Guide · · 3 min read
Electronic cat door NZ: microchip vs magnetic vs plain — which keeps the neighbour’s cat out?
If another cat is eating your cat's dinner, you have three options and only two of them work. Here is the honest comparison, including the one we make and the one we stock.
By the Pet-Tek International team, Auckland — designers of Catwalk® and Dogwalk® since 1999.
“Electronic cat door” covers two different ideas: a door that recognises your cat, and a door that merely locks. Only the first keeps the stray out. Within the first there are two technologies, and we sell one of each — we make the magnetic one and we stock the microchip one — so this comparison is not a sales pitch for either.
Option 1: microchip — SureFlap
The SureFlap Microchip Cat Flap scans the identification chip under your cat’s skin as it approaches and unlocks for a match. Up to 32 cats are registered with one button press each. Four AA batteries last about a year; a light warns when they are low. It fits doors and walls as supplied and glass with the mounting adaptor. Nothing on the collar — the big advantage for cats that lose collars or households that do not want them.
Option 2: collar magnet — Catwalk® Multi-Magnetic
The Multi-Magnetic stays latched until a cat wearing a small magnet on its collar touches the flap; the magnet releases the latch and the cat walks through. No batteries, no electronics, nothing to fail in the rain. Glass version fits single or double glazing to 26 mm; the wood version fits timber, uPVC and metal. Spare collar magnets are stocked for extra cats. The requirement is a collar — use a breakaway safety collar.
Option 3: a plain door with a lock
Every Catwalk® door has a 4-way lock, so you can shut the door at night or when you are out. What it cannot do is tell cats apart during the day. If the intruder comes in while your cat is also coming and going, a lock does not solve it.
Side by side
| SureFlap Microchip | Catwalk® Multi-Magnetic | Plain Catwalk® door | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Keeps other cats out | Yes | Yes | Only when locked |
| Needs on the cat | Nothing (chip) or RFID tag | Collar magnet | Nothing |
| Batteries | 4 × AA, ~12 months | None | None |
| Cats stored | 32 | Unlimited (one magnet each) | — |
| Opening | 142 × 120 mm | 155 × 157 mm | 165 × 180 / 187 × 190 mm |
| Glass fitting | With adaptor, 212 mm hole | Direct, 245 mm hole | Direct |
| Price | Highest | Middle | Lowest |
Which to buy
Cat is chipped, no collar wanted, budget allows: SureFlap. Cat wears a collar anyway, or you want zero batteries: Multi-Magnetic. No intruder problem: a Standard or Maxi and keep the money. Big cat? The Multi-Magnetic opening is 155 × 157 mm and the SureFlap’s 142 × 120 mm — measure first, and print the SureFlap size tester from its page.
What about “electronic dog doors”?
We do not sell one, and for a dog door the problem is usually rarer: strange dogs seldom walk into houses. A lockable Dogwalk® with the security clip covers the night.
Quick answers
What is the best electronic cat door in NZ?
For a microchipped cat, the SureFlap Microchip Cat Flap: it reads the chip, stores 32 cats and runs about a year on four AA batteries. If you would rather avoid batteries, the Catwalk Multi-Magnetic uses a collar magnet and costs less. Both keep other cats out.
Do magnetic cat doors work?
Yes. The Catwalk Multi-Magnetic stays latched until a cat wearing the small collar magnet touches the flap. No batteries or electronics; the only requirement is that your cat wears a collar.
Can an electronic cat door go in glass?
Yes. The SureFlap mounts in a 212 mm glazier-cut hole with its mounting adaptor; the Catwalk Multi-Magnetic glass version fits a 245 mm hole directly, including double glazing to 26 mm.
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