Installing a Pet Door

By B. E. Conrad

Pet ownership is one of the great joys of life, but owning a pet comes with its own fair share of challenges as well. One of those challenges is taking the pet out for exercise or to do its business, and it can be difficult and cumbersome to take the dog or other pet out so many times a day. Installing a pet door is a great way to eliminate some of the problems associated with pet ownership, while at the same time giving your pet the freedom he or she desires.

Pet doors are designed to simply fit into a hole that is cut into the door, making them easy and fast to install. For security, there are a number of one-way doors, which allow cats and dogs out, but nothing in. This design can help prevent burglars from using doggie doors to gain access to the home.

Other pet doors are even more ingenious, using a special key that the dog or cat wears on its collar. This key allows the cat or dog entrance into the home, but no other animals, meaning Fluffy or Fido can't invite any of his friends in for the night.

Fortunately for pet owners, installing a pet door is generally quite an easy process. Here are the steps needed to install a great pet door:

1. Determine the size of the pet door that will be needed. There are a number of different sizes of pet doors, designed for a variety of pet sizes. The door should be large enough to accommodate the largest pet that will use it. In order to measure for the door, measure from the animal's shoulders to the bottom of the rib cage.

2. Before making a cut in the door, use the measurements to cut a hole in a piece of corrugated cardboard. The pet should then be encouraged to step through that hole. If the pet fits easily through this hole, you will know that the chosen size will work well. If not, the next largest size pet door should be used.

3. After the proper size has been chosen and the door has been purchased, cut the appropriate size hole in the door and insert the pet door. After the pet door is in place, give the cats and dogs in the household some time to get used to the door. They should be watched closely to make sure they are able to both enter and exit the house unassisted before being left alone.

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