Cat Doors

[Jeff Thies]

I'm putting in a new door, as well as residing/rebuilding that part of the house, and I'm thinking of putting in the cat door in the wall rather than the door.

I'd like to avoid some obvious problems, like water in the walls. So either make a channel out of backer board or find about a 6" tube. Slope it down toward the outside so it drains and has a bit of wind blocking.

Those are my ideas. I don't always have good ideas. Something else? The commercial cat doors have not been holding up for me, but they get a lot of use.

Jeff

[Dean Hoffman]

I might be tempted to put in something resembling a train caboose. Just as well give the neighbors something to talk about.

[Erik]

Hmmm... or maybe make it a bit longer than necessary, and have 2 doors to form a little 'airlock'? The upsloping 'tunnel' part could even run parallel to the outside wall face... cats are nimble enough to make a 90 degree turn.

Just thinking out loud... I've never done or been involved in such a project.

Good Luck!

Erik

[The Daring Dufas]

That sounds like a very good idea because small kids have been sent through pet doors by burglars to unlock the door and there are some small adult burglars who can get through pet doors too. :-)

TDD

[HeyBub]

I built mine in a 10" wide board that fits under the partially-closed window. If the cat door ever needs to go away, I'll just raise the window, remove the board containing the cat-flap, then close the window.

Oh, there's a screw in the window frame to prevent the goblins, squints, mopes, do-bads, stink-eyes, etc., from using the cat door contraption as an entryway.

[Bobo]

[Earl]

The Daring Dufas wrote in news:if3a5a$sbm$ [e-mail]:

My ganny's house had a big delivery box built into the side. Us kids used to hide in there. Except everyone knew we'd hide there. LOL. Back in the day, I don't think anyone would ever imagine it was a burglar's entry point. o, the box was for delivery of ice before electric refrigerators.

For the pet door, isn't there some sort of locking meachanism and the pet is supposed to wear the "key" on it's collar?

[The Daring Dufas]

Yea, the little radio collar or I think there is one that uses the same technology as the retail anti theft tags found on merchandise. The door locks to keep critters like raccoons or unauthorized kitties from entering the home. I like the tunnel idea because I think it might deter human trespassers. :-)

TDD

[Jeff Thies]

I was thinking of something like that. Getting the two doors offset would keep a breeze blowing directly in. I had thought about in the wall, but not enough room. I'll have some Hardy Plank left over that I can make something out of. If I put the "air lock" inside, I can use anything.

We are talking cats here.

I'd like to make it small enough to keep the possums and raccoons out. Not that I know how small that is, they can squeeze in some tight places.

Thanks, Jeff

[Pete C.]

I haven't seen any RFID pet doors yet, the ones that have a pet only lock usually just have a magnet for the pets collar to activate the lock. Most raccoons and other wild animals don't have magnetic collars.

[The Daring Dufas]

Yea but, what if an anvil gets stuck to te magnet around Fluffy's neck, how in the heck is she going to drag that thing through the door?

TDD

[Steve.IA]

Jeff Thies wrote in news:if3n38$g77$ [e-mail]:

Ours is mounted in a walkout basement casement window, with a cat ledge they must jump to to access the offset swinging doors. Cats travel from ledge thru 1 door, turn pass between panel where a storm window would be mounted and where the main sash (raised)would be, turn again thru the basement access swinger.

2 door 'airlock' (kinda) keeps wild critters out cats only need to be 'stuffed' into hole once or twice before they figure it out.

YMMV Steve southiowa

[LouB]

Good for the neighborhood. Lets the cats out so they can kill birds, chipmonks, etc. Also so they can wail at night.

[EXT]

Also other cats, small dogs, squirrels, rodents, raccoons and other non-desirable animals can enter through a cat door. Indoor cats that go out can get into cat fights, get injured, become road kill and/or bring home fleas, bed bugs, worms and diseases. Indoor cats should stay indoors and outdoor cats should stay outdoors.

[Higgs Boson]

Tell me about it!!! We went through a siege in which every morning I'd see the cat's dish overturned , chow spilled out of the jar, his water befouled. Friend told me that raccoons have no salivary glands, so they have to wash their food (?). It was awful! I even hung mothballs over the cat door, but that didn't help. Finally realized I have to slide the door closer into place every night. Nuisance to crouch down and turn those tight little screws that hold it in place. Have to place duct tape across, so raccoon doesn't push door open. THEN have to call the cat in. Can't leave him out at night; he's black and already had a $4000 car accident. People have suggested those electronic doors, but my cat specializes in losing collars...

[Jeff Thies]

I wouldn't put it beyond a raccoon to get a magnet (or a cat to lose one). They are a lot smarter than cats and can manipulate all kinds of latches. At least that has been my unfortunate experience.

I have enough trouble with the commercial cat doors to start adding technology to one. And there is enough food outside to satisfy the possums.

Jeff

[Jeff Thies]

I like that. How did you do the swinging doors?

Cats travel from

I love it, of course I can't duplicate it exactly! I think the jumping part is what thins out the non cats. Very clever.

Jeff

[Jeff Thies]

They are good cats, and they do kill a lot of rodents. There are a couple of vacant lots nearby so it is happy hunting grounds for them and the hawks and owls. Not all cats are good hunters though. And neutered cats don't have much reason to wail.

I happen to like chipmunks, it is there unfortunate lot in life to be both tasty and entertaining.

Jeff

[Jeff Thies]

Interesting.

It was awful! I even hung

Ouch. Might be cheaper to fence in the yard!

People have suggested

I can dig it! I like LouB's idea of a cat door they have to jump to. Never seen a raccoon jump, nor a possum.

Got more cats than I ever thought I'd have. Started with none and adopted a stray and put in a cat door and then... Well the neutering program finally caught up. Two things I should have realized, Cats reproduce very fast and kittens are not easy to give away.

When I wake up now, I see an assortment of cats just watching me waiting for me to say "Breakfast"! Then I don't see most of them again until the next morning! I've sort of taken up the study and photography of cats. Like they say when you have lemons, you make lemonade.

Jeff

[Marina]

LouB wrote in news: [e-mail]:

There was a cat that always was under my BR window at 4.00am. It had a bell on it's collar making noise. My dog could hear it and always barked like crazy. Of course that woke me up each night. One day I talking to a neighbor and happened to mention what was happening. I think I said something like "who the heck puts on a bell and lets a cat out at night". Lo and behold, the bell jingling stopped. I didn't know it, but she must have owned the cat.