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The Pet Door



Pet doors allow your dog or cat to enter or leave your home without you having to open any door. There are many different styles. I have installed many of the plastic cat doors which fit in your screen door and allow your cat to go through the screen and come back inside without you having to slide the screen open.



As you can see from the video, some pets need doors even if theres no screen there at all. I guess it gives them a sense of security !

My own preference is for seperate pet doors built into their own frame, or a brick wall or a wooden or steel door. At least that way they have a solid foundation and will be less likely to get damaged from constant use.

Its not always easy to put a hole in your house to mount a pet door so one compromise is to use a seprate frame that you can put into a sliding patio door. The examples below show this application. While these items are more expensive, they do work and are built to last. They also have the advantage that when you move, you can take them with you, so long as your new house has a patio door.

Fast Fit Pet Patio Door - Extra Large

Fast Fit Pet Patio Door - Extra Large

Now "Fido" can let himself in and out with this terrific Fast Fit Pet Patio Door. It only takes a minute to install this useful patio pet panel with its draft stopping watertight seal, and you can even take it with you when you move. There is no assembly required because it adjusts in height from 78 ¾” to 81 ¼” to ensure a perfect fit in any sliding glass door, either right or left opening. Your pet passes through a 10.5” x 15” size flap. Made of tough safety glass, it has a lockout slide and a security lock for added protection. Available in Mill (Aluminum), White or Bronze finishes. See drop down menu for details.This item ships directly from the manufacturer. Please allow 2-3 weeks for order processing along with normal shipping times.






Here is an example. These doors do take away some space from your patio door so if you have a small patio door it might not be suitable. You still need to able to open your patio door and have enough room to get out. You should also check to see if your patio door is compatible with this pet door. You still need to be able to lock the patio door and have it seal properly with the dog door installed.

Many pet doors are designed to installed on the bottom half of your sliding screen door. Here is an example of this style.

Pet Door Screen Large

Pet Door Screen Large

You'll no longer find yourself at Fido or Fluffy's mercy whenever they want out! Simply snap the plastic frames of this pet screen door together through the existing screen of your patio or storm door, cut out the screen door, and your dog or cat can push their way through whenever they want, coming or going…unless you’ve locked it closed. Works with all types of screens.




There are 2 halves to the door. To install it, you lay the screen door down on the ground and position 1 half of the pet screen door behind the screen door in the position you want it to be. Usually on the bottom corner of the screen door closest to the locking side of the patio door. I usually put a piece of plywood behind the pet door so it is sitting flush against the screen door cloth. Then you cut away the cloth and tap the second half of the pet door in place with a rubber mallet.

For more information heres my page on Sliding Screen Dog Doors

These screen door installed cat doors do work well with small dogs and cats but since they are held together by friction alone, they can work loose and come apart from constant use. For any kind of dog larger than ten pounds I think you should use a dedicated dog door that is seperate from your normal patio door and screen. A Dog needs a pet door that is strongly built and will put up with them flying through it ! A door for a dog built into a screen door just wont survive for very long with a big strong dog! The screen door is just not strong enough.

There are standalone doggy doors which fit into a patio door opening and provide the pet with their own seperate pet door. These have strong frames and will last much longer. These doors work well, they can also be removed when you want to leave your home and have things more secure.

Ultraflex Pet Door - Extra Large

Ultraflex Pet Door - Extra Large

Install this amazing Ultraflax Pet Door into your home or garage so your pet can come and go as he pleases. This highly durable pet door comes in two sizes and features ABS with dual pane Lexan flap. It accommodates dogs up to 30 lbs. for the Medium door or 70 lbs for the Extra Large door. It also is energy efficient by sealing tightly after every use. Your pet will enjoy the freedom that comes with an easy to use door flap.This item ships directly from the manufacturer. Please allow 1-3 business days for order processing along with normal shipping times.






All Weather Pet Door -  Super Large

All Weather Pet Door - Super Large

Don’t get up! Your dog or cat can let himself in and out of your home with this All-Weather Pet Door. What makes this pet door unique? It's the all weather thermal insulated construction with exterior weather slide and interior lockout slide. The innovative double vinyl flap design creates an energy efficient air pocket for maximum insulation, and a draft restrictor made of nylon fur also saves energy. This pet door has an inner telescoping frame that adapts to doors 1 ¼” to 1 ¾” thick with no inner frame needed. Made from energy-efficient structural foam molded plastic, the all weather pet door is available in medium, extra large and super large. An optional wall kit allows you to install your pet door in walls from 4 ¾” – 7 ¼’ thickness, and comes complete with hardware and detailed instructions. Please see the drop down menu for all options.This item ships directly from the manufacturer. Please allow 2-3 weeks for order processing along with normal shipping times.




All Weather Pet Door Same Door, Medium size

All Weather Pet DoorSame Door, Small size

Pet Proof Screening



"Pet-Proof" Screening is worth considering if you are choosing the doggie door because you think it will save you repairing the screen door so often. Pet Proof screening has a much stronger mesh than standard window screening. The fiberglas petscreen material sold in many big hardware stores works really well for dogs and cats who scratch to get in and out. In some cases your pet will learn how to open the screen door themself. The strong petscreen will allow them to do that without destroying the screen. Petscreen is not indestructible though. If you have a big dog going after a squirrel at full speed, no petscreen, or pet door for that matter, will survive the impact. I had a customer whose German Shepherd went right through the living room window going after a squirrel !

For examples of pet screen check the link.

Aluminum screening is not strong enough to resist pet scratching. Galvanized steel screening is available and is very strong but the galvanizing from some manufacturers is poor and it still can rust. Stainless steel screening, as used in U.S. penitentiaries is the best except for the fact that the material can cost you almost a hundred dollars for one patio door!

Plexiglas is also used to armour plate the bottom of a screen door against scratching pets. This is all right with small dogs and cats but big dogs require plexiglas almost half way up the door. The weight of the plexiglas also makes the screen door hard to operate. Many screen doors have plastic rollers that cannot handle the extra weight. If your screen door has metal ball bearing rollers, adding a plexiglas panel should be all right.

Click here for Cat Doors.

Click here for Dog Doors.

Click here for Sliding Screen Dog Doors.

Click here for Patio Door Pet Door.

Click here for Screen Pet Doors.

Click here for Pet Screen Doors.

Click here for Patio Pet Doors.



Shown here are the more conventional pet doors that install in a hole cut in your regular wooden or steel entrance door. These are tried, tested and true devices that work well. The only concern is having one so large that an intruder can climb through the opening when you are away. Or wild animals and other peoples pets for that matter. Look for a large design that you can lock closed.

The electromagnetic catflap door shown is a more modern cat door that allows your pet to wear a special collar with electromagnetic sensors that activate the flap only for your cat. This could help if you want to keep other peoples pets and skunks and raccoons from getting into your house.

Aluminum screening is not strong enough to resist pet scratching. Galvanized steel screening is available and is very strong and is effective for a pet screen if good quality material is used. I always found "Star" galvanized screening by Phifer was very good. The galvanizing used from some offshore manufacturers is poor and in some cases the material can rust.

There is also Stainless steel screening, as used in U.S. penitentiaries. It is the certainly the best in strength and corrosion resistance except for the fact that the material can cost you almost a hundred dollars for one patio door! I have noticed some companies Ebay selling stainless steel mesh replacement panels for patio door screens.

Plexiglas is also used to armour plate the bottom of a screen door against scratching pets. This is all right with small dogs and cats but big dogs require plexiglas almost half way up the door. Once you use that much plastic the weight of the plexiglas makes the screen door hard to operate. Many screen doors have plastic rollers that cannot handle the extra weight. They will break and make your screen door inoperable. If you are planning to add a plexiglass panel. Make sure it is no more than 5mm thick so that the weight is kept to a minimum. Use plexiglas that is intended for outdoor glazing so it wont be damaged by the suns UV radiation. Also see if your screen door has metal ball bearing rollers. These should be able to support the weight of adding a plexiglas panel.

Helpful Dog Related Resources

For information on Outdoor Dog Kennels click the link.

If you are looking for a new puppy please check the helpful resources at Puppies for Sale.
This website is an excellent portal for finding new puppies and supplies

Pawcasso is a business that specializes in hand-painted ceramic pet bowls and treat jars for dogs and cats.


Fine Pet ID tags is a business that specializes in all kinds of Pet ID Tags for dogs and cats. Check them out for tags that are as fashionable as they are useful.
USA Directory of Pet Sitters, find a service near you!

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