How Do You Choose The Right Cat Door For Your Cat?
If you've grown annoyed of having to let your cat out when it wants to, then you should think about getting a cat door. The simplest cat doors, or cat flaps are just plastic flaps - easily blown open by the wind unless weighed down, or installed with a magnet. The flap could also be replaced with harder materials, but the principle is the same - when your cat gets used to the door, it uses it to go out and come back in as it pleases. This benefits the owner, who is freed from tending to the cat when it wants to go out, and the cat who may end up scratching furniture or getting into a potty accident when it doesn't get what it wants.
You want a cat door that's appropriate for your cat - and your cat alone - unless you're after a flap to be used by pets of varying size (if you own cats and dogs, that is). A flap is just a short passage way - both animals can use it. Pushing the flap open is something they might discover on their own, curiosity and all. You can set the lock on many flaps to open inwards, or outwards. You have to keep in mind, now, that because your cat can come and go as it wants, so can other animals (or small kids) of roughly the same size. For that, you're going to need a snappier, most sophisticated cat door.
You want an electronic cat door to ramp up your security - it's designed to limit access to your house, limit it only to your cat. The same principle is used in automatic dog doors, which makes use of a devices in the cat's collar and in the door, which "interact." Only your cat and walk in and out of your house - it should wear a special collar that the electronic doors recognises and opens the flap upon sensing. You don't want uninvited animals in your house - stealing food, pooping on your carpet, and stressing out your cat. Your cat is to wear a collar with an infrared, radio, or magnetic device - which serves as the trigger for the electronic door to open.
Now, just because you've put in a door just for your cat means the cat immediately understands your intentions; far from it, you might need to train your cat to use the flap. Bring it to the flap after it's installed and push the flap open to show the way out. If you chose the electronic door, as opposed to the traditional ones, make sure your cat wears the special collar - a sensor - that triggers the electronic door to open. Your cat has to get used to the event - of the door's opening - as linked to his vicinity to it. You can use treats to entice the cat to the door if it's still shy.
What Advantages A Cat Door Gives You
Any type of animal that you take in as a pet will require time from you. This applies also to cats, which are known for being solitary creatures. It's still the same, cats will have special needs, for example, they like going out which means someone has to let the cat go in and out of the house. If you install a cat door, you won't have to be at home when the cat arrives after its small adventures. Obviously, you have to make sure that the door is large enough for your cat, but small enough for dogs or small children, to avoid nasty surprises.
Is a Cat Door Practical?
Cats are adventurous by nature, and will want to go out exploring, sometimes at hours that are completely out of human standards. With a cat door, you will not have to leave your favorite TV program, or worse still, wake up at night, to put your cat outdoors. Your cat can come in and go out without your intervention.
Some times, if you have a cat or more, it's a good idea to install a cat door not only on your front door, but also a smaller cat door on a door that leads to another room in the house. This will give your cat a chance to run to safety if it’s being chased by your big dog, and keep them apart. Also, dogs will eat whatever you put in front of them, including cat food, so if you have a dog and a cat, you can leave the cat food in the other room where the dog can't reach it.
In areas where winter is harsh, your cat can get frostbite on its ears, paws, and nose if it's left outside the house. In addition, not being allowed to go in leaves the cat in a vulnerable position, both in the countyside and in the city. With a cat flap, your cat can come inside your house and warm up, even if you're not around.
With a cat door installed, you will save energy and time, and your cat will love having its freedom. Cats, basically, are impatient, and can’t be trained as easily as dogs. So, by setting up a cat door in your home, it would be beneficial to both, you and your cat to live a more comfy life together.
