Can Cats Use Dog Doors?

Introduction

For households with both cats and dogs, a common question can be: Can Cats Use Dog Doors? This can be especially important to the home owner that may already have a dog door installed or doesn’t want the hassle or expense of installing both a dog door and cat door.  In this brief article we’ll look at the instances when a cat can use a dog door and also the exceptions when a cat shouldn’t use a dog door.

Can Cats Use Dog Doors?

The simple answer to this is yes – cats can generally use dog doors and there are times when it may be more feasible for a cat to use a dog door. But there are also one or two exceptions.

What are the differences between cat doors and dog doors?

The three main differences between cat doors and dog doors is that cat doors are:

• Smaller

• Have hard flaps (as opposed to dog doors that can have either hard or soft flaps – depending on the brand)

• Have a turning locking mechanism at the bottom (as opposed to a lockout slide on the dog door). The difference is that the cat cannot tell the cat door is locked until the push against the flap, whereas with the dog door the cat can see that the lockout slide is in place and the door is closed.

When could a cat use a dog door instead of a cat door?

There are three very good instances of when a cat would use a dog door:

• If your cat is larger. Cat doors are generally small – for example,  the brand that we at Affordable Pet Doors Melbourne install is the Pig In Mud standard cat door. This cat door has a flap size of 15.9cm by 15.9cm and is a hard flap. This size is fine for a standard size cat. But if your cat is a larger size or is a of a breed that is large – such as a Maine Coon or Ragdoll – we would recommend using a dog door, as it is larger.
• If you have both cats and dogs. If you have both cats and dogs, you could have a dog door installed that both the cats and dogs could use.This would reduce the time and cost of having to install two pet doors.
• If you prefer the lockout slide. Some people prefer to have a dog door because it has the lockout slide. The definite advantage of this is that the cat can see the slide is in place, so definitely knows the dog doors is locked, as opposed to a cat door which has a locking mechanism.

What are the exceptions to a cat using a dog door?

We would not recommend a cat using a dog door if:

• If the dog door is installed at a very high level. Most dog doors are installed at a low level near the ground, but on occasion the dog
  door needs to be installed at a very high level for a very tall dog. As such, it would be hard for the cat to get in and out using the dog door.
• If the dog and cat do not get along. In this instance it may be better to have a separate pet door installed for the cat somewhere else, so that they feel comfortable using it.

Conclusion: Can Cats Use Dog Doors?

In conclusion, cats can certainly use dog doors. The most appropriate time when  this would happen would be if you have both cats and dogs and want them to utilise the same pet door instead of having two pet doors installed. Other times when it would be more appropriate for cats to use a dog door would be when their breed is too big for a standard size cat door or you would like a pet door with a lock out slide.    

Afterthoughts: Getting Your Pet Door Installed