Best Microchip Cat Flaps & Smart Pet Doors 2026
Give your cat the freedom of the outdoors and you usually invite a second problem indoors: the neighbor's cat strolling in to raid the food and spray the hall. A microchip cat flap fixes it by opening only for your own pet's chip, and the smarter doors add curfews and app control so you decide when the door works at all. Here are five, from a no-frills budget flap to an app-connected smart door, plus a larger model for big cats and small dogs.
| Rank | Product | Rating | Best for | Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | SureFlap Microchip Cat FlapTop pick | Most homes wanting to keep intruder cats out | Amazon → | |
| #2 | SureFlap Microchip Cat Flap Connect (with Hub) | Owners who want app control, curfews and activity tracking | Amazon → | |
| #3 | SureFlap Microchip Pet Door | Large cats and small dogs that need a bigger opening | Amazon → | |
| #4 | Cat Mate Elite Microchip Cat FlapBest value | Built-in curfew and activity info without paying for a hub | Amazon → | |
| #5 | Cat Mate 360 Microchip Cat FlapBudget pick | The cheapest way to lock out intruder cats | Amazon → |
#1 — SureFlap Microchip Cat Flap
Top pickBest for: Most homes wanting to keep intruder cats out
What we like
- Opens only for your cat's chip, locking neighborhood cats out
- Uses the microchip your cat already has — no extra collar
- Stores up to 32 pets
- Fits doors, windows and walls
- Around 12 months on a set of batteries
What we don't
- Controls entry only — your cat can still leave at will
- Needs a hole cut to install
- Batteries not included
- A few very large cats find the opening snug
If you buy one microchip flap blind, make it this. SureFlap reads the chip your cat already carries, so there is no new collar to lose, and it simply refuses to open for any cat that is not on the list. Up to 32 pets, a year of battery and fittings for most door types make it the safe default. Its one limit is that it governs entry, not exit, so a determined cat still comes and goes as it pleases.
The UK default, and rightly so. It quietly ends the problem of next door's cat eating your cat's dinner.
Check current price on Amazon →#2 — SureFlap Microchip Cat Flap Connect (with Hub)
Best for: Owners who want app control, curfews and activity tracking
What we like
- App locks the flap and sets automatic curfews from your phone
- Controls exit as well as entry, so you can keep a cat in at night
- Logs comings and goings and flags activity changes
- The Sure Petcare Hub is included in this bundle
What we don't
- The priciest option here
- Needs the Hub plugged in and a Wi-Fi connection
- Shorter, roughly six-month battery
- More setup than a plain flap
The Connect answers the standard flap's weakness: it controls the door in both directions and from anywhere. Set a curfew and it locks your cat in at dusk automatically; tap the app and you can lock it from the office. It even logs each trip in and out and nudges you if the pattern changes. You pay more and it wants the Hub and Wi-Fi, but it is the only pick here that lets you keep a cat in as easily as keeping strangers out.
The smart upgrade. Curfews, remote locking and activity logs make the cat flap part of the smart home.
Check current price on Amazon →#3 — SureFlap Microchip Pet Door
Best for: Large cats and small dogs that need a bigger opening
What we like
- Larger door suits big cats and small dog breeds
- Built-in curfew timer locks and unlocks on a schedule, no app needed
- Microchip-selective for up to 32 pets
- Long, roughly 12-month battery
What we don't
- Bigger cut-out to install
- Bulkier than a cat flap
- Uses pricier C-cell batteries
- Check your dog's height against the opening
Some pets just do not fit a cat flap — a chunky Maine Coon, a French bulldog — and squeezing them through is unkind. This is the door for them: a wider, taller microchip opening that still locks out intruders for up to 32 registered pets. A built-in curfew timer handles the night lock-up without any app or hub, which keeps it simple. Measure your animal against the opening first, then enjoy a door that finally fits.
The pick when a cat flap is simply too small. A proper microchip door for big cats and little dogs, with a curfew built in.
Check current price on Amazon →#4 — Cat Mate Elite Microchip Cat Flap
Best valueBest for: Built-in curfew and activity info without paying for a hub
What we like
- Built-in timer and an LCD showing whether your cats are in or out
- No app or hub needed for curfews
- Four-way manual locking
- Reads a microchip or a supplied ID disc
What we don't
- Holds up to 9 pets, fewer than SureFlap's 32
- On-flap tracking covers only up to 3 cats
- More utilitarian styling
- For small-to-medium cats
Cat Mate's clever trick is putting the smarts on the flap instead of in an app. The Elite has its own timer for curfews and a little LCD that tells you, at a glance in the hallway, whether each cat is currently in or out — no phone, no hub, no Wi-Fi. It stores fewer pets than the SureFlap and looks a touch functional, but for built-in curfew control at a friendlier price, it is the value buy.
The value-savvy choice. You get curfews and in-or-out status on the flap itself, skipping the cost of a smart hub.
Check current price on Amazon →#5 — Cat Mate 360 Microchip Cat Flap
Budget pickBest for: The cheapest way to lock out intruder cats
What we like
- The most affordable microchip flap here
- Still stores up to 30 pets
- Four-way manual locking
- Fits glass, UPVC, wood and walls
What we don't
- No timer, curfew or activity display
- Basic next to the Elite and SureFlap
- Small-to-medium cats and small dogs only
When all you want is the core benefit — your cat in, the intruder out — the Cat Mate 360 delivers it for the least money. It reads the standard microchip, stores a generous 30 pets and offers four-way locking, just without the timer, curfew or display of pricier flaps. If you do not need to schedule the door and simply want to stop the freeloader next door, it is the sensible budget pick.
Bare-bones microchip control on a budget. It does the one job that matters — only your pet gets in — for less.
Check current price on Amazon →What a microchip flap actually does
The job is simple and clever: a reader in the frame scans the microchip already implanted in your cat and unlocks only for chips on its approved list. Every other cat — the bold tom from two doors down — finds the flap stays firmly shut. Because it uses the chip your cat carries anyway, there is no collar tag to fall off, though the Cat Mate models also accept a clip-on ID disc for pets that are not chipped.
Entry-only vs controlling both directions
This is the distinction that decides which flap you need. A standard flap controls who comes in; your own cat can still leave whenever it wants. If you also need to keep a cat indoors — overnight, after surgery, or to break a roaming habit — you need a flap that controls exit too. That means the app-driven SureFlap Connect with its curfews, or a model with a built-in timer like the Cat Mate Elite and the Pet Door.
Cat flap or pet door? Size matters
Most cats are happy with a normal cat flap, but force a large cat or a small dog through an opening built for a moggy and you will end up with a pet that refuses to use it. The Microchip Pet Door exists for exactly this — a wider, taller opening for big cats and small breeds. Measure your animal’s chest and height against the stated opening before you commit, not after you have cut the hole.
Fitting it: doors, glass and walls
Installation is the part people underestimate. A wooden or UPVC panel door is a straightforward afternoon job with a jigsaw and the template. Glass and metal doors are different: they need a precise circular cut and an adapter, which is usually a glazier’s job and an added cost. Walls are possible too, with a tunnel extension. Plan the fitting before you buy, because it can matter more than the flap’s features.
From the same selective-access idea, a microchip feeder stops one pet raiding another’s bowl, and if your cat roams, a GPS tracker maps where it actually goes.
Frequently asked questions
Will a microchip cat flap work with my cat's existing chip?
Yes. These read the standard 15-digit FDX-B microchip your vet already implanted, so there is nothing new to fit. If a pet is not chipped, the Cat Mate models also work with a small supplied ID disc clipped to the collar.
Can a microchip flap keep my cat indoors at night?
Only the ones that control exit. The SureFlap Connect sets curfews through its app, and flaps with a built-in timer like the Cat Mate Elite and the Microchip Pet Door can lock automatically on a schedule. A basic entry-only flap lets your cat leave whenever it likes.
Can I fit one in a glass or UPVC door?
Yes, though glass and metal doors usually need a circular hole cut and an adapter, which is a job for a glazier. Wooden doors and UPVC panel doors are far more DIY-friendly. All the models here can also be fitted into walls with the right tunnel adapter.
Do these work for small dogs?
A cat flap is too small for most dogs, but the SureFlap Microchip Pet Door has a larger opening designed for big cats and small dog breeds. Always check the published opening dimensions against your dog before buying.