How To Keep The Cat From Using The Dog Door

How To Keep The Cat From Using The Dog Door - 3 Options to Buy and a DIY Dog Door Hack

This post doesn’t really have much to do with decorating, but it does have to do with solving a problem that keeps my pets safe and my house cleaner. And I thought if I had this issue some of you might, too: How to keep the cat from using the dog door.

The issue was that I have a dog door, which my cocker spaniel Winston (in the picture above) has used for all of his life (10 years and counting).

Chanel the cat

I also have cats…somewhat large, long-haired, mostly-white cats that are meant to be indoor cats.

And they were indoor cats for the first 4 years of their lives until one of them (Chanel) figured out how to use the dog door.

Then I had one mostly-brown-with-leaves-tangled-in-her-fur outdoor cat.

Not only did she track all of that dirt into the house and onto the sofa, she also very quickly got into the habit of bringing me “presents” (ie. dead mice that appeared in the middle of the living room floor.  Yuck!).

I was on the hunt to find a dog door solution that would let the dog go in and out, but keep the cat in.

My original thought was that there must be something I could buy to do this. 

And I found three possible options, but each one had a couple of things that didn’t quite fit with what I wanted.

So I ended up modifying the dog door I already had and it seems to have done the trick (for less than $20 I might add)!

Keep reading to see the options I considered (one of them might work for you), and what I finally ended up doing.

Option 1: Buy a New Electronic Dog Door

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Electronic Dog Doors* are the ones that open up automatically when a pet wearing the trigger device on its collar gets close to the door.

They come in a variety of sizes, trigger mechanisms and installation options (I wanted one that fit in my sliding glass door space).

For this option, the receiver would fit on the dog’s collar and the cat would not have a receiver.

Then the door would open when the dog got close to it, but not for the cat…exactly what I wanted it to do!  (Just make sure to get one that locks both ways, since some of them will let any animal go out the door, but require the receiver to get back in.)

If you’re interested in seeing how it works, you can go to the amazon.com page and watch the product videos.

The “pros” for this option are:

  • None of the animals get shocked,
  • It keeps out other animals and intruders (not that I have ever had a problem with that),
  • And it’s kind of cool!

However, I decided the electronic dog door wasn’t the best option for me:

  • First, it’s much more money than I wanted to pay  (I already have a functioning dog door installed).
  • The second reason is that I think the cat would learn how to get out anyhow. Chanel learned how to use the dog door in the first place by following right behind Winston as he went out.  So I can just see her doing the exact same thing with the electronic door, and then not being able to get back in because the door wouldn’t open.

Option 2: Install Invisible Fence

My plan with this option would be to install an invisible fence outside the dog door.

Since I have a deck there, it would have been fairly easy to put the invisible fence wire between the deck and the house.

Then the cat could wear a collar with the shocking device on it, and the dog would not have the shocking device.  So she would get zapped if she tried to go through the door and he wouldn’t.

The “pros” of this option are:

  • It is fairly easy to install
  • And it’s less expensive than buying a new dog door.

However, I also decided not to go with the invisible fence option:

  • First, I wasn’t sure the shock would actually stop my cat.  As everyone knows, cats are very different than dogs…and I read about people whose cats just sped up in order to get through the shock zone as quickly as possible (where most dogs try to avoid the shock).  I was sure Chanel would be one of those cats!
  • Second, I’m not that keen on zapping my pets with electricity, to begin with.
  • And third, the instructions for the invisible fence say that the animals should only wear the shock device on their collar for a maximum of 12 hours a day.  That means keeping the dog door closed for the other 12 hours.  Since Winston is used to being able to go out whenever he wants to, that would mean either teaching a 10-year-old dog a new bathroom break schedule (not likely) or me getting up in the middle of the night to let him out (very likely).

Option 3:  Lay Down a Scat Mat

Scat Mats are meant to keep pets off of things that you don’t want them going on. 

It gives the animal a static shock when they try to step on it, somewhat similar to the invisible fence but in a mat format.

My plan was to put the mat inside the dog door to prevent the cat from getting to the door and going outside.

The “pros” of the scat mat are:

  • It is really inexpensive
  • And very easy to install.

But, as you probably guessed, I didn’t go with this one either.

Because:

  • I was afraid that the mat would keep the dog away from the door more than it would discourage the cat.  I think she would find a way around it (that cat personality thing again).
  • And it has the zap-factor, which I don’t like that much.

Option 4:  The DIY Dog Door Hack

The dog in front of the modified dog door that keeps the cat from using it

My final solution was to modify the dog door that I already have.

My current dog door has magnets at the bottom of the flap which keep the door closed when it’s not in use.

I figured since the dog is stronger than the cat, all I have to do is add enough magnet strength so that the cat couldn’t open the door, but the dog still could.

Step 1 | Watch The Cat

The first thing I did was to watch the cat as she was going out the door to see what she did and where she was pushing on it.

With my pets there is a difference in the way they open the dog door.

The dog just runs right through it.

The cat puts her paw through the edge of it to open the door and then slides her body through.

So my strategy was to place the magnets at about the height and location where the cat would normally be trying to push through.

She likes the right side better than the left, so I put 2 sets of magnets on that side…I probably could have got away without the second set but I’m not taking any chances 🙂

Note: Your cat may push the door in different spots than mine does, so you might have to put the magnets in different locations.

Watch to see what their favorite spots are. Then place your magnets in those areas of the door.

Step 2 | Get The Supplies

Magnets and screws for the dog door hack

After a few trips to the hardware store, I ended up with these bits:

Since I added the magnets in 3 places on the door, I used 3 of the larger magnets and 6 of the smaller ones.

You can adjust the number you need based on the size of your animals 🙂

I would start with 2 sets of each (one for each side of the flap) and then go from there.

Step 3 | Attach the Magnets to the Door

Screw the large magnets onto the frame of the door

I used the 5/8″ screws to attach the larger magnet to the frame of the dog door.

Cut the edge of the plastic

Then I cut the edge of the plastic off on the dog door flap so that it fits around the magnets on the frame.

Two small magnets on either side of the flap

Finally, I attached one small magnet on either side of the flap so that the edge of those magnets would meet up with the large magnet.

Make sure that you have them pointing the right way so that the magnets on the flap stick to the magnets on the frame.

Because these magnets had a hole in the middle, I used a screw and nut to attach them to the flap.

If the end of the screw sticks out on the other side, you might want to cut it off so that it doesn’t poke your dog when he’s coming through the door.

The dog door after the 3 sets of magnets have been installed

The dog door “hack” has been in place for a few years now, and the cat seems to have given up trying to escape.  Success!!  Even better, the entire project cost less than $20.

Have comments or questions about how to keep the cat from using the dog door?  Tell us in the section below

This post was originally published on September 16, 2015 but was updated with new content on January 14, 2023.


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80 Comments

  1. Brilliant
    Thank you for sharing

  2. Eveingstar says:

    I love this, but i have a golden retriever and i am certain my cat would justu walk through her legs when walking through the dog door 🙁 i dont want to zap my cat either and i am so perplexed at what to do 😭

  3. Thank you so much. I was trying to find a solution. You are very clever.

  4. Niko Okamoto says:

    I’ve tried the options you listed first and cats are clever and fast enough to beat them all. I love your ingenuity in hacking your existing door. Bravo!

    1. Wanda Simone says:

      Thanks, Niko! It’s hard to find a way to outsmart cats when they’re determined to do something 🙂

  5. Charmaine says:

    Hi, I’m just wondering if the cat ever tried to follow your dog through the door, or if your dog was so kind to linger long enough before the flap closed to let the cat through?

    1. Wanda Simone says:

      Hi Charmaine…no, the cat never tried to go through the door with the dog. My dog likes to run through the dog door, so she didn’t really have any time to get through.

  6. Doesn’t the cat follow the dog out just he he would with an electric door?

    1. Wanda Simone says:

      Hi Stefanie…I haven’t had that happen. It closes much faster than the electronic door so the cat would have to be really close behind the dog to get through without getting hit by the closing flap.

  7. Michelle miller says:

    Thank you so much for your story. I’m dealing with the same issue. I have 2 small dogs that use the doggy door and I recently got male and female ragdoll kitten. The kittens have figured out how to get outside and they love it. So I’m going to try the magnets.

    1. Wanda Simone says:

      Good luck, Michelle! Hopefully it works as well for you as it does for me 🙂

  8. Billie Jo Walsh says:

    Well I bought them all but haven’t had time to install. I’m hoping for the best!

  9. Billie Jo Walsh says:

    I’m so glad you posted this. I rescued a shelter kitten last August and as she’s discovered she could get out of the dog doors, it turned into me keeping up with the dogs needing to go to the bathroom and the cat trying to go with them. I live in coyote country amongst other animals and cats are a no-no outside if you want them to live. I built a catio and bought a sliding glass door insert with a small flap for the cat that she loves, but as soon as the dog door is open, she’s right there. I’ll be hitting the hardware store tomorrow for the magnets! Thank you thank you thank you!

    1. Wanda Simone says:

      Your catio sounds awesome, Billie Jo (my cats would love that)! Hopefully the magnets will do the trick to keep her from getting out the dog door.

  10. Marian Merlob Ciccarelli says:

    I tried that with the magnets but couldn’t get it to stay closed effectively. Then I tried a scat mat with plastic pegs but the cat stepped on it as if it was cotton balls !!! So I’ve now tried the sticky tape on the floor around the cat door and so far (a couple hours) he won’t walk on it. We will see how long that lasts.

  11. Keepmycatinside says:

    You, my friend, are a genius. Thank you! We just got a cat and were trying to find an inexpensive way to solve this issue. My dogs barrel through the door at incredible speeds so a few extra magnets won’t hold them back. Thanks for this! Also, I should add, you were the first site to come up on my google search.

    1. Wanda Simone says:

      Thanks! I’m happy it was helpful 🙂

  12. Thank you so much for the effort you put into sharing your solution with the rest of us dog & cat lovers! I’m about to look to install something for the dog and wondered what to do about keeping the cat inside. Your solution seems like a genius idea! The question I have, is do you have a solid shutter for the dog at night to keep unwanted human invaders from coming in?

    1. Wanda Simone says:

      Hi Jesabug…yes, there is a solid shutter that came with the dog door. So you can close the door off when you want to.

  13. Allen Deckard says:

    I came up with a very similar plan but mine was to keep the ferret inside the cat doesn’t like our dog door.

    We have the hard plastic door not the soft flapper so the cat doesn’t like it at all but we also have 2 other soft plastic dog doors one that goes to the garage and another to the screened in lani the cat is fine with soft doors but does not like the hard one at all.

    It actually is one of the electronic dog doors but is a flapper type that only opens for the animal with the collar. Well the dogs are terrified of the loud bang it makes when opening and after bashing there heads into it a few times cause they were in a rush to go out faster it fizzled out as a giant waste of money that we just shut off. Then noticed the cat didn’t like the hard door since he pushed on it just as you suggested.

    Well that worked great but we have two free range ferrets. Yah yah we are weird but they have a cage they go to on there own at night and act sort of like a cross between the dogs and a cat. Come to ya better than the cat for sure but aren’t much good with a frisbee hehe.

    Anyway the hard door was no match for the older male ferret who we found has been chopping town every day visiting the neighbors even going in there homes and sitting with them regularly. Not really sure how long this has been going on but being a bit afraid that he is going to find an unfriendly home that doesn’t realize he just wants his head scratched and take a nap in someone’s lap we had to fix his escape route.

    So I used a very similar technique lined the edge of the door with neodymium magnets needed more than you used (ferrets are a lot more sneaky and stronger than you’d expect) so regardless I’ve proven enough magnets can solve just about anything lol.

    Even though I didn’t use your idea well same idea just didn’t see yours till I was done hehe I appreciate the posting and hope it helps someone else.

    1. Wanda Simone says:

      Thanks for the description, Allen! It sounds like a great setup 🙂

    2. William Axdorff says:

      Once my 16 lb in-door cat learned the wonders of out doors I’ve done much of what is described. The locking flapper kept the dogs in, I alarmed the door but that only works if we’re home awake and hear it.I tried magnets (but not as aggressive as shown so I’ll try that), I tried the “Gun dog house door” of double overlapping lexan panels but the screen door hinges were not strong enough. I tried building mine similarly with adjustable hinges and the bull-headed cat just pushed until he gained the outdoors. The biggest problem I see is if the cat gets out maybe he won’t push as hard to get back in.

      1. Wanda Simone says:

        Thanks for sharing, William! I’m always afraid that if the cat gets out she won’t be able to get back in, too. Fortunately, she has only managed to escape a couple of times in the few years since I put the extra magnets on the door. I hope it works for you!

      2. William Axdorff says:

        Followup to my June post. Purchased the magnets and installed them on the flex clear rubber door and my younger cat learned how to blast thru it along with the older heavier cat. I tried using Lexan clear 1/4″ panel and to let the magnets connect I spring loaded the magnets on the door jam so they’d move out to the magnets on the door. Unfortunately, the cats thru trial and error figured out how to loosen one corner and from there the rest of the magnets. This was so secure my 100 lb dogs did not like using it. So, I’ll keep trying stuff. Thanx for the idea, though.

        1. Wanda Simone says:

          Thanks for the update! Sorry it didn’t work out for you. Sounds like you have very determined cats!

    3. So, how did you put magnets on the hard plastic side? That is the kind I have.

      1. Wanda Simone says:

        Hi Kat…I used screws to attach the magnets. If you don’t want to do that, you could try some heavy duty glue, like E6000.

  14. Philip Catuogno says:

    So, if you want a solution that looks like, you know what, then I guess this is it.

    1. Wanda Simone says:

      Hi Philip…I would love to hear your solution that works and looks better 🙂

    2. Carol Upham says:

      Thank you! We are wanting to install a dog door for our two large dogs, but keep our 10 lb kitty from going out. You have solved our problem!!

    3. oh my god thank you so much for sharing your hacks! This is amazing! I was about to spend$100 on something that our cats like yours would have totally figured out a way to bypass! We are gonna do this ASAP

  15. Tamara A. says:

    This is such an ingenious idea! Many thanks. I can’t wait to try it out. We have two big dogs so our cats definitely won’t be able to get out.

    1. Wanda Simone says:

      Thanks, Tamara! It’s definitely easier to make it work when your dogs are bigger 🙂

  16. This is such a great idea. I have kittens that I need to keep in bit dobt want to scar them away from the door permanently, just till they get old enough to go outside.

    Thanks can’t wait to try it

    1. Wanda Simone says:

      Happy you found it helpful, Tracy!

  17. Starting with PetSafe Freedom Door with plastic flap and (weak) magnet bar at the bottom and all parts listed in the article (all available from Home Depot online). Step one could be changed to have a spare replacement flap on hand in case you hose the project or decide the modification doesn’t work for you.

    The smaller magnets and screws – you may have to work the screw through the magnets ahead of time, but one time through seating the screw should do the trick (use a pair of pliers to hold the magnet in case it’s hard to get it started). When you trim the plastic, the fastened assembly needs to be flush on the edge of the plastic as any gap renders the whole thing to be useless (weak magnetic attraction not strong enough – there has to be physical contact with the larger/frame magnet).

    The frame magnets – you may want to have those situated about 3/8ths to half inch above the bottom of the frame to allow the magnet bar to still engage with the bottom of the flap. Otherwise, the width of the bottom of flap is going to be slightly wider than the overall space after the two frame mounted magnets are installed, and the flap will rub against the frame magnets, so one side will typically have very good contact and not so much on the other.

    Frame magnet placement – more on the outside/back than centered on the frame/flap hole. That will leave room for the hard cover insert to still fit on the inside (plus my door model had a hard rib right in the middle and the larger magnets would have been much harder to get aligned there, but your mileage may vary on that part).

    Take the frame out of the patio door to work on it for drilling some starter holes for the frame mounted magnets. Use a metal drill bit (vs a general purpose wood/metal one, although one of those will work okay if new-ish/sharp tip). Use a drill to punch a hole in the flap too and work the screw into it, and then you can spin the smaller magnets on the screw to speed up the tightening for that part.

    You can definitely expect to have some airflow/cold draft in and out because of the seal not being all that good (even to begin with on a new flap).

    Overall, seems to be working for the most part. Cat did get out one time, but has been stopped on every other attempt. If the flap manages to have a good magnetic seal (after a dog has used the door), it has stopped her every time. I may snip about a 1/4 inch off of the bottom of the flap where the magnet bar is to see if that helps make a better/more consistent seal.

    Link is to a picture on Dropbox
    https://www.dropbox.com/s/5ceo45xttsoycwj/finisheddoor.jpg?dl=0

    1. Wanda Simone says:

      Thanks for the detailed updates, Steve! Very helpful.

  18. Terrisa Turner says:

    Where did you buy the magnets. Havent found them with the screw holes

    1. Wanda Simone says:

      Hi Terrisa…I got the magnets at Home Depot. If you look under Step 2 where I list out the supplies, there’s links to the exact ones that I used.

  19. Great idea! Too bad our cat is bigger than two of the dogs in weight!

    1. Wanda Simone says:

      Yeah…in that case, this wouldn’t work so well for you 🙂

  20. Thank you so much for sharing your great idea!!! Been looking everywhere for the solution.

    1. Glad it was helpful, Dee! I also spent a bunch of time looking for a solution, so once I found something that worked, I thought other people might find it useful, too 🙂

    2. Didn’t work for me. Cat was still able to get out even though I had to reteach my puppy to use it!! Lol. More magnets??

      1. Wanda Simone says:

        Sorry to hear it didn’t work for your cat. For my cat, I had to watch to see where she was pushing on the flap and put the magnets there. Although you don’t want to make it so hard to open that the dog can’t get through 🙂

      2. Great idea, I will definitely try before I spend money on another dog door…my cat keeps getting beat up outside,,,thank you

        1. Wanda Simone says:

          Thanks, Cris! I hope it works as well for you as it does for me…and keeps your cat safe 🙂

  21. Hi Wanda ~ Thanks for your post. I have the same problem, except I need to keep the cats out and let the dogs come and go freely. I have not yet gotten the dog door. I spent months talking my new husband into letting me install a dog door, only to have the thought…”well how am I going to keep the cats out (all 3 males and even though fixed, caught one trying to spray in my closet, and now they are banned). This mat you talked about that static shocks though, I am interested in trying to keep the cats off my husband’s 1967 Fairlane. Do you think it would work? Thanks!

    1. Hi Ellen…My cats would be banned if they tried to spray in the closet, too 🙂 The static shock mats should work as long as you can figure out the best place to put them…where the cats will definitely step on them and can’t jump over them.

  22. Cassandra says:

    This is brilliant, I have this problem and couldn’t figure out how to remedy this!

    1. Thanks, Cassandra! I hope it works as well for you as it does for me 🙂

  23. I have same problem, but with 4 dogs, 6 cats (3 semi-feral), and a pool (not good for the electronic devices). I purchased a https://energyefficientdogdoors.com/ which was quite expensive, but very well made and energy efficient. Unfortunately, though the magnets along all 3 edges are quite strong, 3 cats can still get out. I have yet to find a solution. I need collars that I can put on the cats that will trigger a spray to scare the cats away. I’ve been looking at the shock collars, but they are huge and shouldn’t be worn 24 hrs a day rendering them useless.

    1. Hi Jane…I’m sorry to hear that your dog door isn’t working to keep all of your cats in. I’m always amazed at how resourceful cats are. Finding something that would spray water sounds like a great idea! I haven’t seen anything like that, but would love to hear about it if you do!

    2. We recommend using a DogWatch indoor boundary. Your cats wear very small collars, and the device, which is about the size of a smoke detector, is mounted near the dog door. This effectively keeps the cats from using the dog door.

      disclosure: I work for Freedom Pet Pass (the link above), and some DogWatch dealers resell our pet doors.

      1. Thanks for the suggestion!

  24. Manny Gonzalez says:

    Where can I get the magnets for the doy doggy door

    1. Hi Manny…I bought mine at Home Depot. The links to the exact magnets I used are on page 5.

  25. We have installed the magnets, but are concerned that they will stratch and hurt our dog. Have any suggestions?

    1. Hi Joshua…I haven’t had any problems with that with my dog (he doesn’t push close enough to the edge of the door to come in contact with the magnets). But you could try sticking (or gluing) some of that foam weatherstrip tape over the magnets to add a bit of a cushion if you think it will be a problem.

    2. THAANNNNK YOU! bout to try it….

  26. Ughhhhh thank you so much I’m going to try this. I moved and I have a dog door and a dog now. The only problem is I had three cats. I’ve been living here for about 3 months now and about two weeks ago one of my cats went missing and about one week ago another went missing and I’m so sad!! I am down to just one cat now which breaks my heart and I can not figure out how to keep him in the house. I was thinking about putting him in my room when I’m gone so the doggy door can be open for my dog and then when I’m home I can put the dog door cover on and let my cat out and then I’ll just let my dog out like every hour or so but that’s just a hassle!! I really hope this works because I would be devastated if I lost another cat.

    1. Hi Tabbitha…I’m so sorry to hear about your cats. That is heartbreaking. I hope this works for you, too!

  27. I actually have a solution! This sounds jank, but I actually adhered two heavy pieces of metal on the bottom of the flap, so it made the door just heavy enough that the cats can’t push it open, but the dogs can:)

    1. Thanks for the suggestion, Rebecca! Hopefully, that will help someone!

  28. Zandra Hamilton says:

    I’m definitely trying this. My 8 month old kitty just figured out the doggie door. It is a big door for our Rottweiler, hope the magnets will do the trick. My last kitty never came home and I was devastated. Don’t want to lose her to other dogs, cats, cars or mean people. Thought my only options were to keep the dog out or keep the cat locked in a room. None of these were an option for me.

    1. Hi Zandra…I’m sorry to hear about losing your last kitty. I would be devastated, too! Hopefully, this will work and keep your new kitty safe!

  29. Unfortunately our cat is just too smart for her own good. There are so many magnets on the dog door that our dogs have to push to get out, yet the cat has already managed to figure it out. So bummed.

    1. Oh, no! I’m so sorry it didn’t work for you, Robyn. You must have a really determined cat!

    2. Samantha Clayton says:

      I have the same problem. I have a tiny 11 pound cat and two 80 lb pit bulls. The doggy door has heavy magnets all over and that cat still can crack it open enough to sneak out. My dogs have to push hard with their heads to open it. My cat will hear me open up the doggy door just to let the dogs out and he comes running to watch me to see if I’ll forget to put the cover back.

  30. OMG we’ve been stressing on how to solve this same problem with our new 1 year old cat Jasmine. It did not take her long to figure out how to get out the dog door, and I don’t want her wandering the neighborhood and worrying about her and cars, fox, coyote and unfriendly dogs! We went through the same process (and elimination) of options as you mentioned on your post. My husband is off to the hardware store to try your solution. Really appreciate your post and suggestion!!!

    1. Thanks, Robyn! I hope it works for you, too 🙂

  31. Wanda, I do believe your Chanel and my Tapioca would probably figure out how to rob banks together. She is strikingly beautiful by the way. I thought it strange that Tapioca would stand so close to the dog door knowing what came through it repulsed him so much. He would stand inches away, tilting his head slightly if a strong breeze caused any movement in the flap. This went on for several days and when I saw it I thought to myself: “Nawww, he wouldn’t.” Little did I know he was probably just beaming the blueprints of this specific dog door make and model to the mothership as anyone with cats knows they are not from this earth. Anyhow, after careful study, and receiving the go-ahead from his feline leader, he used what is probably a similar bottom right corner paw trick, as I watched him go through the dog door just last night. I was utterly horrified and screamed his name the way a mother a would scream her childs name if that child darted into oncoming traffic. I am thankful for the recent dusting of snow as his kitty prints were easy to track and after a scolding I jumped online to try to figure out how to put an immediate stop to this. I am so grateful to have come across your website and advice. I am off to the hardware store right now. Thank you for posting this.

    1. Hi April…Cats are amazing, aren’t they? I had to spend hours teaching my dog how to use the door. But not Chanel…she just figured it out. I’m happy to report that the magnets are still holding up. She hasn’t been able to get around this one 🙂 Hopefully, it will work for you, too!

  32. Thank you!! Our barn cats have learned to enter our home through the dog door. The bigger problem is they cannot get back out through the door…can’t figure this one out. So we come home to cats trapped in the house…not a welcomed sight. Trying this today!!

    1. Hi Amy…Trapped barn cats sounds like it could be an issue 🙂 Hopefully this will work for you, too!

  33. Hi! I read your post and tried it out. Unfortunately I couldn’t find the magnets with the screw holes in it. Can you tell me the brand you used? I can’t make out the words in your picture thanks!

  34. Jordan Le Bouton says:

    I don’t have a dog door yet. I am trying to figure out how and where to put one. I have to go down 3 steps to the landing. Open the inside door and then the screen door. I contemplated taking screen door off but then can not have door open in the summer. No room to install one from the wall down there either. Very perplexed but I and my Daisy would very much like one. I also have a cat who thinks the great outdoors would be an adventure. I think not. So I read this with great anticipation. Back to trying to figure how to do this.

    1. Hi Jordan…that does sound like a problem situation. Maybe you could put 2 dog doors in? One in both the inside door and the screen door lined up with each other? Then teach the dog to go through both…a bit of a pain to install (and more expensive), but it might be worth it. Now that I have a dog door, I don’t know how I ever owned dogs without one! Anyhow, I hope you find something that works. If you find a good solution, I’d love to hear what you did 🙂

    2. Allen Deckard says:

      Multiple doors. We have three. One to garage, then one to lani that is screened then another from the lani to outside.

      The dogs use all three. We have a cat and two ferrets that use the one to garage and the one to the lani but we have the last one as I posted above magnet-ted off so just the dogs can use it. Keeps everyone happy including me that likes the litter box outside on the lani rather than inside.

      Any