Access Hole for Cat in Frame and Panel Door

[Uncle Hook]

Does anyone have any experience or suggestions for cutting a hole through a frame and panel door (see pics below) to provide access for a cat?

Would the door be structurally sound if a 7" square or circular port hole were cut in the center of the bottom rail that is 11 inches wide?

Would the structural soundness of the door be improved if the hole were centered along the bottom edge of the bottom rail?

Would a hole with an arch (or a circle) provide more structural soundness than a hole that is square?

Any other ideas?

[Wood_workur]

Rounding the corner of the cut out will help it retain strength. I'm not sure if it'd work on that door, but I bet it would on a door with 3 horizontal pieces in it.

[Shep]

I'm guessing leaving the door cracked open is out of the question. That's a pretty door to cut a hole into. If this is a door that gets a lot of use, 7" gone might cause the rest of the bottom board to break. You might be able to reinforce the opening somhow (ie. steel, wood trim, etc.) to prevent problems with the door from happening.

[Mr__Bill]

Unless the cat is really old or fat you should be able to cut the hole in the panel and leave the bottom rail intact.

Another option is to make the hole through the wall and leave the door alone. Trim it out like a real 'people' door and it will be a real conversation piece.


Bill,

[jlm]

I'm with Mr. Bill - if at all possible, I'd try to find a way to put the access hole in a wall, not the door. If you cut up the door, it's ruined forever (and old doors are hard to replace, especially if you want them to match the rest of the home). If you cut into the wall, you're only a couple pieces of drywall and some mud and paint away from repairing it if you should ever want to.

Unless you reinforce the remaining wood somehow, cutting 7 inches out of that 11 inch bottom rail would probably not be a great idea. I would expect the rail to break eventually if you remove that much material.

[pelligrini]

If the wall opening isn't an option; I'd leave that door alone and build another one with an integrated cat door.

You could just put in a half door and install a catapult on either side.

[capnjack2]

Leave the door alone. Cut a hole in the wall next to it and fit a flap in there. You trim it out just like a small doorway.

[JoeyGee]

Leave the door alone, leave the wall alone, and just get rid of the cat .

[RayintheUK]

AFAICT, the photographs show that a wall access is impractical. I would either let in a steel brace across the bottom of the door to counteract any weaknesses introduced if you intend cutting the bottom rail, or just cut the panel.

Bear in mind, though, that cutting the panel alone for the cat flap will mean that the lowest point of entry will be quite high. Only you know if your cat can make use of such a high entry.

I'm replacing our rear entry door cat flap soon for one that reads the ID microchips in our two cats, keeping all others out. Good luck with whatever you decide upon.

Ray

[JoeyGee]

What about getting a cheap hollow core door from a big box, staining to match and cut a hole in that? That way, if you ever want to sell the place, you can just put the door back in.

[Mr__Bill]

Have to remember that the cat door does not have to be near the people door. It can pierce any wall that is accessible.

Ray, I like the cat door that reads the microchip it will keep the raccoons out.


Bill for raccoons in the house see: Raccoons

Bill, now on the Sunny Oregon Coast

[radhak]

Just a bit of math now (geometry, actually).

a 7" wide circle in the middle of the rail would leave the rail the strongest. It would leave the most wood remaining on the rail, with the thinnest part being the 2" at just the highest and lowest points of the circle. IMHO, that should not weaken the door substantially, but maybe a steel reinforcement would set your mind at rest.

considerations
- i have never seen a circular pet door; always rectangular/square. do they know something we don't? (maybe pets are scared of circular holes ?)
- This will make the hole 2" and above the floor. may not be a problem, but if you cut the panel, 11" minimin height might be an issue
- Cutting a door is more 'portable' than a wall. you could take the door to the next house you move to (if)

[RayintheUK]

- I have never seen a circular pet door; always rectangular/square. do they know something we don't? (maybe pets are scared of circular holes ?)

They're common over here, radhak. Ours is fitted into a double-glazed entry door.


Ray.

[Mr__Bill]

They're common over here, radhak. Ours is fitted into a double-glazed entry door.
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Ray.

Ray, that looks real interesting, I assume the round hole is because it's real hard to cut square ones in glass. On this side of the pond glass that close to the floor has to be tempered glass that tends to break into little pieced when you try to cut it. Can you, over there, order a glass door with a round hole in it? That sure would make things easier.

Bill, over here on the Oregon Coast

[RayintheUK]

Ray, that looks real interesting, I assume the round hole is because it's real hard to cut square ones in glass. On this side of the pond glass that close to the floor has to be tempered glass that tends to break into little pieced when you try to cut it. Can you, over there, order a glass door with a round hole in it? That sure would make things easier.

Yes, circles are easy to cut in glass. We have the same safety regs regarding glass here. I ordered a double-glazed unit (with a pre-cut and sealed hole) to replace the lower unit in the existing door. I kept the original lower unit to re-install, in case any subsequent home-owners don't need/want the cat door.

Ray