Cat Flap in a Baby Gate

Step 7 Make the Flap

My cat won't go through a flap she can't see through, so I made the flap out of screening material.

Note, if you don't have any other animals small enough to go thru the hole, you don't NEED a flap. We own a dachshund who could fit thru, but is too skittish to press through the flap, so this keeps her out of the forbidden zone.

I started by measuring the opening, and cutting a piece of screen material narrower by a quarter inch than the hole, but longer than the hole is tall. This allows me to attach the screen to the top bracer, and the flap will then swing freely.

Cut the screen with the box-cutter. I placed a piece of scrap wood under the screen to protect both the blade of the cutter and my concrete floor.

Once the screen is cut, "selvage" the edges to prevent them from fraying.
Anyone who's seen my other instructable on Sticking Suction Cups to (some) Non-Smooth Surfaces will know I like packing tape. You could use Duct tape, Gaff tape, Electrocal tape... anything durable. (Gorilla tape is probably overkill.) Black duct tape or gaff tape would probably look better.

Cut the tape to the length of a side, and place the edge of the screen in the middle of the tape. Fold the tape over to seal the edge.

Next, play a little game of "alignment" to get the screening in place against the back of the top bracer so that the flap will swing freely. Use the staple gun to tack the screen in place. If the staples don't go all the way into the wood, tap them in, gently, with a hammer until they're flush. If you tap too hard, the staples will break thru the tape and screen.

Voila, done.