Opulent cat flap

After a long time of having to leave the door open, we are resigned to having a permanent litter tray. With that decided it was time to fit a cat flap.

Shelley had the idea to make the small exit from the hallway more in keeping.

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Kitten door guards

Normally we have kittens in the winter so the doors are closed and it's not a problem. This time we have new kittens in the middle of the hottest summer for years!

I wanted the house doors open for as much as possible so I've made some simple barriers to put across the doors to stop the kittens getting out.

The grown-ups can jump over it easily.

I also made a barrier so we could go in and out of the kitchen.

I only gave it a week because kittens can jump at an early age.

Jett

Joan

I was right. 8 days after I made them, they were already too low. I just got to Joan in time as she balanced on the top about to venture out.

The doors are now closed!

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Greenhouse escape cat flap

All of our outbuilding have ways to let cats out so they cannot get accidentally shut inside.

The greenhouse is no exception.

I could have added an off the shelf  cat flap but they tend to be chunky and I thought they would look out of place on a delicate greenhouse.

I used a 4mm polycarbonate sheet as the base with a grey acrylic surround.

The double thickness was mainly to give it strength where the bolts pass through. I deliberately used a contrasting colour so that the cats would be able to easily identify the place they can get through the otherwise clear panels.

The acrylic is glued to the polycarbonate with cynoacrylate (CA, Superglue).

I used a disposable brush to spread it thinly then sandwiched the sheets between layers of MDF clamped together. I only intended to leave it 10 minutes but I ended up going out so it got several hours to set. The joint is solid.

I used M6 bolts with large penny washers to spread the load to hold a large door hinge in place. The hinge only swings outwards. The idea is that it only lets the cats out not in, so they cannot get trapped.

I'm pleased with the result. It looks how I intended.

The polycarbonate flap is not quite heavy enough to always close so I might add a weight if it becomes a nuisance.

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And...

if, as we did, you want to have the cat flap somewhere else, it's easy to move the pane.

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Drinker Update

The pipe that feeds the water drinker in the yard was a bit vulnerable to damage. Most likely from a lawn mower.

I've added some protection using an off-cut of plastic guttering.

The cats helped as usual.

Introducing the Kittens

I know the Internet is already overloaded with cute kitten photos but I can't resist.

How many kittens come with their own letter of introduction?

As they explain in their own letter they were born on 16 August.  Tooey, on the left of the picture, and Tiger, on the right, needed to be hand reared until they were on hard food.

Now they are with us, getting more adventurous every day.

Discovery 2 Tyres and Wheels

Due to having some engine problems with our Discovery 2, resulting in a complete engine replacement, I have started to be interested in off-roading again.

Our Discovery now has a raised air intake to help avoid the problems that probably caused the serious engine damage.

I have some plans to fit stronger bumpers and some under body protection but to get about off-road in typical UK muddy conditions, mud terrain tyres are the most useful addition.

Tyres

Land Rover in the last year of manufacture of the Discovery 2 fitted 18" wheels instead of the more common 16" wheels on some of their end of line models.

On those wheels they fitted 255/55R18 tyres to keep the outside diameter (29") the same as the previous 255/65R16 or 235/70R16

I found the following calculator invaluable for checking what would fit:
http://www.discovery2.co.uk/tyresize.html

Size	Diameter
255/55R18	29.04"
255/65R16	29.05"
235/70R16	28.95"

The trouble with the 18" wheels is that none of the more recognised tyre manufacturers make any Mud Terrain tyres and the choice of All Terrain tyres is just about limited to one.  The General Grabber AT is a good specification all terrain tyre but I would like to have a choice of something a little bit more aggressive.

Wheels

As the 18" wheels have such a poor choice of tyres I am looking for 16" wheels.

I found this site useful for making sure the wheels will fit properly:
http://www.wheel-size.com/size/land-rover/discovery-2/2003/

The stud positions on a Discovery 2 are not the same as a Discovery 1 so the wheels cannot be interchanged.

I plan to do the odd Road Taxed Vehicle (RTV) trial from time to time so I also read the rules for the standard vehicle RTV trials from the ALRC.  It appears any steel wheel of the correct size can be used but only original Land Rover alloys.  I'll need to clarify that before I buy anything.

Off-Road Use

I was also interested in what the largest tyre that will fit without modifying the body or suspension.  Apparently 30.5" outside diameter will fit but I have not tested that for myself.

I am unlikely to fit oversize tyres for normal day to day use but if I was I would want the speedo adjusted so it read the right speed.  I have not been able to find anywhere that claims they can do that.  If anyone knows somewhere, please post a comment with the details of the company (thanks.)

Unrelated

After the car came back from the mechanic with its engine replaced, I gave it a quick check over.  Like nearly every garage I have ever known, the engineers only have the time to do the job required.  As usual and as expected for its age, the cable protection was missing in places and the odd bolt and clip, to stop loose things flapping about, had long since got lost or broken.

I had the bonnet up all day Saturday and between other jobs I wrapped exposed parts of the wiring loom with black tape and replaced missing and broken cable clips with nylon cable ties.

As you can see from the photo, I learnt a useful lesson.  If you want to be able to finish a job don't leave a comfy spot for a Cat to sleep.

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Reference:
http://www.discovery2.co.uk/tyresize.html
http://forum.landrovernet.com/showthread.php/177298-Discovery-2-Std-Tyres
http://www.landyzone.co.uk/lz/f8/wheel-tyre-sizes-201153.html
http://www.wheel-size.com/size/land-rover/discovery-2/2003/

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Kittens at play

A video of Min and Edie playing in a box.

Kittens

Our new arrivals.  They are both about 10 weeks old.

Edie

Min

Edie

Min

And from a few weeks ago here is what Lemmy was up to.

He got there by jumping out of the bedroom window!