3.1. How to install a cat or dog door
3.2. Installing a dog door instructions
How practical and useful is a pet door? How to choose and install a suitable model? Let's talk about how to facilitate your life and what to do for the comfort of your pet.
An inventive solution
Buying a front door with pet door will save you from permanent opening and closing doors even at night. It enables your dog or cat to independently go out or enter the house without distracting you from important issues. In addition, the large dog door can be mounted almost anywhere. The main thing is that the opening should be proportionate to the size of the animal, providing an easy access.
If you choose the suitable texture and shade, the pet door will successfully blend in with the overall interior of the house or apartment.
Types of pet doors
Any buyer can easily choose the exterior door with pet door, which will harmoniously fit into the overall design of the room and will correspond to the size of the animal itself. The modern market offers a wide range of various models, differing in design, material of manufacture and dimensions (small, medium or large pet doors).
For example, you can purchase the simplest model with a swinging flap or choose sliding cat doors. Many owners prefer a more convenient version on magnets: it shuts tightly, preventing the ingress of cold or drafts. A useful "inside-outside" indicator on some models allows you to know whether your pet is at home or on a walk.
The most common version of an entry door with pet door is a swinging flap that opens in both directions. It is usually made of wood, rubber or plastic. This option, as a rule, is more suitable for installation inside a house or apartment.
Among the most common models is a small cat door, as it is an ideal solution for an apartment of a small size.
When installing a dog door, the magnetic flap model will be an excellent option. The device lets your pet pass and then closes the hole tightly, preventing the smells and cold from entering the house.
There are electronic front doors with pet door to provide an enhanced level of house security. After the dog or cat has passed, a magnet blocks the door. A magnetic key attached to a pet collar activates the opening of the flap when the animal approaches. Made of rubber or plastic, they are equipped with a weighing material where the magnet is located.
One of the most high-tech solutions is the installing a smart pet door with an infrared lock. It is a reliable device with two sensors. One sensor is located on the flap and another with a unique sensor key is fixed on the collar. When the animal approaches, the sensor is activated, and the pet can enter or exit unhindered. Then the door is blocked, so do not worry that someone else will get inside.
Often, these models have special "in-out" indicators allowing you to track where your dog or cat is. Such a front door with pet door will relieve the owners of unnecessary problems when searching for their restless domestic animals.
There are models that can be blocked not allowing a cat or dog to go out in certain cases. Some models like large dog doors equipped with springs are mounted on sliding doors and the dog doors slide along the rail.
How to install a pet door
When installing pet door in front door we recommend contacting a specialist to avoid damaging the surface. However, if you have experience of similar work and the necessary tools, you may try installing a cat or dog door on your own.
First, decide which model you need. Its choice depends on whether you live in an apartment, a house or cottage. When installing a pet door in steel front door in private houses, you will have to take care not only of the convenience of the animal, but also of the safety of your home.
Secondly, determine the material from which the entrance door is made.
How to install a cat or dog door 
Tools you need:
- a pet door;
- electric jigsaw;
- screwdriver;
- drill;
- tape measure;
- sandpaper;
- caulk;
- a pencil;
- adhesive tape;
- gloves;
- protective glasses.
First, measure your pet. Make sure that all the numbers are correct to provide the animal with a comfortable access to the premises. For example, the average width of a medium cat door is 6-8 inches. For the accuracy of the results, make all measurements twice.
Installing a dog door instructions
- Attach the doggie door to the front door, align and fasten it using adhesive tape.
- Use a pencil to outline it and mark the holes for the screws.
- Cut out the pet door hole with a jigsaw.
- Treat it with sandpaper and clean.
- Place a door for pets in the prepared aperture and drill holes for screws.
- Fasten it with screws.
- Seal all gaps around the perimeter with a caulk.
That's all! You only need to teach the pet how to use the new door.