Cat Door vs Dog Door

When searching for a cat door for your feline friend, you have even more options to choose from than you have for a dog. The first question to ask yourself when considering a pet door for your cat is this: do you want a cat door or a dog door?

Here, we’ll discuss the all-important differences between dog doors and cat doors:

• The rigid flaps of cat doors
• The flexible vinyl and insulation of dog doors
• Electronic options
• Installation options

Read on to learn about cat doors vs dog doors and their many options.

Features and Benefits of Manual Cat Doors

The most distinguishing feature that makes specialized cat doors different from standard pet doors is their rigid flaps. Most advertised cat doors will have a clear, polycarbonate or plastic flap. They are designed this way for both comfort and usability. It also prevents cats from clawing at the flap.

Other features that cat doors often come with include fuzzy weather-stripping-like material on the lining of the flap, hand locks, and magnetic closure on the flap. The Cat Mate brand carries several great doors with these features like the 234 and 235 Manual Cat Flaps.

One benefit of cat doors is that the flap sizes are built to accommodate cats while keeping other critters out. Most cat flaps will be under 7”x 7”. While this may seem small, it’s plenty of room for your cat while deterring dogs, raccoons, and other wildlife. Don’t worry, it’s plenty big for your cat, who can fit through just about anything!

Features and Benefits of Dog Doors for Cats

“Why would I buy a dog door for my cat?” Well, sometimes cat owners have a very large cat that can’t always get through a small cat flap. Sometimes they live in a cold climate that would be better suited for an energy efficient, insulating pet door. Some pet owners even have cats and dogs, and want them to be able to share.

For these kinds of situations, we greatly recommend the Endura Flap Cat Door, which brings the energy efficiency, insulation, and durability worth a lifetime warranty down to cat door size! This Endura Flap, normally designed for dogs, is the perfect size for small to large cats.

The Hale Brand Cat Door is a great option for those pet owners with both dogs and cats. The flap is big enough for dogs to use while staying light enough for cats to use. When installing these doors, be sure to mount it low enough for the cat, but high enough for the dog. This may mean getting a larger door than you might get normally.

Electronic Cat Door Options

Many cat door brands have new electronic options that allow for more access control, security, and ease of use for cats and owners. These features like RFID recognition, magnetic collar key activation, and timer control greatly improve the way cats can get in and out of the house.

Among the best of these automatic cat doors, we love the Cat Mate Elite 305 Super Selective Cat Door, which uses RFID collar keys. 

Many Installation Options

Cats are very nimble creatures, and can use a cat door basically wherever it is. For this reason, there are so many options for installation. You can find a cat door for walls like the Cat Mate Wall Kit, a cat door for sliding doors, and plenty of other install options. See how to install a cat door in a sash window. 

Alongside the cat door for sliding glass door and cat door in window options, there are also many options for screen doors and, of course, doors. Take a look at our entire selection of cat doors, including cat doors for glass. 

When considering a pet door for cats, we know you have many options. The best thing to do is consider your cat first. Think about how they behave and what kind of door they would be most comfortable with.