How to install a cat flap

Save money by installing a cat flap in a wooden door yourself – then your pet can come and go as they please. Here's quick and easy step-by-step guide

cat passing through green door using flap
DIY | cat flap | pets | DO IT | Style at Home | Housetohome
(Image credit: TBC)

Hate the idea of your cat being stuck indoors all day while you're at work? Instead of paying around £50 for a professional to install a cat flap, do it yourself – it's easy when you know how.

You will need:

  • Cat flap – try a magnetic cat flap or one that works with your cat's microchip
  • Masking tape
  • Spirit level
  • Electric drill
  • Pencil
  • Jigsaw
  • Sandpaper

1) Decide where you want the cat flap to go – make sure it's the right height for your cat to use comfortably.

2) Stick the template provided to your wooden door with masking tape. Check it's straight using the spirit level then drill through the corner points on the template.

3) Remove the template and draw a square in pencil to join up the four holes you've just drilled – these will form the outline of the opening. Use a jigsaw to cut out the square then smooth the edges with sandpaper.

4) Line up the cat flap with the hole, check that it's straight, then drill clearance holes for the screw-fixing positions.

5) Hold both sides in place and screw them together, fixing the screws through the clearance holes. Check that the flap swings freely and you're ready to go!

Millie Hurst
Senior Content Editor

Millie Hurst was Senior Content Editor at Ideal Home from 2020-2022, and is now Section Editor at Homes & Gardens. Before stepping into the world of interiors, she worked as a Senior SEO Editor for News UK in both London and New York. You can usually find her looking up trending terms and finding real-life budget makeovers our readers love. Millie came up with the website's daily dupes article which gives readers ways to curate a stylish home for less.