How to Put a Cat Flap In Your Rented Home
Got an outdoor cat but a landlord who won’t let you knock a hole through the wall? Rude. Here are your options
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Navigating renting as a pet parent can be tricky business. First, there’s the question of finding somewhere that will accept your pet (although hopefully that’s set to get a little easieopens in a new tabropens in a new tab), then there’s the question of dealing with your landlord’s expectations of said pet.
For cat parents with outdoor catsopens in a new tab, renting (and let’s face it, that’s what lots of us will be doing for the forseable) presents a very specific problem: how to let your cat in and out when you’re not allowed to install a cat flapopens in a new tab.
To be fair to landlords (first and last time that sentence will be written here), knocking a hole through a wall, door or window in order to fit a cat flap is kind of a big ask – unless of course you offer to pay to get it removed and fixed up after. However, as any cat parent knows, answering to the flighty whims of your indecisive feline and their wishes to be indoors or out at any given time is also a big ask.
Luckily, there are a few options you have to help with this problem. They’re not perfect and they are a little expensive and you should absolutely check with your landlord before doing them (play it safe with that security deposit!). Hopefully though, one solution at least will save you from having to get up in the middle of the night because your kitty fancies a moonlight jaunt.
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Cat... elevator?
Is this safe? Maybe for people who live in a very, very low second floor flat. Even then... As a result, we’re going to go ahead and recommend that you don’t take the DIY elevator approach. Despite this TikTokker’s assurances in the comments that this sports bag is safer than a basket. That doesn’t mean you can’t watch the videos though.
Jess Commons
Jess is a writer, editor and former global lifestyle director at Refinery29 with previous stints at ITV, Grazia, The Debrief (RIP) and more. She is a sucker for an older gentleman cat with A Past and spends most of her time being told what to do by her toddler and her three-legged rescue cat, Mac.
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