Fitting a cat flap into a composite door

[DaveDRFC]

Very off topic this one!

I've just bought a cat flap and thought it would be a fairly straight forward job to fit it as just assumed my front door was made of wood. However, now I've had a proper look at it and researched a bit online I'm pretty sure it's composite. Does this make it more difficult or is it just the same procedure? Only thing I'm slightly concerned about is the door isn't flat, it's panelled so will probably have to fit to one side and fill in a few gaps with silicon. Also I've had a look round the estate and despite there being loads of cats, I can't see one house with the same style of door as mine with a cat flap in which concerns me a bit!

Or if anyone is a builder/joiner and fancies doing it for me that would be greatly appreciated! 

[I-was-there1976]

i fitted a cat flap into a upvc door last week. It had the moulding at  the bottom and looked a right pile of shite when finished but the customer knew it would and was over the moon.

Your Comp door would be a doddle to do as its like compressed foam inside. What about your back door ? Dont ruin a nice looking front door

[DaveDRFC]

Back doors are full length French windows so won't go in there...it's either front door or smash a hole in a wall somewhere!

Are composite doors easy to cut through then? I'm a DIY novice so had visions of it being some super strength thing that was impossible to get through. As I said I'd always just assumed it was made of wood til I had a proper look at it.

[Filo]

I`d just get rid of the cat, in fact I would n`t have one in the first place, horrible things!

[RoversAlias]

Filo, cats are lovely! 

[DaveDRFC]

Filo, cats are lovely! 

Agreed, especially my cats!

[Thinwhiteduke]

Preferable to dogs every day of the week....cats are pretty much happy to look after themselves. Unbelievably clean creatures (you dont see cat shit littered everywhere) and hugely intelligent.

We've had cats for 10-12 years and never seen the need for a cat flap.....ours buggers off out in a morning as we leave for work...and generally comes back again about 6pm to be fed, then wants to be out again for a while...and mooches in for the night around 10pm when we hear it miowing at the door.

[Bentley Bullet]

My hard of hearing Grandma bought me a cat flap for Christmas once. I asked her for a flat cap.

[big fat yorkshire pudding]

Preferable to dogs every day of the week....cats are pretty much happy to look after themselves. Unbelievably clean creatures (you dont see cat shit littered everywhere) and hugely intelligent.

We've had cats for 10-12 years and never seen the need for a cat flap.....ours buggers off out in a morning as we leave for work...and generally comes back again about 6pm to be fed, then wants to be out again for a while...and mooches in for the night around 10pm when we hear it miowing at the door.

That's probably because it shits in someone else's garden, often mine I once found.  Until we put cat spikes on the fences they don't come in anymore.

[DaveDRFC]

Just had a go at it myself, big mistake, turns out the outer skin on the door is metal not wood, oops! Left it with just the one hole drilled in it as I don't have the tools or skills to carry on, so need to get a professional in.

Our cats were fine without a catflap til just lately, when they have decided they want to go outside at about 4:30am every morning. Fed up of getting out of bed for them! We also go away for the weekend quite a lot so think it's fairer on them being able to get in and out while we're not there rather than being shut inside for a couple of days.

[neilfinne]

Dave,

Drill a hole at each corner (about 8mm should do it), then just go to black & decker shop and buy a metal cutting jigsaw blade, (assuming you have an electric jig saw). Then just join the corners vertically and horizontally.
i would think the door will be 44mm thick, with metal to the outside, PU foam inside and white fibreglass or pvcu to the inside.