Getting A Catflap Fitted Into Glass?

Catflaps fitted in to glass windows and glass doors.

With so many different catflap products on the market now, having a catflap at home is great for both pet and owner. Not only does it give you piece of mind knowing your furry friend has the independence to roam free whilst your not home, but with so many options nowadays it really is a straight forward process.

Catflaps can be fitted into walls, doors, single glazing, double glazed windows and double glazed doors. Having it fitted into glass is ideal for people who are struggling to find a suitable location for it, and/or ideally don’t want to cut through a wall/ wooden door incase their circumstances change in the future.

Catflaps can be put into; single glazing, double glazing, french doors, patio doors, bifold doors, leaded units, georgian units and much more. You will need a qualified catflap glazier to do this for you.

How does the process work:

1. First off you would need to make an appointment with a glazing company to arrange for a glazier to come out to measure up the desired window/ door panel you want it to go in to.
2. A lot of glazing companies are able to give you an indication of cost over the phone beforehand.
3. On their visit, measurements will be taken and your existing glass is left as is while the new pane is being manufactured.
4. The glazier will then cut the new glass at their premises with the prepared hole to suit your cat flap.
5. The glass is then toughened. Toughened glass, also known as tempered glass, is 4-5 times stronger than ordinary float glass and involves going through a heat treatment process which gives the glass its strength. Where as normal glass, also know as annealed, will break into shards when damaged, toughened glass when damaged will break into small sections therefore being referred to as a safety glass.
6. Once the glass has been toughened, if it is for a single glazed pane it is ready for fitting. If its double glazed it will then be manufactured into a double glazed unit at their premises.
7. The glass is then ready to be installed.
8. Another appointment is then needed to return to your property to remove your existing glass and refit the new glass pane.
9. Depending on whether you have supplied your own cat flap or had the glaziers supply one for you, the cat flap is then fitted into position and is ready to use.

FAQ before installing a cat flap into glass

Why can’t a hole be cut directly into my door glass?

By law, it is a legal requirement for any glass in a door to be a safety glass. Toughened safety glass can not be cut and would need to be cut before it goes through the toughening process, therefore requiring a new piece of glass.

I live in rented accommodation, what if my landlord wants me to put the glass back after I move out?

If you are in rented accommodation or thinking about what will happen if you move in the future this is not an issue. You can ask the glazier when removing the glass to carefully take the glass out so that it can be stored and refitted at a later date. There is usually a refit charge when it comes to swapping the glass in the future so bear this in mind.

Is there a recommended cat flap?

There are lots of catflaps on the market nowadays. Standard 4 way locking cat flaps such as petsafe are common and have 4 options for you to manually operate; access only, exit only, open or locked. Then there are magnetic cat flaps where your cat is required to wear a magnet tag on their collar so the catflap will only let them in/out and is a great way to avoid strays coming and going as they please. A very popular catflap nowadays is the Sureflap microchipped catflap which registers your cats microchip, as well as up to 32 identities, and will only open up for registered chips but it also has a manual locking option. Sureflap now even offer a ‘microchip catflap connect‘ version (also available in a bigger version for big cats/ small dogs) which is the worlds first app controlled microchip catflap, genius! There are lots more on the market but we find these to be the most popular.

I’m worried about strays coming in and out, is there a specific cat flap that could stop this?

If you live in an area where there are a lot of cats then we would recommend either the sure flap microchipped cat flap or the magnetic cat flap if your cat wears a collar.

Is there any specific requirements when buying a cat flap for glass?

The only requirement is the catflap must have a circular cut out so thats its suitable for glass. If it doesn’t, a lot of brands offer mounting adaptors which enable glaziers to be able to install it into glass. Always check the label to check that it is suitable as 9/10 it will say on the front of the box, if not it should say a diameter measurement within the instructions which is the size glazing companies will need to know when cutting the hole in the glass.

I want to put a cat flap in my patio door but I’m worried about it protruding out and not opening properly?

There is a slimline cat flap on the market by Pet-Tek which enables your patio doors to still slide pass each other, very popular choice and also looks very neat however be aware this is not a microchipped option.

We have a dog, can you fit dog flaps into glass?

As a whole, unfortunately the majority of dog flaps require a square cut out and glaziers can only cut circles into glass. Some catflap companies offer a large catflap or pet door which suits big cats/ small dogs so worth having a look into the size guide to see if these would be suitable.

I Want a catflap with a timer control?

If opting for a microchipped catflap, look for the catflaps with a ‘curfew mode’. Examples of this include the Sureflap Pet Door  and Sureflap Connect. If you purchase the hub with the Connect catflap or Pet door you can even download the Petcare app to control from your phone!

To receive a free estimate for your cat flap fitting, or to find out any further information please click HERE.