Don't know what the best cat door is and how to choose? Reviews of the best products with their advantages and disadvantages, prices and customer reviews.
Cats love to walk “by themselves” and the owners have to open and close the door all the time. For others, the tray is located in the toilet or bathroom, so the door to these rooms must always be open. Cat doors that fit into interior or exterior doors help out in all these situations. We are sure that every cat owner will find this device useful.
Cat door - classification and types
Flush doors for cats are classified according to the following criteria:
- By type of material. Doors are made of wood, aluminum and plastic.
- To size. The dimensions of the door depend on the size of the pets.
- By design. The main types are: manhole, window and door.
- Manhole (tunnel). The simplest design. This is a kind of hatch in the door for a cat, which is given an interesting shape so as not to spoil the appearance of the door and the room. It does not have a door, so it is not suitable for entrance doors. Manhole is an interior solution. In order to increase functionality, special brushes are installed around the perimeter of the hatch to comb out loose hair.
- Window with movable door. It differs from a manhole in the presence of a door that opens in both directions. Just like the hatch is not suitable for entrance doors, since it can be used not only by pets, but also by neighbor cats and stray animals. In addition, the window does not provide reliable heat and sound insulation.
- Door. A door-to-door cat door is a sophisticated hermetic design that prevents cold, odors and foreign animals from entering the house. Factory versions of such products are often equipped with complex electronics and magnetic locks that respond to a key located in the pet's collar and open only in front of your cat. Doors with magnetic locks are an ideal solution for entrance doors.
Photo gallery
The main tools of masters and craftswomen here are imagination, design skills and small financial investments. On the Internet there are many photos and videos of homemade windows - these are just passages in the form of old frames, and cut plastic bottles, and even creative ones with carvings. There is a lot of room for imagination here; you can combine different ideas or create and invent something new.
Types of cat doors
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What materials and components may be needed:
To avoid mistakes, plan your work on arranging a cat hole and follow the plan exactly. To begin, remove the door in which you plan to install a shutter for your pet from its hinges. Place it on a flat surface.
Sometimes it may seem that your beloved cat wants to unsettle you due to its desire to move freely around the house. Now she needs to go to the balcony, now from the balcony, now into the room, now out of the room. And every now and then you have to walk behind your pet and open and close the door while caring for it. What to do in such a situation? Some owners prefer to install a cat door themselves rather than endlessly groom their pet.
Door with hinged leaf
How to choose the right cat door
- Based on the size of your pet. If there are several cats in the house, focus on the largest animal. Measure the animal's height and width and add 5 centimeters on each side to get the ideal size for passage.
- Consider where you are going to install the cat door. If you need a passage through the front door, choose sealed structures equipped with locks. For interior doors, doors like a window or a hole are suitable.
- If you don't want the sound of a slamming door to disturb your sleep, don't put windows in your bedroom door. Save these locking designs for bathroom and toilet doors.
Manufacturers of cat products present a variety of cat door models on the pet products market. To make it easier for you to make a choice, we have studied popular items on online shopping sites. And we compiled our rating of these products based on functionality, quality characteristics and cost.
What does it take to train a cat to use the door?
Cats are naturally very inquisitive creatures. But the instinct of self-preservation sometimes interferes with their acquaintance with something new. Especially if it is a door that leads to an unknown destination. So motivate your pet by offering him his favorite treat or toy.
- Open the door and secure the sash. Scotch tape, lace, or wire are suitable for this. Your task is to make the cat enter the hole and come back without hesitation. A structure swinging back and forth can frighten an animal.
- Make the sash half open. The cat will probably not immediately understand that it is not required, so push your pet, helping him crawl through the door.
- Close the flap all the way and encourage your cat to come in and out of the door. After some time, the cat will stop being afraid. If the design is comfortable for her, she will move from room to room without any problems.
See also: Evil cat: which cat has the worst character
There can be different problems when training cats to walk through the door. The main one is fear of the sash. The cat does not understand well that it is not a threat.
In one family, the cat often bothered the owners, asking them to open the door for her. Then they decided one day to install a door for it. But the darling did not want to go through the swinging door. She probably thought it was a dangerous thing. No tricks helped. But a solution was found: the plastic flap was replaced with a cellophane curtain.
After some time, the cat began to walk through the hole, especially since the curtain hardly interfered. The curtain was lowered - the cat was not afraid again. When he was completely accustomed to it, a sash was put in its place. But she no longer embarrassed the cat. He liked the walks and was interested in the door itself. He even started hitting it with his paw from time to time. The animal liked that she knocked.
Petsafe Staywell Deluxe – the best cat door in the door
Cat door made of high-quality plastic with a wood-effect design with 4 positions. Installed in a door, window or wall. Suitable for use in a city apartment and a private country house. Can be installed in walls of any thickness. To extend the passage, you need to purchase additional tunnel attachments.
4 door lock positions (closed, in, out, in and out) allow you to control the cat's movement around the apartment and house. Suitable for animals weighing up to 7 kg. Window size: 175×168 mm.
- Plus: the ability to adjust the length of the tunnel.
- Cons: high price.
Price: 2724 rub.
What are they needed for?
A cat door makes life much easier for both the animal and the owner. The latter will not need to get up in the morning or at night to let the mustachioed one out or into the room or onto the street. It provides benefits such as:
- freedom of movement for the cat;
- the doors to the bathroom and apartment are always closed;
- the animal will become more independent;
- The design will fit well into the room.
Once a passage through the cat door has been created, some time will have to be spent teaching the animal how to use the door. A toy on a fishing line suspended from a piece of canvas will help. You need to spend up to 5 days, after which the animal will become independent and will use the tunnel whenever it wants. The size for the door is selected individually, based on the cat’s parameters.
Rating of cat doors
- Trixie window for cats;
- Ferplast Swing Microchip – automatic door with microchip detector;
- Flamingo leaf door;
- Trixie 3867 XL Large Cat Door;
- Ferplast Swing 7 set – with magnet.
Trixie cat window – choice for interior doors
The passage for a cat in the door is like a “window”. The model is made of white plastic. The movable shutter is transparent. Suitable for cats of all ages and small breed dogs. Product dimensions: 17.7×18.7 cm. Hole depth – 17-34 mm. The depth can be expanded with additional elements.
- Plus: quiet mechanism.
- Minus: does not have locks.
Price: 1742 rub.
Installation in different places
Cat doors are not just ordinary manholes that are inserted into the hole in the door leaf. The most interesting projects are intriguing in appearance, functions, and fit perfectly into modern interiors. Companies specializing in the production of such products offer many interesting options. The cat door is installed in:
- entrance doors;
- toilet;
- doors made of PVC, wood, metal;
- walls;
- garage door;
- window and door glass.
Modern catholes usually have a transparent flap that opens by pressing. The animal can freely come in and out whenever it wants. The flap is usually made of flexible plastic and is safe for your pet. There is a magnet at the bottom of the flap that allows the flap to always close automatically. This prevents unwanted heat loss; even with a strong gust of wind, the door will not open.
The frame comes in different colors, the most common are:
- white,
- silver,
- bronze.
It is possible to choose a color depending on the color of the door or wall where the hole is installed.
The high quality manhole opens quietly, almost silently. A special mounting kit is sold for the door; sometimes a tunnel for installation in thick walls is included.
The set usually includes a flap that closes the door during the period of long absence of the owners - departure. Some designs include a lock that allows you to choose the opening option:
- in both directions,
- inside,
- out,
- complete closure.
Ferplast Swing Microchip
Automatic cat door with microchip detector made of brown plastic. The unique system, which includes a microchip, is patented by Ferplast.
The model is suitable for installation in glass, plastic and wooden doors, as well as in walls. The opening system works as follows: the antenna reads the microchip that is installed in the cat’s collar when it approaches the door.
The door memory can store 32 ISO chips at a time. Chips are written to the system memory by pressing the memory button.
The entry and exit indicator informs the owner where the pet is currently located. It has 4 operating modes: input, output, closed and microchip input. Product dimensions: 22.5×25.2 cm.
- Plus: suitable for installation in entrance doors.
- Disadvantage: high cost.
Price: 17998 rub.
Flamingo leaf door
The plastic leaf door (window type) has two working positions: entry, exit. The model is made of high quality white plastic.
Suitable for inserting into glass and wooden interior doors. Product dimensions: 19.2x20 cm. Passage depth: 16.5x17.4 cm.
The passage opening can be expanded with additional tunnels, which must be purchased separately.
- Plus: easy to install.
- Minus: not suitable for entrance doors.
Price: 1068 rub.
Extended XL cat door Trixie 3867
The larger model TX-3867 can be installed on doors with a thickness of 17-34 mm. With the help of additional tunnel elements, the passage depth can be expanded to 45 mm.
The door is fixed in a vertical position using a magnetic clamp at the bottom of the product immediately after the cat passes through - this is protection from drafts. The presence of a sealing edging allows for silent closing of the sash.
- Plus: it closes without slamming.
- Cons: high price.
Price: 1850 rub.
Ferplast Swing 7 set
The automatic folding model for cats and small dogs made of non-toxic plastic is equipped with a draft prevention system. Works in 4 modes, has 4 locking directions.
Installed in doors made of glass, wood, metal or in walls. The last passage indicator helps the owner to know where the animal is: on the street or in the house.
The door is opened using a magnetic key, which is attached to the animal's collar. Product size: 25.2×22.5 cm. Passage depth: 9.6 cm.
- Plus: automatic opening using a magnetic key.
- Disadvantage: high cost.
Price: 2999 rub.
Window with sash
The simple design resembles a manhole, complemented by a hinged door. The opening is usually rectangular or square in shape and is covered by a door that can operate in both directions.
- The door opens by simply pressing the head.
- With its help, you can limit the cat's movement by installing a clamp.
- The product is mounted, like a manhole, on interior doors or at the entrance of country houses.
Its main drawback is the loud knocking sound when the sash is closed and the risk of pinching your pet's tail.
