Being a pet owner means having to equip your house with the correct amenities to best suit your furry friend. Pet doors and cat flaps are essential for allowing your pets access in and out of your home without you having to open the door for them every time. At Starline Security, we manufacture or supply pet doors, and our authorised dealers help to install them in homes all around Australia. However, we realise there are plenty of questions that are often brought up when we are completing an order featuring a pet door, and today we are going to answer 7 of the most commonly asked questions related to pet doors and cat flaps.
The 7 most asked pet door and cat flap questions are:
- Does the pet door come with a lock?
- Can I match pet doors in both my wooden door and security door?
- What sizes do pet doors come in?
- What colours do pet doors come in?
- Can I order a personalised size?
- Can I put my pet door in the middle of the door?
- How much do pet doors cost?
Without further ado, let’s start answering these 7 common questions from pet owners.
1. Does the Pet Door Come with a Lock?
The Petway and custom-made pet doors we offer at Starline Security do not come with a lock secure enough to stop intruders – but there are options we can include that restrict the movement of a cat or dog. Petway pet doors have a small flick catch at the base of small and medium sized pet doors on both the inside and outside.
If you activate the flick catch on the outside, then your pet can come in, but not out. If you activate the one on the inside, then your pet can go out, but not in. And, if you activate both, then your pet won’t be able to use the door at all. However, these little flick latches aren’t designed to keep out intruders and there’s always an added layer of risk that when you install a pet door it provides a small opening into your home. But, if all you’re concerned about is having greater control over the movement of your cat or dog, then Petway pet doors have options to achieve this.
2. Can I Match Pet Doors in Both my Wooden Door and Security Door?
Let’s say you have a wooden hinge door in your laundry that already has a pet door or cat flap installed in it. And now, you’ve just purchased a security door that is going to go in front of the wooden door. Would we be able to install an identical pet door into the security door so that it all matches up and works when both doors are closed?
Regrettably, the answer to this one is no. And it is no for a few reasons. The first is that no matter how hard we try, the two pet doors will never perfectly line up millimetre for millimetre. This will cause them to foul and not work. The flaps push against each other, potentially leaving one open when it’s meant to stay closed. There is also an injury risk to your cat and dog if they struggle to open both flaps by themselves and get caught between the two doors. Not a good idea.
Going back to our original laundry door scenario, while we could install a pet door on either the wooden door or security door, we can’t do both. Sorry. And no it won’t work with those remote electric ones either. So please take this no as a firm no. Thank you for your time.
3. What Sizes do Pet Doors Come In?
At Starline Security, we use Petway Pet Doors in our security doors, and they come in small, medium and large sizes. The size of your pet door will depend on the size of your pet. Remember when considering the size there is almost always about 100mm for the pet to step over for the bottom of the pet door flap making a 240mm high pet door flap 340mm from the ground. The specific Petway Pet Door sizes are:
Small:
240mm high x 190mm wide – ideal for all sizes of cats and small dogs.
Medium:
305mm high x 225mm wide – ideal for medium sized dogs.
Large:
400mm high x 260mm wide – ideal for large dogs.
4. What Colours do Pet Doors Come In?
The pet doors from Starline Security come in 5 colours – black, white, brown, bronze, and beige. We are currently trying to include silver into our range, so we’ll be sure to update you if we can add it as an option. However, given the rise in silver or grey security screens and doors, we usually recommend our customers choose a black pet door to work within the colour scheme of their home. In fact, we find that around 80% of our customers choose a black framed petway pet door (the plastic frames being around 40mm in width) for their pet door. But, of course, the choice is yours.
5. Can I Order a Personalised Size?
Yes, you can. While it does come at a significant extra cost, we can make you a custom-sized pet door. Most custom pet doors cost in the $250-350 range, so be prepared to pay a bit more if you want a special size. But it can be done.
Our customers usually request a larger pet door if their order calls for a specialised size. We recommend that if you do choose a larger custom pet door, that you fit it with a flexible flap instead of a flat Perspex sheet. The latter has been known to break when impacted by a large dog running at speed, while flexible plastic sheets are far more durable.
So, while these types of pet doors are more expensive, at Starline Security, we are always happy to accommodate the details of your order into our products.
6. Can I Put My Pet Door in the Middle of the Door?
The answer to this question really depends on the type of door you want your pet door or cat flap installed into. If you have a hinge door, then yes, we can install a pet door in the middle. Which way your door is hinged usually determines which side the pet door goes but putting it in the middle is no problem for hinged doors. Left, Right and Middle are the pet door location options we offer in our unique online ordering portal, and we recommend you look at what’s best for your pet and your home.
However, for sliding doors we recommend against installing a pet door in the middle. This is due to pets naturally gravitating towards the lock side of the door – which will always be on the left or right. Furthermore, there’s more functionality in only having to open your glass door a little bit to allow your pet to access the flap in the security door. Theoretically, we could install them in the middle of sliding doors, but this has rarely happened in our 25 years of running this business.
We also don’t recommend putting pet doors in the middle of mesh doors, as there will be no support for the top of the frame. We often install a rail to the top of the pet door if the customer wants it in the middle. But it’s generally easier and more functional to place it on the lock side.
7. How Much do Pet Doors Cost?
When it comes down to it, how much are you willing to spend on a pet door? We’re going to be discussing the retail prices here, so if you’d like to know the wholesale prices of pet doors, then we recommend you refer to our online ordering portal for that information.
There are a few factors that fluctuate the price of pet doors, such as size, colour, and the type of door you are having it installed in. For example, insect screen doors often cost more, as a bracket has to be installed. And if you live in a regional area, the cost of freight is naturally going to increase the price. However, with all that said, here are the price estimates for our standard Petway pet doors depending on their size:
Small Pet Doors: $100-125
Medium Pet Doors: $125-150
Large Pet Doors: $150-180
We hope the answers to these 7 questions have helped clarify some details regarding Starline Security’s pet doors. If you have any more questions or wish to arrange a free quote for a pet door, then our friendly team would love to hear from you on 07 3272 2974.
