Frequently Asked Questions: Doggy Doors and Cat Doors

The Pet Door Store Top 5 Reasons to Own a Pet Door:

1. Just imagine if you had to wait 10 HOURS to go to the bathroom! A pet door allows your animal to "take care of business" whenever necessary.
2. Great for people with limited mobility. Your pet can go in and out all day without relying on you to get the door.
3. Pet Doors provide refuge from wild animal attacks such as coyotes and Africanized bees.
4. A pet door is a fire escape for your pets.
5. Allows pets access to mud rooms, garages, or basements without having to leave doors open.

Q: How do I install a pet door into a door that has recessed panels?

This is a very common question and the answer is dealt with in more detail than this space allows on this at this link.

Q: What about security? Is a thief going to enter my house through my pet door?

A:There are 2 answers to this question. 1. A thief who sees a pet door large enough to enter through would also have to figure on a very large dog being on the premises too. 2. All cat and doggy doors sold by The Pet Door Store in medium and larger sizes come with locking covers. These locking devices are all tough. Tough enough that breaking a window to gain entry would be a much easier alternative for the prospective thief.

Q: I have a sliding glass door which is attached to my home security system. What can I do to install a pet door in this area?

A: You have a few choices here. You can install the pet door and have a home security technician come out and install the necessary sensor on the pet door, or you can leave the side of the sliding door that opens alone, and install the pet door on the stationary part of the slider. Stationary panels are usually screwed in place or held in place with a long flat shim which sits in the threshold. The screw in type can be unscrewed, slid over, and new holes drilled to fix it in its new location after you have completed the pet door installation. The shim type can be dealt with as follows: Remove the shim, slide the stationary panel over, fit the pet door, then cut the shim to the new shorter length and reinstall.

Q: How do the electronic pet doors sense that my pet is approaching?

A: The electronic pet doors we carry use a magnet as the collar key, or use Radio Frequency Identification keys (RFID). The magnet type lke the Animate creates a very small amount of electricity inside the pet door when it nears the outer frame piece. The door senses the electrical charge, and reacts with an electric solenoid which pulls the lock down, allowing the door to be pushed open. RFID is the same technology used in your office, if you have a key card to get in the building. It's also used in newer debit and credit cards with the "PayPass" system where you can just touch them to the register. It's a good system because it doesn't require batteries for the collar key, and it is more consistent than the magnetic keys. The downside is that the Elite Selective and Super Selective cannot be installed in a metal door (the Plexidor Electronic doesn't have this issue). There are other types of cat and doggy doors on the market which use ultrasonic keys, but we have found the magnetic and infra red key types to be more reliable.

Q: Do I need dual pane glass for my sliding glass door pet door?

A: It is not necessary to purchase a cat or doggy door with dual pane glass even if your door has dual panes. Dual pane glass is desirable in extreme climates or noisy areas, as it does a very good job of insulating both weather and sound. Take a look at a Johnson pet door or a Hale pet door in the SLIDING GLASS area to see how it can work in your home.

Q: How hard is installing a pet door in a steel door?

A: The installation procedure is exactly the same whether you have a wood door or a steel door. The only things that need to change are the tools used. Wood drill bits won't work on a steel door, and it is necessary to use a metal cutting blade for the jigsaw or sawzall used to cut the hole for the door.

Q: Will my little dog or cat be able to use a big dog door?

A: In most cases yes. All of the doors we carry are easy to open. The only time a small dog would not be able to use a big door is if they were too timid to do so, but usually small dog = big attitude, so this is usually not a problem! Some of our customers with cats and dogs have used very large pet doors for both, so cats can also use a very large dog door if inclined to do so.

Q: Can I purchase a door with the pet door already installed?

A: No. Unfortunately there are too many different door sizes to make this feasible, not to mention the cost of shipping a complete door would be far too expensive, and besides, hanging a door is a much more difficult procedure than installing a pet door. Installing a pet door is not difficult and can be done by just about anyone, given the right tools. If you are not comfortable with installing your new door, we suggest that you find a handyman. If you are installing a wall through unit, a licensed contractor is the way to go.

Q: Why won't the Pride screen adapter work on my screened in porch?

A: The Pride adapter has a U shaped channel which plugs onto the 1/2 inch thick screen framing of a sliding screen door. The framing for a screened in porch is usually about 2 inches thick, and so the U shape simply doesn't fit over that thicker framing. The Hale Screen door can be ordered in a thickness that does work for screened porch, lanai, or pool cage framing.