My partner and I have recently moved from the city to the countryside along with our two cats, Frankenstein and Trixie.
Whilst it has been a fantastic move (watching Frankenstein take his first steps onto grass was beautiful), we have recently discovered an issue which I'm hoping someone will have some advice on.
Our youngest cat, Trixie is brain damaged. I don't think I ever mentioned her on this board but she didn't have the greatest start in life and we nearly lost her. Fortunately, other than some spacial issues her main problem is that she will always basically be a kitten. For this reason she can not go outside unsupervised. Our old home had a nice 6ft wall which she couldn't jump over so she did have the run of the yard whenever she wanted. We will be able to 'Trixie-proof' the new garden when we have recovered from the cost of the move (going from fully furnished to unfurnished hurts your credit card!) but that is a month or two away.
Anyway, Trixie isn't really the problem, Frankenstein is. The house has a cat flap which can be adjusted to open inwards, outwards, both ways or no ways. We have had the flap set to let Frankenstein back in, but not out and have been opening the door for him when he wants to go play which for the last two months he has been happy with.
Unfortunately, the last three nights he has been attacking the flap trying to get back out in the night, and last night he learnt that if he scratches it in certain ways he can pull the flap forward and sneak out! I'm not a massive fan of him doing this because a) he might break the flap allowing Trixie to get out, b) Trixie might start copying him, c) I don't want him going out. He's a black cat and even with a reflective collar on he is still hard to see. The road isn't super busy but i still worry.
When we lock the flap completely he goes nuts, meowing, scratching, proper long drawn out moans; you would think he was being beaten. He's only doing it in the night and I am a combination of shattered and concerned he is going to break the flap and they will both get out in the night.
Any ideas?