoDQhere;8455140]
We’ve had good luck by putting the cat food away at night. I figure the cats have all day to eat.[/QUOTE]
Same here. My barn cats migrated indoors, but when they were in the barn, I would only put down food when I was there to feed the horses, and then it would be picked up and put away. Problem solved.
A neighbor painted big, scary eyes on their doggy door. It has worked so far.
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