DIY Interior Cat Door

If you have cats, and especially if you have cats AND dogs, you probably relate to the need of an interior cat door. Personally, I have 3 cats and 3 dogs, so it’s basically a zoo around here… dogs chasing cats 24/7. Spoiler alert, the old stereotype is true. And because I do love my animals, and realize the cats need an escape, this DIY interior cat door has been on the to-do list for a while now. Not only does it allow the cats a peaceful place to get away, but I can also hide away the cat food and litter from the dogs. If the cat food is where the dogs can get it, you can bet your bottom dollar they will. There’s tons of reasons an interior cat door might be useful for you… and I’m going to show you just how easy it is to do it yourself! 

what you’ll need

• ruler
• skill saw/circular saw
• pencil 
• sanding sponge
• small screwdriver
• hammer fist… or regular hammer

easy cat door, coming right up

1. Take the door off of the hinges. To do this, place your small screwdriver at the bottom of the hinge, and use the hammer fist (or hammer) to push the hinge pin out. I would recommend starting at the bottom (or the middle) hinge and doing the top hinge last. Once the pins are out, that door is off and you need to be ready. Working your way from bottom hinge to top hinge just makes that a bit easier!
2. Once the door is off, you need to decide how big of a gap you want for your cats. Of course keeping in mind that it needs to be big enough for them, yet small enough the dogs can’t get through. Plus, I’m not putting anything over my cat door, so I wanted it to be small enough you can’t see too much into the room.
3. As you can see in the picture, I decided on a line that was about 11.5 inches long, going up and over about 8 inches from the corner of the door. Once you have the right spot, use a pencil to mark it!
4. Now, use your skill saw and simply cut along the line!! Don’t be afraid of power tools– they’re fun!!! 
5. Once your cut has been made, use your sanding sponge to sand the edge down. You just don’t want it to be sharp for the fur babies!
6. Lastly, pop the door back on the hinges by slamming the pins back into place.

It really is THAT EASY to make yourself an interior cat door! 

And while I can’t say the cats DON’T get chased anymore, they at least have a place to escape the chaos!! And I don’t have to deal with dogs eating the cat food… or cat litter for that matter!!

This solution worked wonders for my family, but there are definitely other options out there if this isn’t what you’re looking for!! Some still involve cutting the door, some don’t… I’ve linked a couple of ideas here:

I hope you found something in here that’ll help you out! 

And if you’re having a different issue with your cat (peeing in your plants), I’ve got you covered there too! Check this out, I think you’ll find it helpful!!!