Should I Install a Cat Door?

Pet doors today are a great product that owners sometimes overlook. Advancements in design, materials, and technology make these pet doors an attractive and affordable option. By freeing you from a tiresome ritual, they can improve your cat's lifestyle, and can even improve your relationship with your pet.

For the safety and health of your cat, we do not recommend allowing him to roam free out doors. But for pet owners with some type of outdoor containment, a large screened porch, a Happy Habitat, or the like, pet doors can be a big asset. They can be equally beneficial used to control access to interior rooms or levels of your home. Here are several reasons why they might be right for your home:

1. Pet doors are convenient - It seems as if some pets are never satisfied. If out, they want in. If in, they want out. The up-down, back-and-forth routine you go through to keep them happy can be a real nuisance. It can even interrupt your sleep. However, you can get off this treadmill permanently, and in less than an hour, by installing a pet door.
2. New pet door styles are very secure - Many of today's doors have four-way locking options: Open, closed, in-only, and out-only. You have total control over your pets' access. Magnetic and electronic key controlled models offer an extra measure of security.
3. Pet doors can be installed to create privacy and relieve stress - Cat doors installed inside the house allow cats access to rooms without having the door open. This is helpful when company comes or if your cat needs some quiet time. Access to rooms can be limited by the size of the door opening, preventing entry by larger pets, or by use of a magnetic key system. Some doors even have value-added benefits. The Indoor Access Arch, for example, features brushes on three sides that groom your cat as he passes through.
4. Pet doors provide safety - Basements are popular locations for litter boxes, but leaving your basement door open may present a hazard, especially when there are young children around. You can provide your cat basement access, or to any interior room, with a pet door, without jeopardizing the safety of family and friends.
5. Pet doors can prevent dietary problems - In some multi-cat households, one cat may need a special diet; or an overweight cat may be eating too much. Using a coded-collar door you can control the access of every cat in your household to his or her own appropriate food bowl.
6. Pet doors reduce problem behaviors - Prevent your dog from getting into the cat's litter or food by installing a pet door in a wall or door leading to a closet or enclosed area.
7. Pet doors provide emergency escape - No one wants to envision the worst imaginable happening - fire, flood, or other disaster - but when you are not at home, you should enjoy the peace of mind that your pet can move to a safe place.
8. Pet doors are easy to install - Patio panels are the easiest type to install because they require no cutting at all. For installation of pet doors in regular door panels all you need is a jigsaw and a screwdriver. The cutout templates and step-by-step instructions walk you through the simple process.
9. Pet doors are a good value - Doors are priced starting under $21.99. Even the largest, full-featured door is under $200. That's not much for the all the benefit they provide.