Cat door installation

We have 4 cats that live inside w/ us. Since we aren't home 'cept in the evenings our cat boxes go several hours w/out being cleaned out. Petra, our oldest cat, is picky about who she shares a cat box with and has taken to using the floor outside and around the box. This spring while it was nice outside we left the door open to the screened in porch and put the box out there. We also allowed the cats to sleep out there (not by choice, they just didn't want to come in). To our surprise, Petra would use the box just fine when it was out there. My guess is that it has something to do with ventilation. The "aroma" of the other cats having used the cat box must have dissipated enough for Petra to be content enough to use it. Our next step is to put a cat door in the door that leads out to the screened in porch. The only problem is that I'm not sure how to install a cat door in the kind of door we have (see pic below). Can this be done, or should we pick up a new door?
BTWetra is a big cat, so the cat door will have to be somewhat low for her to actually use it.

Hello and welcome to the site !

I have 4 cats and they are all indoor/outdoor kitties and we do have a cat-flap.

I am not sure whether you'll be able to get a cat-flap that will fit to the size of one of those glass panes - I assume thats what you were thinking, just to remove one pane of glass and install the cat-flap in ?

Ours is fitted into a aluminum panel, so my husband was just able to cut out the correct size. So you may have to change the door to one that maybe just has glass on the top half and a panel at the bottom, so you can install your cat-flap there

Good luck and I hope you manage to sort things out

Why not Google 'cat flaps' or doors and see what comes up for inspiration?

I don't let PHX outside, unless under supervision. So, I don't have a cat flap.... I did however search the internet for some pictures... You can check out these links for an "idea"! Make sure you show us pics after you decide what to do!

http://www.catflaps.com/
http://www.petdoors.com/ideal_cat_flap.htm

I googled "french door cat flap" and found a couple

http://www.moorepet.com/Custom-made-...Doors-s/31.htm

http://www.petdoors.com/custom_dimension.htm

Note that those won't work unless the door really has separate panes of glass, i.e. not one big pane with wood inbetween to give the impression of small panes.

Just today, I installed a cat door in a door exactly like yours (well actually I hired a handyman to do it, but that's just a technicality). He didn't install it in the glass, he was able to install it through the solid door under the glass. The door I bought fit perfectly. I thought it would be kinda low to the ground for them to go in and out, and maybe it will be when they're old and arthritic, but for right now it seems to be fine. It's going out to a screen porch, and actually if it were any higher that going from out to in would probably be hard since the screen porch is lower than the house level. I taped the flap open for now to get them to use it, and to my delight both of my kitties went through it this evening (I was concerned because they wouldn't go through earlier today). I also installed another one in the door going to my basement where the litter box is, and one of my kitties put his body halfway through that opening, so I don't think there will be any problem. I'll keep the flaps taped up for about a week or two until they get used to using it and then try to get them to use it with the flap down. I'm overjoyed that I can close my screen porch door and no longer let all my air conditioned air out or have the security issue that I had leaving it propped open when I wasn't at home. And being able to close the basement door is so much nicer than having it ajar. I'm so happy I installed the doors and they seem to be taking to them.

By the way, the door is the Staywell 917 by PetSafe.

I thought first in your situation, you need more then one litter box........

just wondering what you decided about your cat-flap situation

If you think the odor is just the problem for Petra maybe a charcoal filtered air cleaner would help. I use one in my litter box closet and it works well although I have to change the filter more often than they say, every 2 mos instead of 3. LitterMaid has one that clips on to the edge of the box, closer to the source of the odor. Mine sits on a shelf just above the boxes.

http://www.littermaid.com/showproduct.asp?prodID=15

Hope this helps!

We've still not gotten the cat flap installed. We've been considering a new door anyway so it's kinda been put off. Petra will still use the floor but we're thinking the issue is deeper than originally thought. She'll get in there and do #1 then step right out and do #2. I believe she has some other issue with doing #2 in the cat box. Not sure why she'll go when it's outside though. She may have been attacked when in the cat box and when she's outside Connie and/or Lela aren't usually out there most of the time. It may have something to do with that. But I'm thinking its a Psychological issue, not something else.