Choosing the right cat door: useful tips for purchasing and installation

Having a pet in the house imposes a number of responsibilities on the owners, which include not only providing food, veterinary care and hygiene procedures.

Felines, as bright representatives of freedom-loving animals, should be able to move freely throughout the house and go outside at any time. To make this possible without human intervention, a cat door, purchased at a pet store or made by hand, is installed in the door leaf.

cat door

There are many such devices.
You can always purchase the best option at a pet store, and in extreme cases, making it yourself is not so difficult - unless we are talking about a metal entrance structure, of course. Choosing finished products, as well as imagining your own handicraft, must take into account several factors:

purpose of the passage - the door is installed only so that the cat can toilet, but also so that the animal can freely move from room to room, go out onto the loggia, and so on;

• material - the product can be made of aluminum, plastic, wood. The choice depends mainly on the sash material;
• sizes - from 10*10 to 15*15 cm, in some cases this is not enough;
• variety - there are several different types of models. Of course, it’s difficult to give an animal a choice, but the owner needs to take design features into account when choosing.

What to consider when making a passage

If you decide to make a cat door with your own hands, you must immediately determine the functional purpose of the product: for entrance doors or an interior version.

To provide your pet with free passage to the toilet or other rooms, it will be enough to provide the door leaf with a hole and attach the sash to it on hinges. And in the case of the front door, the design should be more complex and airtight.

It is important to decide how the product will look so as not to spoil the appearance of the canvas, but even to decorate it. For self-production, it is better to give preference to wood. It is very easy to work with, and it looks great against the backdrop of solid wood.

Dimensions

The dimensions of the hole directly depend on the size of the animal for which it is intended. To do this, you can measure your pet and estimate the approximate width and height.

If you rely on a table of standard sizes, usually 10x10 cm, 15x15 cm or 18x18 cm are sufficient.

Cat tunnel

Pets in many families are practically full members of the family; accordingly, all modern advances should be available for their use. More and more owners are trying to devote as much attention and time as possible to various kinds of innovations, so a manhole ready-made or made by hand is no exception. It’s one thing if you live in a rural area and your pet goes to the toilet when going outside

But what about those families who live in cities? Apartments have many rooms and it is very important that the cat can get into each of them without problems. Surely, like most other owners, you also leave all the doors slightly open? Most likely, you are not very happy with this

The table shows the average door dimensions that are suitable for animals of average constitution. If you are going to make a cat hole yourself, it is better to use standard sizes. Table of examples of popular door options for pets

Review of ready-made doors for cats: features, pros and cons, installation rules

Door for cats in the door “Trixie”
There is a wide variety of door openings on the cat products market. Accessories from different manufacturers differ from each other in shape, material, size, and price. Each of them has both pros and cons. To choose the appropriate option, you need to study the features of the most popular models among consumers. Information about them is presented in the table:

Cat hole “Petsafe Staywell Deluxe”

Work order

The primary task is to determine the area on the door for installing the cat pass. The easiest way is to cut out a small entrance for the animal in a wooden door leaf. It is more difficult to do this in metal or glass. Therefore, a cat door is planned at the stage of arranging the entrance passage, then it can be installed in the door with your own hands without any problems.

Standard models do not provide additional passages for pets, so it is recommended to make metal-plastic or steel door structures to order. And you can install the cat door itself.

To calculate the parameters of the door, you must first measure the pet, taking into account the possible growth if it is still young. A cat, cat or dog should be comfortable going through the hole in the door. The optimal hole diameter for cats is 15-20 cm.

After determining the design parameters, appropriate markings are made on the front door leaf. After this, it must be removed from the hinges, placed on a flat horizontal surface, for example, a table, and carefully cut a hole for the hole along the marking lines.

Templates are sold specifically for such purposes, which are fixed to the door with adhesive tape. With its help, the hole is as smooth as possible. And the procedure itself does not take much time, the main thing is to position the template exactly in the center of the canvas.

Next, using a template or self-made markings, holes of the required diameter are drilled into the door so that a jigsaw file can fit into them. It is recommended to carry out all work related to cutting in special clothing and safety glasses.

The next step is to draw straight lines along the contour of the finished holes to connect them, insert a jigsaw and cut out the material. If you plan to make the door yourself, then this cut-out piece of canvas will work best.

A DIY cat door is carefully sanded with sandpaper, then the dust is completely removed. Then the finished door is applied to the hole, and the matches of the parameters are checked. The door mounting points are marked on the door leaf and holes are drilled for the mounting bolts.

Door fixation options may vary depending on its shape. After completing the assembly of the structure, it must be completely cleaned of dust and checked for functionality. The hole for the cat is ready, all that remains is to teach your pet how to use it. If desired, the structure can be decorated with some other more attractive material.

We make it ourselves: choosing materials and components

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.

What materials and components may be needed:

1. Tree. More often, the jamb for the manhole is made of wood, and the door itself can also be made of wood.
2. Plastic is the most common and cheapest material. Cable ducts and various pieces of sheets are used to make passages for cats.
3. Rubber is necessary for insulation and lining to prevent doors and windows from knocking.
4. Espagnols and hinges ensure the mobility of the product.
5. Fabric or other decorations.

With your own hands, you need to assemble the product according to your taste and size, usually 10x10 cm or 15x15 cm. Before installation, you need to check the operation of all parts, including locks, hinges and latches.

Installation

The most cumbersome and rather difficult thing is to install the device yourself.

There are specific instructions for this:

1. Remove the desired door from its hinges and place it on a flat surface.
2. Measure and cut a hole in it at the desired height from the floor.
3. We install hinges and hinges or other parts of your passage.
4. Put your door back in place.

Manholes for dogs and cats are sold in various sizes. The packaging contains information regarding the size of the hole and the weight of the animal. Models designed for a small dog are suitable for a cat. The largest door is expensive; large, strong dogs need a durable, massive structure. Some models are designed for animals weighing up to 100 kg.

Cat door: classification and types

Animal owners quickly appreciated how convenient it is for both people and pets not to depend on each other when the animal needs to leave the house to go outside or move from one room to another. Holes in the door allow animals to have constant access to the litter box and move around regardless of the presence of the owner. Entrance and interior doors for cats can be of various types and sizes, quality and design.

Entrance door with cat passage device

Devices are classified according to the size of tunnel holes (for large or small rocks), materials of manufacture, number of operating modes (from 2, 3, 4 modes), software (simple and electronic).

Note! When installing a cat door, you must take into account that not only your favorite pets, but also street animals can use the passage. Various types of passages have protective devices against the entry of stray animals into the house

Domestic cats will have to be accustomed to some structures that have such devices within a few days. Many owners purchase ready-made cat doors, but some make them themselves according to their own drawings, taking into account the needs and body size of the pet

Various types of passages have protective devices against the entry of stray animals into the house. Domestic cats will have to be accustomed to some structures that have such devices within a few days. Many owners purchase ready-made cat doors, but some make them themselves according to their own drawings, taking into account the needs and body size of the pet.

Laz

A DIY cat door can be very simple in design and have no cover. A passage made in the form of a manhole, without a protective barrier, can be in the form of any figure:

• circle or oval;
• square;
• rectangle;
• rhombus;
• free form.

A hole is cut in the bottom of the door or wall. Such a device cannot be broken. Along the edges of the cutout, the hole can be framed with plastic, trimmed with fabric or special bristles that act as a comb for cat hair. It is very simple to care for such a hole - periodically clean the edges of the cutout from dirt and animal hair.

Important! The main disadvantage of an opening that does not close will appear in winter, when the cold will penetrate through the opening and spread across the floor, which is why such passages are most often made inside the living room. Cat hole in the toilet of any shape

Cat hole in the toilet of any shape

Window

The cut-out opening in the form of a window is covered with a flap, which can be closed with a latch or have a magnetic or sticky fastener. In some cases, the cat litter door is hung with hinges or hinges. But such devices are quite noisy and produce loud sounds during use.

Door

The in-door cat flap is a smaller version of the standard design. Its damper can be mounted in a horizontal or vertical position using springs. Such models do not allow odors and cold to pass through, because they close hermetically and can be controlled manually and remotely.

Note! Doors are produced equipped with electronic sensors that are triggered by interaction with a chip embedded in the pet's collar. Some products, in addition to the self-closing mechanism, have a passage blocking system, which is activated by the owner of the animal at his own discretion

The cat door can be made of soft materials, plastic, plexiglass, acrylic, rubber

Some products, in addition to the self-closing mechanism, have a passage blocking system, which is activated by the animal owner at his own discretion. The cat door can be made of soft materials, plastic, plexiglass, acrylic, rubber.

Door with a flap that closes with a latch

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.

Make holes

Press the drill bit firmly into each corner to create a small dent about half a centimeter from the guide. This will keep your drill bit from wandering as you drill through the steel. Once you have placed a dent in each corner, place the point of the drill bit into the dent and begin drilling slowly. You must go straight down through the door, thereby creating one hole in each corner.

If you put salt and honey under your tongue, you can wake up rested and full of energy.

Special concerts will be held at Luzhniki: spectators will watch them from their cars

I made a mini pantry in the kitchen to store food: I needed an old cabinet

Step-by-step instructions for installing a cat door in an interior door

1. Measure your cat. Each cat has individual dimensions. In order to make sure that the cat can easily pass through the door, you should place the product 10–15 cm from the floor. Fix the desired height at two points and draw a line. This will be the bottom border of the product.

   In order for your cat to move comfortably along the aisle, you should measure its size.

2. Select a location to install the door. If you want to place the accessory in the middle of the main door, then you need to use a tape measure to find the center.

   To find the right place for installation, the doors are measured with a tape measure.

3. Unscrew the screws and remove the door from its hinges.

   Before installing the door, the main door should be removed from its hinges.

4. Place the door leaf on the table.

   To install the structure, the main door must be positioned horizontally

5. Place the cat flaps in the designated location on the door and trace the outline with a pencil.

   By tracing the cat door frame we get the desired stencil.

6. Select a drill. The diameter of the drill must be larger than the jigsaw blade so that it can be freely rotated in the sawn hole.

   To cut holes you need a drill with a certain diameter

7. Mark where the screws will be attached. Use a 1 mm drill to drill holes for fasteners through.

   For convenient cutting of holes at the corner, make through holes with a drill

8. Use a jigsaw to cut out a passage for the cat strictly along the lines of the stencil.

   Cutting out a hole using a jigsaw using a stencil

9. Check if the door fits well into the hole. The accessory must fit tightly into the opening.

   The door must be installed tightly in the hole

10. Clean the walls of the hole with sandpaper or a grinder.

    The sawn edges of the door are cleaned with sandpaper

11. Hang the door leaf.

    The door should move easily and close without knocking.

12. Secure the wrong side. In some models, the back frame is screwed together with the front part, sometimes glued with double-sided tape. You can glue it with Moment glue.

    The reverse side is attached together with the front part of the door

13. Put the door in place.

    Upon completion of work, the main door should be installed in its place.

How to do it yourself

Regardless of the chosen passage design, the DIY process begins with cutting a hole in the door leaf. In order not to violate the integrity, the hole in the door is located at a distance of 5-8 cm from the bottom edge. If the door system is paneled, then the lower element is not touched. A slot is made in the lower insert directly above it.

The canvas is removed from the box and laid on a flat surface. The square of the future hole is marked and a hole is drilled in one corner into which the blade of an electric jigsaw can freely pass. Then all that remains is to cut the material along the marks and remove the unnecessary part. At the end, the cut ends are sanded with sandpaper and coated with paint and varnish materials to protect them from damage, dirt and moisture. For decoration, you can make a frame around the cutout from slats like platbands.

If the hatch is installed in the door of the restroom, you can leave the hatch open, without any doors. However, it is necessary to take into account that the sounds of flowing water or odors will easily flow into the adjacent room, which may not be very convenient for residents.

It is very easy to install a sash in it that will open freely in different directions. The main thing is to take into account its weight so that the cat can open the door and walk through. It is best to use a piece of plastic for this or purchase any suitable product at a hardware store. A thin rubber plate or a dense piece of any fabric could be a good option.

The sash is secured to the upper end with hinges, its functionality is checked, and the leaf is hung back on the frame.

If the hatch is installed on the front door, you should consider a locking system. In a private home, there is a high risk of strangers or stray animals entering the premises, so installing a hook or latch is especially important.

But there will still be a problem with the penetration of cold from the street. If you install any sealed material, it will be difficult to open. And the sash will not be able to close completely under its own weight. Alternatively, you can hang some kind of curtain made of thick fabric from the inside and close the door if necessary, which completely eliminates its design independent of human participation.

Therefore, if there is an urgent need to install a cat passage in the front door, it is best to purchase a ready-made product and install it yourself.

Choosing models

Interior doors

The market offers models of canvases made in various styles: classic, high-tech, modern. They differ from each other in the type of assembly:

• Shield ones. Consists of a durable wooden frame. The outer planes of the sections are decorated with laminate, veneer, and other finishing materials. If provided by the project, cut out a hole for decoration or glazing.
• Paneled. The basis of the frame is massive bars. Finishing - from straight or shaped boards, combined with decorative materials.
• Tsargovye. The wooden frame is filled with horizontal bars. Very durable and massive construction. The bars look harmonious with glass and decorative finishes.
• Molded. Lightweight, simple design with a frame made of metal or slats. For reliability, it has an additional vertical stand. The free space is filled with unbreakable glass or transparent plastic. Decorative elements made of metal or wood are used for weighting

All designs for zoning space are equally convenient, but differ in the way they open.

Swing

Swing doors

Swing

The type of construction that occurs more often than others, it is familiar to everyone from childhood. When installing doors of this type, take into account the location of the future passage, as well as the size of the room. When opened, the doors should not occupy most of the room. They are opened by swinging forward or backward; models are single-leaf or double-leaf.

For a narrow opening, install a single-leaf swing door. Such sections are usually built in the bathroom, kitchen, balcony and other small rooms with high humidity, so the material selected for them is moisture- and steam-resistant. Since the doors of such rooms are constantly in use, the design and fittings must be durable to withstand the loads.

For large rooms with wide passages, a double-leaf swing door is suitable. The main canvas can be solid or with glass inserts.

During installation, it is determined which side the structure will open to - the location of the canopies depends on this.

Sliding

Sliding doors

Sliding

To save room space, install interior sliding doors with your own hands. By type of opening they are:

• Bivalve. Two doors, opening, move apart in different directions. The design of the roller mechanism determines whether the doors will open simultaneously or each separately, regardless of the position of the other.
• Recoil. Suitable for small openings. They are a single-leaf section that moves along guides in a one-way manner.
• Cassette. When opened, the sections hide into the wall rather than moving along it. To install such a structure, it is necessary to widen the opening and make an additional niche in the wall. The finished structure, opening the opening, takes up minimal space

A type of sliding structure includes sliding doors. They are installed along guides of varying lengths. They can consist of several doors, which, when moving, act as a transformer - they can become a solid wall or create a single space between rooms.

If you need to repair the cassette door, you will need to dismantle the wall.

Folding

Folding doors

Folding Features of the mechanism allow interconnected sections to fold like a fan. Accordion doors are compact and convenient, but when folded, the sections block part of the doorway. Installing them is not difficult at all; it can even be done from two blinds.

Exclusive

Exclusive doors

Exclusive For lovers of the exotic, there are a lot of thematic options for making door panels. Ordinary sliding doors made in Japanese style are increasingly gaining popularity. A wooden lattice made of thin slats is installed on the frame, and the thinnest transparent rice paper is attached to them. The paper perfectly transmits natural light, and the structure itself gives an oriental flavor to the room.

Making a greenhouse with your own hands from a profile pipe and polycarbonate: a complete description of the process, drawings with dimensions, watering and heating (Photo & Video)

Cat hole in the door - freedom of movement for the animal

A cat hole will provide freedom of movement for your animal. Pet owners are well aware that caring for them goes far beyond regular feeding. Fluffy pets are big fidgets.

If they live in a private house, you need to prepare for the fact that the pet will regularly ask to go outside to explore the surroundings or carry out its, undoubtedly, very important business. In order not to listen to the heart-rending meow from time to time, indicating that your pet has decided to get some air or, on the contrary, is cold and really wants to enter the house, there is a convenient solution: create a hole for the cat in the door. Then she will be able to choose her own time for walks and not disturb her owners.

Cat doors - varieties

When choosing a suitable design for an individual cat door, you need to take into account not only the dimensions of the animal, but also the functional purpose of the loophole itself. The choice of construction material will depend on this: wood, plastic or aluminum.

There are several types of cat doorways.

Laz

A hole is just a hole in the door. This is the most primitive solution. It is an opening cut into the bottom of the door. Since this hole is not closed by anything, and freely allows not only the cat, but also smells, cold, and sounds to pass through, it is advisable to install it only in interior doors.

The only advantage of the manhole is its simple design, making it easy to build. There are also some disadvantages. This, as already mentioned, is a decrease in the heat and sound insulation properties of the door. If you need to block your furry friend’s passage through this door, you will have to seal it or block it with something, which is not very convenient.

Window

The window door slams every time the cat walks through it. Also not a difficult, but more interesting solution. This design has a hinged door that the cat can easily open, and after the animal passes this passage, the window closes on its own.

So it works in any direction - entry and exit. If you put a latch on this structure, you can close it. True, it is possible that after this you will again have to listen to the heart-rending complaints of your cat, outraged by the restriction of freedom of movement. The negative quality of the window is the slamming of the lid, each time indicating that your pet has decided to take a walk.

Door

Strange animals will not be able to enter the house through the door with sensors. A more serious structure, unlike the two previous options. Manufacturers offer structures made of metal, plastic and wood. Since they are installed in entrance doors, the mandatory properties of the doors are: moisture resistance and resistance to various temperature conditions - from heat to frost.

The design consists of a small tunnel that is inserted into the door leaf, and two doors on each side. A dense rim around the perimeter of this structure prevents the penetration of cold, odors and dust into the room. And to prevent uninvited guests from following the owner’s cat, there are doors with special sensors. True, the cat will have to constantly carry a key with him: a collar in which a microchip is installed. As soon as the animal approaches the door, the lock is activated and the door opens.

How to install a cat passage yourself

You need to cut a hole in the wooden door to the size of the hole.

Installing a cat loophole yourself will not be difficult if you have a wooden door. For a homemade passage, you will need to decide on the size of the opening so that it matches the parameters of the cat, and also choose the material:

• Wood is suitable for decorating the perimeter of the hole; you can also make a lid from wood.
• Plastic - for the lid.
• Rubber - for the lid, and also as a gasket that will soften the sound of the lid slamming.

The process of installing the passage will be a little easier, but more expensive, if you decide to purchase a ready-made door. The installation itself in both cases follows the same scheme.

1. The door removed from its hinges is laid on a flat surface.
2. Next, in its lower part you need to mark the hole.
3. Use a thin drill to make holes at the corners of the markings.
4. Use a jigsaw to cut straight lines along the contour.
5. Remove the cut section.
6. Sand the cuts with sandpaper and remove dust.
7. Attach the opening with bolts.
8. Check how freely the door opens.

Then all you have to do is train your pet to use the new design, and he will stop bothering you every time he decides to go for a walk.

Rubber against noise

They are used to aesthetically hide a hole in a wall or an interior door. They are not able to close hermetically, they allow air and smell to pass through, there is no cat access restrictor to the room. There is no way to lock it in a specific position. Suitable if there are small cats in the house. It is necessary to select environmentally friendly materials, because they will come into contact with the animal’s skin. Used as decoration for plastic tunnels.

Inserts made from it are used on window-type structures when it is necessary to make it more airtight. Reduces knocking, friction, noise. Replaces door holder. It can be used to close a hole in interior walls, but it does not look aesthetically pleasing and is difficult for a cat to use. In addition to this door material, glass, metal, wood, and fabric are used.

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.

The market is diverse and you can choose a product to suit every taste. Install cat gates in the interior or entrance door. There are these types:

Cats, of course, are smart and dexterous animals, but they also do not know how to open doors if these doors are tightly closed. And since the “cat litter” is usually located in the bathroom, a tightly closed door can lead to unpleasant consequences.

Of course, special hatches for cats that can be embedded in the door have long been invented and sold, but we are not looking for easy ways. And I don’t go to pet stores, but googling showed that such hatches for cats are relatively expensive. At the same time, two “penny” plastic plumbing hatches for gypsum boards were on hand. All that was left was to break off the lid latches so that they would open in both directions, cut out a hole in the door evenly, and glue in these hatches symmetrically.

What happened can be seen in the photo. Of course, this is not for those who have a “designer renovation”, but for an ordinary apartment it is quite suitable. No shortcomings were noticed, animals and people are happy with everything.

The pleasant purring, tenderness of cats and devotion to their home evoke love in the heart of almost every person, in return we are ready to give no less, pamper and fulfill all the purrs that come. Dogs require no less attention.

Today, stores offer cat and dog owners a huge assortment of windows, manholes and even tunnels designed for the convenience of moving pets around the apartment or from home to the street. Some of them can be ordered. But why overpay if even a beginner can handle this type of construction work with his own hands?

Selection of quality accessories in the store

To choose the right door model for your pet, you need to answer a number of questions:

• where the passage should go - various rooms, a bathroom, a balcony, a street;
• the size and material of the product into which the cat doors will be installed;
• dimensions of the animal;
• a type of door that your pet will like.

The best way to choose the right type of aisle for your cat is to take your four-legged friend with you to the store. There, professionals will correctly calculate the dimensions of the animal and select the best option. If it is not possible to bring an animal with you, it is worth deciding in advance on the size of the pet, as well as the place where the selected product will be embedded.

There are certain brands that offer quality products. The most popular doors on our market are doors from Trixie and Ferplast. You can also purchase the desired product online, but you will have to pay extra for delivery.