20 million UK cats and dogs could be given their freedom!
That was the tongue-in-cheek claim made by John Carolan, proprietor of new start-up business Pet Flaps UK which aims to be installing pet flaps and dog doors up and down the country.
“Almost everyone we talk to think a cat flap is a rather ugly piece of plastic stuck in the bottom of the kitchen door” John went on to explain.
But it appears that's far from the case. John was enthusiastically announcing a new collaboration between his Manchester based business Pet Flaps UK and Belgian manufacturer Tomsgates who make and sell worldwide -'Beautiful and Durable Wooden Cat Doors and Dog Doors'
“Everyone thought I was mad starting a business right in the middle of a worldwide pandemic but, from our first tentative customer enquiry on 26th June this year we are already installing nearly a dozen pet flaps and dog doors every week and that's growing fast” said John.
“The really elegant designs by Tomsgates are more popular than ever as our customers discover what a great alternative they are to the 'ugly piece of plastic in the bottom of the back door' Although installing a cat door or dog door gives pets their freedom to come and go, their human supervisors can still keep control with locking mechanisms when it's time for the family pet to stay indoors.
Hand-built by cabinet-maker craftsmen and women Tomsgates are even suitable for really large dog breeds. John's business Pet Flaps UK recently installed one for Koda, a large and muscular, but 'ever-so-friendly-unless-you-are-a-burglar' Akita; you could say he is now one of John's happiest customers!
Although Pet Flaps UK don't only install the Tomsgates range of wooden doors. In fact, they claim to offer 'The Biggest and Best Range of Cat Flaps, Pet Flaps and Dog Doors in the UK' they really want their customers to be aware there are many more options than the plastic flapping in the bottom of the door that we all expect.
65 year-old John recognizes that most people are thinking of retiring when they reach their mid-sixties, not starting a brand new business! The lockdown was just the catalyst he needed to turn that spare bedroom into a home office and realize his long-held ambitions.
The 20 million dogs and cats statistic comes from Danny Butler on the Finder.com website. With over 12 million cats and nearly 8 million dogs in the UK, and nearly 49% of the adult population owning a pet it looks like John's Pet Flaps UK and Tomsgates are going to be busier than ever.