Things You'll Need
- Door
- Flap material
- Screws or staples
- Molding
- Paint
- Saw
- Hammer
- Finishing nails
Instructions
Installing a Cat Flap
Remove the door from its hinges and use a pencil to mark the area to be cut out. For an exterior door, it is best if the base of the flap and the opening are a few inches off the ground, level with the cat's stomach. This will help stop rodents from entering the house through the cat flap.
Use a handsaw or a jigsaw to cut out the opening for the cat door.
Purchase some decorative corner molding from a hardware store to frame the opening of the cat door. If the molding is not pre-cut, use a miter box to cut it at 45-degree angles. Use finishing nails to install the molding.
Paint the molding the same color as the door for a more seamless look.
An interior door can be fitted with any type of fabric for the flap, which is attached with heavy-duty staples or screws. The flap for an exterior door should use a fairly heavy material, such as a piece of Plexiglas or Lexan, to help prevent cold air from entering the house. For additional weather protection, consider placing a flap on each side of the door. Also consider edging the entire border of both the flap and the molding with low-resistance magnets (similar to the seal on a refrigerator).