Cat door - step-by-step instructions for choosing, installing and making a door with your own hands

Happy owners of pets, especially cats, know how difficult it is to constantly watch over your pet so that he goes outside for a walk or goes to the toilet on time. This problem can easily be solved by a cat door installed in the interior or entrance door. With its help, any pet can independently leave or enter the house without distracting anyone.

There are two ways to become the owner of such a door for cats: either purchase it in a specialized store, or make it yourself at home. In any case, this is a very necessary thing in a private home, which can make life easier for both the cat and its owner.

Cat doors come in different types. They vary depending on the size and type of materials used. The dimensions of the product may vary, it all depends on the size of the pet. The material is also used depending on the functional purpose of the opening. It can be a wooden, aluminum or plastic door.

According to the type of structure, all cat doors are divided into:

• Laz;
• Window;
• The door.

Features and purpose

A cat door can cover not only the entrance to the street, but also the opening in the interior doors. It gives the pet the opportunity to go outside or move from one room to another inside the home. Outwardly it looks like a small hole with a closing flap. The main function of cat entrance doors is to allow free movement.

These devices must meet certain standards:

• Have the required size;
• Easy to open and close;
• Be airtight;
• Combine with the interior.

In some cases, the doors are equipped with a lock, a brush for collecting hair, and various sensors.

It is best to make the hole while the kitten is still small, and it can be easily and quickly taught to use it. At first, without a door at all, then with a soft curtain, and finally with a full-fledged, durable sash with a spring.

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.

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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: How to stop a cat from climbing on the table

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.

Advantages and disadvantages

When deciding to organize a passage through the door leaf for a pet, you should take into account its positive and negative aspects.

Clear advantages include:

• Eliminates the need to leave doors open or constantly let the cat in or out;
• Organization of unhindered movement of the pet, which does not cause stress and aggression due to closed doors;
• The cat hole in the door is sealed, keeping out dust and odors from the street.

The disadvantages include the lack of control over an independent animal, which can lead to accidents.

Also, shortcomings may be associated with incorrectly selected design and unsuitable materials.

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

Types of devices

If you pay attention to the photos of cat doors, you can see several types of structures made of different materials: Wood, plastic or metal.

All devices are divided into four main types:

• An open door without a leaf;
• A window with a simple hanging sash;
• Full mortise door with closing mechanism;
• Electronic door.

Each option has a lot of advantages and disadvantages that should be considered when choosing.

Appearance and safety

You can be sure that the doors for your pets will not spoil the appearance of the main structure. For their design, manufacturers select the same materials as for the main door structure. This is why the doors look simply wonderful, but at the same time perform another important function!

It is worth noting that doors with a hole for your pets are absolutely safe to use. Their panels are made from soft materials that prevent animals from getting stuck or injured.

You can buy doors for animals or order their production in the Color Doors salon!

Opened door

In essence, this is a simple hole cut into the door leaf according to the size of the animal. It has no doors and is designed to allow cats to pass through interior doors. At the entrance to the house, such a product is sometimes installed only in summer country houses.

Its main advantages:

• Easy to manufacture;
• Easy installation;
• Unlimited movement of the animal.

The hole shape can be any. Its edges are usually trimmed with a strip of fleecy cloth or a brush to collect hair during shedding. However, the hole does not provide tightness and does not allow control of the animal’s movement.

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.

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.

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.

Electronic door

The design of the product is similar to a mortise door, but is supplemented with electronic sensors that protect the entrance from the entry of foreign animals into the home. Electronic doors are opened using a chip built into the collar of a domestic cat.

This system is ideal for country houses, since with the help of sensors you can track the movements of the animal and always know where it is.

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.

Making a door yourself

Making an electronic door for a cat with your own hands is quite difficult, so it is better to purchase such designs in a store. You can assemble and install a simpler product yourself, which does not require much experience or specific skills.

The best option in this regard would be an interior passage with a door that opens in both directions.

Step-by-step instructions will tell you how to make a door for a cat of this type:

1. Prepare the door leaf for work by removing it from its hinges and placing it on a level place.
2. Take measurements of your pet and calculate the opening, taking into account a small margin to prevent getting stuck, injured and stressed.
3. Draw a marking in the shape of a hole.
4. Drill through the blade, insert a jigsaw and cut a hole.
5. Carefully sand the edges and paint. This will protect the end areas from moisture penetration.
6. Cut a sash from a plastic or rubber plate. Its dimensions should be 1 mm smaller than the opening, which will ensure free movement in both directions.
7. Attach the sash to the top of the opening using hinges or piano hinges.
8. Decorate the opening with platbands in combination with the finishing of the interior door itself.
9. Hang the interior door in its place.

Work on making a cat passage should always be done with the canvas removed. This will make it possible to do everything neatly and beautifully.

Every cat owner wants his pet to feel good and not experience any discomfort. Convenient passage to the street or between rooms will give the animal the necessary comfort and freedom.

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.

Photo of a homemade cat door