World's Oldest Cat Flap Could Be This Exeter Cathedral Door Hole

If you are a feline lover, then you might want to know the oldest cat flap in the world.

Luckily, the historian was able to find what might be the world's oldest cat door.

What's the World's Oldest Cat Flap?

World's Oldest Cat Flap Could Be This Exeter Cathedral Door Hole—Dating Back Over 400 Years! — A cat looks on while sitting near the door of a home in the old walled city of Cyprus' capital Nicosia on December 22, 2020. - Evidence of cats' domestication in Cyprus dates back further than anywhere else, including Pharaonic Egypt. AMIR MAKAR/AFP via Getty Images

Via BBC News, cathedral historian and author Diane Walker said that a doorhole at the Exeter Cathedral is thought to be the world's oldest cat door.

The ancient door is estimated to date back over 400 years based on records about it.

Walker said that the bishop made the hole to allow his cat to catch mice and rats. But she explained that the Exeter Cathedral door has lots of legends connected with it.

"This door has lots of legends associated with it, but there are facts that we also know, and there is a hole at the bottom of this door," said the historian.

She added that Bishop Cotton paid around eight pence to carpenters just to cut the hole in his door.

The cathedral historian added that the door leads to a cavity behind a very large clock. Diane said that rodents tend to go inside that room since the clock was lubricated using animal fat.

Because of this, the Exeter Cathedral needed to cut a hole in the door so that cats could easily catch the rats and mice.

Walker explained that although the hole doesn't really have a flap (like the one seen in modern cat doors), the hole is still considered one of the earliest examples of a cat-access portal.

Fun Facts About Cat Flaps

Larry the Cat gazes through the window from inside No. 10 Downing Street in London on February 15, 2011 after arriving from Battersea Dogs and Cats home. British Prime Minister David Cameron has unveiled the latest member of his team. MARK LARGE/AFP via Getty Images

Cat flaps/doors have very interesting facts. One of these is the inventor behind this pet portal.

Ferplast stated that the man behind the idea of the cat door was Sir Isaac Newton. Experts said that the great English physicist owned a cat.

At night, Newton often worked late. Since he's busy and his cat doesn't have a way out of the house, the mathematician's pet will keep meowing for hours until Isaac opens the door.

To solve this issue, the inventor put a hole in his door and added a swinging flag, which is a brilliant solution for his cat problem.

Aside from this, here are other fun facts about cat flaps that you need to know:

The first cat flaps were often installed in basement doors.
Modern cat doors are integrated with technologies that make them exclusive for felines.
Most cat flaps are airtight so that the cold wind of winter will not enter the house.