Guide · · Updated · 4 min read
SureFlap Microchip Cat Flap in NZ: is it worth it? An honest buyer’s guide
We stock the SureFlap because it solves one problem better than anything we make: other cats coming in. Here is who should buy it, who should not, and what to order with it.
By the Pet-Tek International team, Auckland — designers of Catwalk® and Dogwalk® since 1999.
We design and sell our own cat doors, so stocking somebody else’s needs a reason. The reason is simple: the SureFlap Microchip Cat Flap does one thing no Catwalk® does — it recognises your cat without a collar — and enough New Zealand households need exactly that. This is the guide we would want before buying one.
What it actually does
Every cat that pushes the flap is scanned. The SureFlap reads the identification microchip already under your cat’s skin (9, 10 and 15-digit formats, which covers the chips used in New Zealand), checks it against the cats you have registered — up to 32 — and releases the latch only for a match. Everyone else meets a locked flap. Your cat wears nothing. Registering a cat is one button press and one pass through the flap.
It runs on four AA batteries for up to twelve months; a light tells you when they are low. It also has a manual 4-way lock on top of the chip check, so you can keep your own cat in at night.
Who should buy it
- Your cat is chipped (your vet can confirm in seconds) and other cats are letting themselves in.
- Your cat loses collars, or you do not want it wearing one.
- Multi-cat household where you want some cats in and some out: each cat is registered separately.
- You want curfew control: the lock’s in-only setting lets the cat home at dusk but not back out.
Who should not
- No intruder problem. A Catwalk® Standard or Slim Line is cheaper, bigger and has no batteries.
- Big cat. The opening is 142 × 120 mm, for cats to about 6 kg. Print the size tester first. A cat over 6 kg, or a long, big-framed cat, belongs in a Catwalk® Maxi.
- You would rather have no batteries at all. The Catwalk® Multi-Magnetic keeps strangers out with a collar magnet and nothing electronic; see microchip vs magnetic.
- Small dog. It is a cat flap; the Maxi or a Dogwalk® Small is the right door.
Where it fits
Timber, uPVC and metal doors to about 70 mm: straight in, DIY, 165 × 171 mm cut-out, jigsaw and screwdriver.
Walls and thick doors: clip on tunnel extenders, 50 mm each, until the tunnel reaches the far face. A 220 mm wall takes three.
Glass, windows and ranch sliders: a glazier cuts a 212 mm round hole (or supplies a new double-glazed pane with it) and the flap mounts through the mounting adaptor. Our glass and wall fitting guide walks through it.
Price, honestly
It costs more than any Catwalk® cat door. You are paying for the reader and the latch; the frame and flap are ordinary. If the intruder cat is the problem, that is money well spent — a stray that has learned your kitchen does not unlearn it. If not, buy the cheaper door. Our price is in line with NZ retail; it ships from Auckland stock, free over NZ$250.
What to order with it
| Your door | Order |
|---|---|
| Timber / uPVC / metal to 70 mm | SUR001 only |
| Thicker door or wall | SUR001 + TUN001WT2 × (thickness − 70) ÷ 50, rounded up |
| Glass, single or double | SUR001 + GMA001WT2; double glazing may also want one TUN001WT2 |
| Old round hole 212–260 mm | SUR001 + GMA001WT2 to cover it |
Four AA batteries are not in the box. The GMA101WT2 and TUN101WT2 are for the larger SureFlap Pet Door, not this flap.
Living with it
Cats learn it like any door — prop the flap open for the first day (training guide). The latch clicks softly as it unlocks; most cats ignore it from day one. Change the batteries when the light says so, wipe the sensor window now and then, and it will go on reading chips for years.
Quick answers
Is the SureFlap Microchip Cat Flap worth it?
If another cat is coming into your house, yes: it is the only cat door that identifies your cat without a collar. If you have no intruder problem, a plain Catwalk door does the same job for less.
Where can I buy a SureFlap in NZ?
PetNest holds the SureFlap Microchip Cat Flap (SUR001) and its mounting adaptor and tunnel extender in stock in Auckland, with courier delivery across New Zealand and free shipping over $250.
What size cat fits a SureFlap?
The flap opening is 142 × 120 mm, right for cats to about 6 kg. Print the free size tester from the product page at 100% and watch your cat go through it before you order; a bigger cat is better in a Catwalk Maxi.
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