Plans for a cat door?

July 5, 2005 7:41 PM

Anyone know where to get basic plans to build a pet door? Specifically, I'd like plans for a door to be used in a sash window. I'm sure I can make one for less than $110, but can't find a plan online. Is there a good book that can help with this kind of thing?
posted by mediareport to Pets & Animals (5 answers total)

Best answer: sorry no plans here, but unless you're thinking of something very elaborate you probably don't need plans other than your own sketches. I put a cat door into the side of our house in half a day, making it up as I went, and it looks good (as though it was part of the design.)

I cheated by buying a cheap catflap, then cutting a hole a bit bigger than the catflap, through the outer siding from outside then through the inner sheetrock from inside after piercing the corners from the outside through the hole in the siding.

The "walls of the tunnel" got covered with 4" by 1" pine. I nailed the catflap over the hole, then looked at the style of the frame round our front door and emulated that with a frame of cedar 2" by 1" to hide the edges of the hole. To finish the edge of the inside of the hole I made a frame of 2x1 pine.

It really wan't a big deal. I borrowed a Skil saw to cut the hole in the outer siding, but could possibly have done it with a handsaw. The rest was minor sawing and hammering and screwing. It looks good and is weatherproof and petsafe.

One thing I wish I'd thought of: having a way to allow the door to open out but not in, and vice versa, so I could control whether the cats were free to go out (and stay outside with their dead mice) or free to come in and be kept in so I could give them their flea medicine. Some of the cat doors I saw for sale included this, but not the one I bought.

On preview and after looking at your link (should have looked before blabbing on) it is probably really easy. I'd still try to start with an inexpensive cat door, and make a frame to go in the window.
posted by anadem at 9:10 PM on July 5, 2005

Strange site I googled, with some information pertaining to this, maybe a free download.
posted by Jack Karaoke at 12:45 AM on July 6, 2005

Oops, scroll down to # 780 "Pet door kits are secure, easy to install, save money".
posted by Jack Karaoke at 12:46 AM on July 6, 2005

The Pet Door Store. By looking at the few they have for window mounted doors, it may give you some ideas.
posted by jeanmari at 5:22 AM on July 6, 2005

Response by poster: I'd still try to start with an inexpensive cat door, and make a frame to go in the window.

Yep, that does seem the best way. I'd already seen the door Jack Karaoke linked and think I can work from that, even if it's meant for a screen door. I was just a bit scared to go off on my own like that, but your answer helped me get over that, anadem. Thanks to you and Jack and jeanmari, too.
posted by mediareport at 2:40 PM on July 6, 2005