What are the different types of pet doors?

Pet doors range in price from twenty dollars to several hundred dollars, so as you might expect, there are several different types of pet doors on the market. Your main choices will be in the size, power source, and placement of the pet door.

 

·        Size: Basically all pet doors are rectangles, but there is a wide variety in the height and width of pet doors. Measure your pet(s) and choose a door that is a little wider than the widest part of your dog, and a little taller than its shoulders. If you have a puppy, buy a door based on a full-grown dog of the same breed. Cat doors are basically the same as dog doors, only smaller.

·        Power Source: Pet doors open either at the push of your pet’s head or at the push of a button. Manual pet doors open when you pet pushes against them; they are made of plastic and aluminum and stay shut using magnets or springs. Automatic, or electronic, pet doors, on the other hand, are operated either by a remote control or by a transmitter on the pet’s collar. If you have the collar variety, the pet door will either swing open by itself as the pet approaches or simply unlock so that the pet can push it open. Both manual and electronic doors can be installed so that they allow both entrance and exit or so that they allow only one or the other.

·        Placement: The traditional pet door is a flap at the bottom of a door, but you can also put a flap in the wall or a window. If you have a sliding door, you can reduce the opening of the door and install a flap, and if you have an electronic pet door, you can even open the entire sliding door at the push of a button.

 

The remaining differences between pet doors are largely differences of personal preference. For example, you can choose a pet door of almost any color (or a clear door), and you can purchase a door with additional features, such as a sliding barrier that covers the door opening when the door is not in use.