Types and selection of doors for cats

For many, the appearance of a cat or cat home is a pleasant event, because pets bring a lot of joyful emotions. But at the same time many small everyday problems arise that require a quick solution. The comfort of not only people, but also the cat itself depends on it. The first step is to resolve the issue of relocation. And in this business special doors become great assistants. To make the door comfortable, you need to explore all sorts of options and choose the most suitable.

Doors for cats play the same role as a similar object intended for humans. With her help, pets can enter or exit, as well as get from one room to another. Actually the door can look like a through hole or an aperture closed by shutters. It is usually used in such cases as:

• if the cat needs to get from the street to the house and back;
• to go between rooms.

In fact, now the street doors are put less and less, because the self-walking cats are not so popular anymore. Interior doors for cats can be an effective tool for moving an animal inside a house or apartment without the help of the owners. Depending on the purpose, the door must meet the following requirements:

• first of all be comfortable for the cat;
• do not allow dust, drafts and odors;
• fit well into the interior of a door or wall;
• easy to install and dismantle;
• to have additional functions - a lock, a brush for collecting wool, tracking sensors, and so on.

It is best if the door appears in the house at the same time as the kitten. If the animal is an adult, certain difficulties may arise. If the cat cannot adapt or is afraid to use such an opening, time, patience and training will help.

When deciding on the need for a cat door, you need to consider both its pros and cons. Among the positive aspects are several.

• Freeing the owners from having to open the doors or keep them open all the time. No need to jump up and throw all the cases, if the pet wants to enter or leave the room. It is believed that this device was invented by Newton, who had no time to open the entrance for his pets.
• Cats and cats feel more at ease, especially if there is access to all the right places. If the tray is in the toilet, bowls of food are in the kitchen, and toys are in the living room, closed doors can cause constant stress. It is not surprising if animals are impatiently beginning to scratch the walls or do not have time to go to the tray. In the case of the smooth passage of such problems there.
• Unlike permanently open interior doors, doors with built-in aisles protect against dust, odors and other environmental influences.
• Pet freedom can be controlled at the request of the owner. If you need to isolate the room, then you can put a regular or magnetic lock on the existing cat door.
• In samovygul on the street, if it is approved by the owner, there are pluses. There is no smell of the tray at home and problems with the filler.On the street, living conditions are close to natural, cats can climb trees, freely run, jump, hunt. The street has a positive effect on health thanks to fresh air and vitamins.

Negative factors are mainly associated with street doors, because the majority of accidents occur outside the home.

That is why most zoodefenders urge to give pets only to houses without a samovigul. This is especially true of the urban environment, where, in addition to dogs and parasites, cars and even people can cause significant harm to health. Disadvantages of interior passages for cats are mainly related to the imperfection of the design and material.

Depending on the design features, all cat doors can be divided into two groups. The first group includes all kinds of manholes, which are a through passage. This is the simplest model, characterized by the following positive characteristics:

• the size of such a hole can be any;
• their low location is especially convenient for cats;
• the transition of animals between the premises is not limited;
• the edges of the manhole can be trimmed at your discretion, as well as equip with brushes or a fleece cloth to clean the animal;
• no need to spend money on installation, all stages of manufacturing can be done independently;
• In such a simple design there are no parts that can break at the wrong moment, there are no obstacles for the cat - they are not afraid to go through such a passage and get used to it easily.

The second group includes passages with shutters. Here, the simplest model looks like the same manhole, but already equipped with a door. The principle of operation is quite simple - the cat fits, pushes it and goes where it needs to. Folds open to both sides. The advantages are as follows:

• there is protection from insects, animals, debris, cold and so on;
• the cat can move quite simply if the door opens easily;
• you can set the latch and close the passage for a certain time;
• it is possible to do it yourself - to fasten the sash on any fasteners to the usual hole;
• can be installed both on the front door and inside the house.

Despite protection from external factors, such a hatch will not be completely sealed, so there is the possibility of foreign objects getting in, there is cold air and unpleasant odors. This problem can be solved with a seal. Installation at the desired height is not always possible due to the nature of the doors. In addition, it is worthwhile to worry about when opening and closing the sash did not make clapping sounds.

The most reliable are the cat's doors, which are a complex system of frames, seals, mounts and shutters. They are made on the principle of real doors, but only in a reduced form. Their strengths are as follows:

• when closed, they completely isolate the premises;
• opening and closing without noise;
• can be mounted both in the door and in the wall (for double doors or thick walls there are transitions in the form of a small tunnel);
• there are models equipped with sensors and allow you to control the arrival of a cat or restrict access to other animals (all data is read from a cat collar);
• a large selection of materials, colors, sizes with different cost;
• they cannot be made independently, but factory production is a guarantee of good work, reliability and durability.

Choosing a cat door only at first glance seems simple. Having made a hasty decision, in the process of using the manhole, flaws can be revealed. And it is not so easy to dismantle an existing passage and replace it with another - both funds and forces are needed for this. Yes, and pet at the time of repair will have to limit. Therefore, you need to consider a few nuances.

• First you need to identify those areas that need to visit your pet. In ordinary life, it can be: a street or a balcony for walking, a bathroom with a tray, a kitchen with a place for eating and a room where all family members communicate, and also a sleeping place. If all these rooms are separated, it is necessary to install from 3 to 5 cat doors.
• Further, it is necessary to determine the degree of complexity of such inputs. For example, in the living room you can put the usual manholes. Access to the kitchen and toilet should be closed with doors. And in the balcony or entrance door you need special mortise systems with good sealing and thermal insulation.
• Many questions are the size of the manhole. Narrow passages make it difficult for other, larger animals, and they look more aesthetically pleasing. But it is necessary to take into account the growth of the pet and look for information about the size at different ages. For cat owners, it is necessary to take into account possible pregnancy. Factory products have a fixed dimensional grid, but you can make absolutely any dimensions with your own hands.
• Doors for cats made from plastic, wood or metal. Usually they are selected under the existing door or guided by the appearance of the interior. In addition to beauty, you need to evaluate and strength. The most reliable metal in this respect, but the cost of such a product will be pretty decent. Moreover, this sash when opening can be too heavy. The tree is not suitable for placement from the street. In contrast, plastic is more resistant to moisture and well-washed, but it is less durable.
• If the pet is not afraid of crowded places, you can take it with you to the store and try it out on the spot. Before you buy on the Internet, you can additionally examine existing reviews.
• Any door must be well inspected for defects, sharp edges and parts. Be sure to check the operation of the hinges - the sash should open easily. The weight of moving parts should not be large so as not to pinch the tail or the limbs.

The complexity of the installation depends on the material from which the large door is made, as well as the presence of stiffening ribs, panels, glass inserts and so on. If the door is wooden, installing a manhole for a cat is not difficult by doing the following:

1. it is necessary to remove it from the hinges and make a marking around the frame from the manhole;
2. in a window cut out with an electric jigsaw, it is necessary to process all edges;
3. then the frame is fixed in the hole or it is covered with a soft cloth, do not forget about the other side; so that in the open state internal cuts in the door leaf were not visible, it is better to pay attention to the door-tunnels or stock up with additional materials, for example, self-adhesive tape in color;
4. then the door is put in place and the door is attached.

Working with an entrance or balcony door requires completely different tools and proper calculation. If possible, such an opening should be discussed already when ordering new door panels. In the case of going outside, there must be a lock in the cat door, so that when the owners leave, the thieves could not use it.

Passages in the walls are far from uncommon.Here are just punching them, especially when it comes to the supporting structure, is quite difficult. Especially as here it is necessary to take into account the presence of pipes, wires and other nuances. In the partitions inside the walls, it is better to think over these holes in advance — during the construction phase or at least before repairs. A hole in the wall is a good alternative when it cannot be made at the door.

How to install the door with your own hands, see below.