What you need to know before having a pet door installed.
"In extra large panes of glass it is advisable to replace the glass with toughened safety glass as having a hole in the glass will weaken it."
You are here because your beloved cat (or dog) keeps you up at night wanting to go outside for a quick breath of fresh air. To frolic in your backyard or take care of his or her routine garden fertilisation. You want to be able to close that window when it's raining and still have a way for your precious fur baby to come back into the warmth and safety of your home without having to get you up to open the door. But you don't know the first thing about pet doors and where you can and can't put them.
Well you are in the right place!
I have gathered all of the most important bits and put them in one place for you to do with as you please. Feel free to use this information to help you choose the right product and the best location before you call in your local glazier to fit it for you.
Where can we install it?
You can install a pet door into any pane of glass that is large enough to fit the product and also allow approximately 50mm of space all around.
If you are installing into a sliding door, you will want to consider a product that is narrow enough to fit between the door and windows beside it when the door is open. This means you won't be able to have a magnetic or microchip pet door without sacrificing how wide the door can open.
If you are concerned about breaking an expensive pane of glass you will want to choose door panes that are less than 0.5m². This translates to a pane with a maximum size of roughly 700mm by 700mm. The same applies to any pane of glass that is directly beside a door also.
If it is not beside a door but is within 800mm of the floor, it should be smaller in height than 1000mm OR smaller in width than 500mm. Glass that falls outside these dimensions will likely need to be replaced with toughened safety glass if they crack during the hole cutting process.
Which pet door should you choose?
The most important thing to consider is which pet door is best for your pet and your requirements. Once a hole has been cut in the glass, there is no turning back.
Ask yourself these questions:
- Will my pet fit through the opening?
- Are other cat's coming inside going to be an issue?
- Will the pet door fit into the glass panel?
You should also use these questions to help with where to put it:
- Will it be low enough for my pet to jump through on both sides?
- Can you put your arm through the flap and reach the door handle or window latch?
- How much will the glass cost to replace if necessary?
- Will I be upset if the glass breaks and you can't replace it with the same texture?
Will the glass need to be replaced?
If there are any markings etched onto the glass in one of the corners or if your house is double glazed, you will need to replace the glass. This is because both safety glass and double glazed units are not possible to cut holes into. In any case, even if a hole can be cut into your existing panel of glass there is still a small chance that the glass could crack when having the hole cut which you will want to have repaired for both you and your pet's safety.
If your door or window has a textured pattern, there is a good chance that you can't find a matching pane to replace it with anymore. We were spoilt with choice during previous decades which has led to a wide range of decorative glass that is now obsolete. You may wish to find a different place to have your pet door installed if keeping the glass matching is important to you.
Should you invest in a microchip pet door?
If you are having issues with neighbourhood cat's coming into your house and eating your cat's food, or spraying to mark their territory. You will benefit from the initial investment of a microchip pet door. Not only do microchip pet doors come with a whole range of extra features but the money you will save in the long run by consuming less food and not paying for cleaning services to remove the awful smell of cat pee from your carpet could make it worth while. The main feature of a microchip pet door is to prevent intruder animals entering your home by scanning the unique microchip code implanted in your pet. Depending on the model you choose, some of the extra features you can expect are:
- Set exit permissions for each pet to keep specific pets indoors
- Curfew mode – set the door to lock and unlock at specified times
- Know whether your pets are at home, monitor long-term activity and notice changes in behaviour
- Remotely lock or unlock the cat door anytime, anywhere
If however you don't need all the extra features and you simply want to keep out other cats, you can instead use a magnetic cat door. These work in the same way as the microchip cat doors by allowing only your cat to enter by using a magnet that sits around your cats collar. The downside to this is that any other cats in your neighbourhood that also have magnets on their collars will still be able to get in. But the likelihood of this may be slim enough to justify the money you will save.
Pet door locations
Here are some examples of where you can install your pet door.
How it's done and why there is risk involved.
Finding a suitable location:
The first step is to find a suitable location to install the pet door. You need to make sure the glass panel is large enough and that the glass is not safety glass or a double glazed unit. In extra large panes of glass it is advisable to replace the glass with toughened safety glass as having a hole in the glass will weaken it structurally causing it to break if there is a slight impact or should the door slam shut from the wind. When possible installing into a low window such as beside a sliding door system will help reduce the chances of the glass breaking in these situations.
To identify the glass as not being safety glass or a double glazed unit, you can look for an etched stamp in one of the corners or the unique spacer bar that separates the two panes of glass in a double glazed unit. This usually black or silver and can be seen looking through the glass on all edges.
Another thing to consider is how high up your pet door will sit. There are limitations as to how close to the edge of the glass you can have your pet door installed. A general rule of thumb is about 5cm from any edge. This may mean that having a small step on the outside is necessary for your pet to jump through as some glass panes can be quite high from the floor.
It is also important to have quick and easy access to both sides of the glass when cutting holes.
Preparing and cutting the hole:
The glazier will use a glass circle cutter with some cutting oil and measure out the location of where the hole needs to be. Once everything is checked a hole will be scored into the glass and the glazier will carefully open the cut. This requires some finesse and in old panes of glass a bit of luck. If there are any imperfections in the glass then you may find instead of having a nicely cut circle you will end up with an unpredictable crack. This is usually the most risky part of the entire process.
After a circular hole has been scored and opened, some more containment cuts will be made to allow the excess glass to be removed without damaging the entire pane. The excess glass will then be smashed out in a controlled manner leaving behind a perfectly round circle for your pet door to be fitted. The sharp edge left behind will be taken off and all of the broken glass should be taken away and safely disposed of.
If you are unlucky and the glass does break, you will need to replace the glass. Most companies will expect you to pay for the replacement glass as this is something which even the most skilled and careful glazier can't control. You might like to take this opportunity to replace the glass with toughened safety glass as it is 5 times stronger than ordinary glass and can withstand higher impacts such as when a door slams shut or if your pet decides to jump through with excessive force.
Installing the pet door:
The last thing to do is have your pet door installed. Of course before having your pet door installed you will have hopefully bought or had provided for you a pet door that meets all your needs and can give you the peace of mind that only a quality product with a good manufacturers warranty can offer. Most companies won't give any warranty on the glass breaking unless it is due to poor workmanship but all good companies should assist you with replacing your pet door under warranty in case it should fail.
Below you will find some useful information to help you choose the right product for you and your pet.
Pet doors we recommend.
We prefer only to supply products from Pet-Tek and Sureflap as these products have withstood the test of time and offer a generous warranty.
Catwalk: Glass Original
This is the most commonly used pet door. The most affordable and with the most basic features.
Made in New Zealand – Environmentally friendly (95% of the components are recyclable)
- Flap size: 170mm (H) x 155mm (W)
- Overall size: 270mm diameter
- Pet size: Medium cat
- Colours available: Clear and white
- Four way locking system
- Virtually indestructible – manufactured entirely from tough UV stabilised Polycarbonate
All Catwalk® and Dogwalk® products come with a 3 year Manufacturers warranty
Catwalk: Maxi-Slimline
This pet door is suitable for larger cats and small dogs. It is also slim enough to fit between most sliding door systems.
Made in New Zealand – Environmentally friendly (95% of the components are recyclable)
- Flap size: 195mm (H) x 185mm (W)
- Overall size: 304mm diameter
- Pet size: Large cats and small dogs
- Colours available: Clear and white
- Four way locking system
- Virtually indestructible – manufactured entirely from tough UV stabilised Polycarbonate
All Catwalk® and Dogwalk® products come with a 3 year Manufacturers warranty
Dogwalk: Intermediate Dog Door
This pet door is the in-between size for medium sized dogs when a Superior Dog Door is far too large.
Made in New Zealand – Environmentally friendly (95% of the components are recyclable)
- Flap size: 240mm (H) x 215mm (W)
- Overall size: 340mm diameter
- Pet size: Small to medium sized dogs up to a shouder height of approx. 400mm and large cats
- Colours available: Clear and white
- Four way locking system
- Virtually indestructible – manufactured entirely from tough UV stabilised Polycarbonate
All Catwalk® and Dogwalk® products come with a 3 year Manufacturers warranty
Dogwalk: Superior Dog Door
This pet door is the most commonly used for dogs. It is slim enough to fit between most sliding door systems and has a generous flap size to accommodate all but some larger dogs.
Made in New Zealand – Environmentally friendly (95% of the components are recyclable)
- Flap size: 300mm (H) x 270mm (W)
- Overall size: 430mm diameter
- Pet size: Medium to semi-large dogs
- Colours available: Clear and white
- Four way locking system
- Virtually indestructible – manufactured entirely from tough UV stabilised Polycarbonate
All Catwalk® and Dogwalk® products come with a 3 year Manufacturers warranty
Catwalk: Maxi-Slimline
This pet door is suitable if you are trying to keep out neighbourhood cats on a budget. It does require that your pet has a collar and can keep the magnet attached to operate the latch.
Made in New Zealand – Environmentally friendly (95% of the components are recyclable)
- Flap size: 170mm (H) x 155mm (W)
- Overall size: 270mm diameter
- Pet size: Small to Medium Cats
- Colours available: White only
- Four way locking system
- Virtually indestructible – manufactured entirely from tough UV stabilised Polycarbonate
All Catwalk® and Dogwalk® products come with a 3 year Manufacturers warranty
Sureflap: Microchip Cat Door
This cat door is one of the more feature rich. It allows you to have much more control over your pets actions and can register up to 32 microchips.
- Flap size: 142mm (H) x 120mm (W)
- Overall size: 290mm diameter (requires a mounting adaptor not shown in the pictures)
- Pet size: Small to medium sized cats
- Colours available: White and brown
- Manual lock to stop your cat leaving or entering the house
- Works with all common identification microchips® & RFID collar tags (not included)
- Selective entry – any animal can exit
All SureFLAP® products come with a 3 year Manufacturers warranty
Sureflap: Microchip Pet Door
This is the larger version of the Microchip Cat Door. It is more suitable for larger cats and small dogs. There are more advanced models with more features available also.
- Flap size: 178mm (H) x 170mm (W)
- Overall size: 340mm diameter
- Pet size: Medium sized cats and small dogs
- Colours available: White and Brown
- Compatible with all identification microchips worldwide & SureFlap RFID collar tags
- Selective entry – any animal can exit
- Curfew mode – program the door to lock and unlock at specified times
All SureFLAP® products come with a 3 year Manufacturers warranty
Get in touch
If you need more information, I am happy to answer your questions and point you in the right direction.