The best place to put your cat flap is at the bottom of your door, right? Not necessarily. The next time your install a kitty door, you may want to consider putting it right into a wall. Once you’ve lived in a house with this type of installation, you’ll never want to have one anywhere else.
• Wall Installation
When most people purchase a cat door, they think it needs to be installed at the bottom of a door in the home. I know that’s what I thought, until I tried to install one in a colonial panel door that didn’t have room for a cut out in the design. That made me start to think outside of the box and I came up with an alternative site. After much searching, I decided to cut a hole in my wall to house the kitty door. It seemed a little drastic at the time; but, after living with it for a few months, I was actually convinced I made a terrific choice.
• Out of Sight
The first benefit of putting my cat door in a wall rather than in one of my doors was that I located it in a remote corner of the room. And since cats are quite agile, I also placed a potted plant about ten inches in front of the hole. Neatly camouflaged, my kitty door was out of sight and out of mind.
• Away From Foot Traffic
If you’ve ever tripped over the cat as it raced past your through the kitty door, you know how frustrating and dangerous that can be. Removing the cat door from human foot traffic by putting it in an out-of-the-way wall reduces that safety hazard. You can have your doors and your cats can have their own.
• Connected to a Screened Porch
Although I’d like to say I did this on purpose, it was really dumb luck. When I searched for the perfect wall to house my kitty door, I originally wanted to use a wall that went into the garage. However, the architecture of my home didn’t allow for it. So I opted to put in on a wall that led out to my screened porch. After locating the kitty litter pan outside, I realized what a perfect spot I had selected.
By connecting your cat door to a screened porch, you give your favorite feline a protected place to enjoy the outdoor air and also keep kitty odors out of the house. I’ll never locate it anywhere else in my home.
A little research uncovered that I’m not the only one who’s thought of relocating the kitty door to the wall. Check out general contractor Kenny Grono’s post on Houzz and you’ll see a picture of a terrific in-wall installation. Place a plant in front of that flap and you’d never know it was there.
Enjoy more pet articles from Terry Mulligan:
Terrific Options for Pet Portraits
Budget-Friendly and Pet-Friendly Flooring You Can Install Yourself
How to Create Traffic-Friendly Feeding Stations for Your Pets
