Pet Doors

Guest Post by Maria Sadowski from PlexiDors

The pet door is not a new invention. Cats and dogs have accompanied humans for millennia, and it make sense that our four-footed companions would have access to the outside and back inside at their leisure.

We don’t really know who made the first pet door, but some believe the people of Cyprus had cat holes over 9,000 years ago. In more recent history, 14th century writer Geoffrey Chaucer described a cat hole in his Canterbury Tales.

Sir Isaac Newton is most often accredited with inventing the pet door. While he didn’t invent the hole in the wall, he might have been the first person to make a cat flap to cover the hole.

Most people associate pet doors with flaps – and with the problems that come with having a chewable piece of vinyl as the only thing separating the indoor climate from the outdoors. There’s no guarantee that your pet is the only one coming in through the door, in cold climates the flap doors are drafty, and in warm climates they let the heat in and the AC out.

The PlexiDor is different than most pet doors.

It is manufactured in Bradenton, Florida, and is made to be safe, durable, and insulating.
The frame is made from anodized aluminum that won’t warp, crack, or rust. It has saloon style doors made from a specially formulated see-through material that insulates and helps keep weather outside. Some pets love to look out through the panels, and having a “window” to the outside makes it easier for cautious pets to learn to use the door.

The panels are lined with industrial grade weatherseal to further minimize draft and keep inside cool or warmth where it belongs.

Each PlexiDor comes with a lock and key, and a steel security plate that can be attached when leaving the house for an extended period of time, to signal to pets that the door is locked, or whenever extra security is wanted. There is also an electronic version of the door that responds to a key on the pet’s collar. The electronic door will only open for a pet with the right key.

A common first instinct is thinking a pet door must be as tall as the pet is. For many breeds this would give a huge hole in the wall – imagine an opening the size of a Great Dane or Irish Wolfhound! You could as well prop the front door permanently open… The flap or panels would be so heavy to open the dogs couldn’t get out, and the opening would be so big that outside storms, snow, and rain would surely find their way in.

Most dogs bow their head and lift their legs when going through a door, and this means the door can be much shorter than the dog. Naturally, it has to be wide enough to let the pet through – and tall enough to fit the pet’s torso – but that’s far from as tall as the pet from toes to ears.

The PlexiDor comes in four different sizes, and the panels swing so easily that smaller pets can open the larger doors without problems.

If you have any questions about PlexiDor pet doors, don’t hesitate to contact customer service. They have experience with everything from kittens to boarding kennels.

Right now, there’s a fun contest on the PlexiDor website. Click Here to check it out. You can win 1,000 lbs of Black Gold dog food delivered to your door! If you don’t want the food for yourself, you can donate to your favorite rescue or shelter.

To enter the contest, submit a photo of your pet using a pet door – it doesn’t have to be a PlexiDor. If you don’t have a pet door it’s okay to be creative. We love to see what people come up with! Runners up get Dunkin Donuts gift cards.