Is your indoor kitty always pawing to go outside? Or is your outdoor cat constantly meowing to be let inside? In either case, it sounds like you need a cat door.
Cat doors are handy tools that allow your cats to come and go as they please. No more getting up from the comfy depths of your couch to let kitty out, and no more sad kitty meows to be let inside from the cold. It’s a win-win for everpawdy! Nevertheless, there are some things you should know before investing in a cat door.
In this article:
- Why Get a Cat Door?
- Choosing a Cat Door
- Safety
- Location
- Weather
- Size/Installment
- Cost
Why Get a Cat Door?
Cat doors make life a little easier, for both you and your feline. Cats love to roam and wander (you might even say they have “itchy feet!). Cat owners often struggle with an impatient, curious cat who cannot decide whether s/he wants to be inside or out.
Have you ever opened the door for your cat (to go out or come in), and your cat, in response, just sits there without moving? If you’re a cat owner with an indoor/outdoor kitty, then you no doubt know what I’m talking about!
My childhood cat Max used to pull this trick on me all the time!
Essentially, cat doors give your cat the freedom to choose whether or not to roam outside or come inside for some snuggles. The benefit for owners is that you don’t have to worry about locking kitty up all day, or if kitty accidentally got locked outside while you were at work.
Cat doors are great options for pet parents who own multiple cats, or dogs. You could even add a cat door to an interior door in the house to let kitty have his or her space without pesky pups! Luckily, there is a wide variety of cat doors available to choose from to best suit your needs.
Choosing a Cat Door
There are several types of cat doors, which makes adding one to your home a breeze (quite literally).
Cat doors range from small to large flaps, standard to even electronic designs. Not to mention, you can seamlessly add one to match your home’s exterior, patio door, window, and more! Nowadays, there are even cat doors that work with your cat’s microchip. How neat is that? Talk about VIP access!
While shopping for a cat door, you should consider these five things: safety, location, weather, size/installment, and cost.
1. Safety
The safety of your home, family, and furbabies is a priority. Cat doors offer cats the freedom to come and go as they please, while keeping rodents, intruders, insects, and other pets out.
Cat doors are very safe to use. That said, be mindful of purchasing the right type of cat door to ensure intruders and strange animals don’t have access to your home.
2. Location
Not all cat doors are the same, and neither are our homes. Cat doors can be adjusted to an indoor/outdoor door, an interior door, a window, sliding door, and more.
When selecting a cat door, make sure to consider not only the location of the desired area of installation but also your yard/ neighborhood (are there any roads nearby?).
3. Weather
Some pet owners might be skeptical of pet doors due to local weather conditions. If it’s freezing outside, you want to ensure that the cat door doesn’t let in any unwanted cold or frost. Brrr! You also don’t want any of that cool AC escaping out the cat flap door in the summer heat.
When choosing a cat flap door, make sure to consider the yearly weather conditions in your area. If you need a tight seal, there’s a cat door for that. Insulation? There’s a cat door for that too.
4. Size & Installment
Cats come in all different sizes, and luckily so do cat doors. Be extremely careful to measure your cat before buying a cat door. You don’t want to have a too small or too large cat door size. Too small of a cat door can be uncomfortable and dangerous, while too large of a cat flap door can invite unwanted animals into your home (i.e., your outdoor dog or a neighbor’s pet).
Installing a cat door is easy, but it takes some patience and care. Follow these four steps for installing a cat door:
- Measure your cat at the shoulders as s/he stands next to your door.
- Unhinge your door and measure the cat door template.
- Drill holes at the corners of the template.
- Verify that the cat door fits correctly and rehinge your door.
You will need to make exact measurements to ensure there’s no damage to the material of the door or your home.
5. Cost
Cat doors range in price from low-high, but all are worth the investment if you consider that a cat door lasts for years, maybe even your pet’s lifetime. The low-end cat doors will start somewhere around $40-50, while higher-end cat doors can cost $200-400+.
5 Things You Should Know Before Buying a Cat Door | Final Thoughts
Cat doors bring many benefits to both kitties and their owners. If you have a stubborn indoor/outdoor kitty and live in a safe area, then a cat door could be just what you need to save time and worry less.
Do you have a cat flap door or know someone who is considering getting one? Send them this article!
This post was kindly sponsored by doors.com to bring you, our audience, fresh content regarding cat doors. We hope you benefit from our guide and would appreciate you sharing your thoughts with us in the comments below!
Xo,
Brittany, Paul, & Yoda =^^=