Automatic Litterbox Central

Since this site seems to have mention of all other types of Automatic Cat devices. I figured I should mention the Automatic Cat door that I am using.

Power Pet Fully Automatic Pet Door, made by High Tech Pet. http://www.hitecpet.com/powerpetdoors.html

It has to be the most expensive pet door I have purchased, but it is very well constructed and has features to support the price tag. It has an active collar that you put on your cat, and then the door actually opens itself when your cat get near the door. It also forms a very nice windproof seal, so no cold draft in the winter I've been using it for over a year now, and have had no problems with the door.

I needed a pet door that would prevent racoons from getting into our house, which as we were to discover takes quite a bit of doing. Most of the other "locking" cat door are designed in such a way that the racoon can either just force the door open, or pull the door open and slip inside. This door slides vertically, so there is no opportunity for the racoon to either push, or pull the door to make it open.

The only downside is the collar they supply, isn't a safety collar, and the module is larger than I would like, but it is easy enough to switch things around to a safety collar, and the size doesn't bother the cats.

Order an extra collar, since the cats have lost one, and I have had to return one for RMA, and it's nice to be able to either test or replace it if you need to.

This topic is a good idea!
RE:Cold drafts--Since you're in California, what part? how cold are your winter drafts? I'm fixing to install a cat door out to my screened porch, but cold winter drafts here are really cold!

I am in the Bay Area, so I won't even try to deny that my "cold draft" is nothing compared to what you have as a cold draft.

The door uses a very nice hard plastic (lexan) door, with weatherstripping around the edges (all 4 edges, both sides). So is completely blocks the air when it is closed. Now when it is open, it is completely open, but hopefully your cat won't sit there staring out the open door for very long. One of my cats sometimes likes to watch the world go by through the open door.

I can't feel any draft around the edges of the door, but I can tell I forgot to weatherstrip between the frame of the door, and the wall, (small draft) so I will have to go back and fix that. With all the previous doors, I could always feel a draft at the edges of door (some worse than others).

If you have power failures, I would recommend looking at getting a rechargable battery for it as well, since it defaults to off when the power returns, and your cat will either be locked in or out till you turn it back on, and there would be no way to open it when the power is off. All this should be fixed with a backup battery.

I have just ordered an off brand battery since I didn't want to spend $40 on what should be a $10 item. I'll let you know how it turns out.

bill wrote:It has an active collar that you put on your cat, and then the door actually opens itself when your cat get near the door.

Oooooh. OK. I pictured the cat punching in an access code on a key pad.

How about a door that won't let them in if they have a critter in their mouth?

http://www.quantumpicture.com/Flo_Control/flo_control.htm

This is really clever. They use the outline of the cat's head as a key to open the door (no collars or punch codes). The extra benefit is that the cat can only get in if his mouth is empty.


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