The Benefits of a Pet Door
There are quite a few benefits in having a pet door or flap for your pet. Most commonly used for cats, pet doors are now available for our bigger pets too, but how are these useful? In this article, we highlight some of the benefits of having a pet door in your home.
How to choose the right pet door for you
There are a few main things to consider when choosing your pet door.
- The size of your pet, it is always best to go by your pet's measurements. Don’t guess and don’t go by the standard breed size – all individuals are different shapes and sizes.
- Location of the pet door, do you have a door you can easily install a door to and is this in a safe location for your pet to exit in and out, not near an open fence for example.
- Garden safety, you will need to ensure the garden is safe for your pet to be out alone. Check for holes in fences or potential escape routes.
How does it benefit my pet?
Behaviour and health
Having a pet door allows your pet to freely come in and out of your house, for pets such as cats, this is really benefited. Cats are slightly more independent than dogs, they enjoy being outside as they are able to roam their “territories” and exercise as they wish, reducing boredom and stress. Cats are very prone to obesity and diabetes if they do not get enough daily exercise.
In dogs, a pet flap can help improve toilet accidents; especially in puppies and older dogs also for if you need to leave your dog for extended periods of time. As with cats, the opportunity to go outside when they wish will improve the dog’s fitness and mental health. It can also reduce unwanted stress/boredom behaviours such as chewing and scratching.
Safety
If your cat is being chased by another cat or predator, such as fox. They have easy access back into the home. Most other cats will not enter another’s home, the same for most predatory species. It also allows your pet a means to escape in the case of a fire or intruder
Which pet door is best?
Pet Doors with 2-Way Locking
These are a simple locking system, the door can be set manually to “locked” or “unlocked” depending on when you want your pet to have access to the door. Staywell has these doors available for most pet sizes.
Pet Doors with 4-Way Locking
These allow you to lock the door as in only, out only, open or locked.
Magnetic cat flaps
The magnetic cat flaps are perfect for cats that aren't microchipped. The flap is unlocked by the special magnetic key attached to your cat's collar so you can easily keep any unwanted visitors away.
Microchip cat flaps
The chip activated cat flaps open for your pet's microchip only and doesn't require a collar to be worn. Your cat's existing microchip acts like an electronic door key to keep unwanted visitors a thing of the past and ensuring a secure environment for your feline friend. Each microchip cat flap is programmable and battery operated.
