Finding the Right Cat Door for You: PetSafe VS. Cat Mate

Finding the best pet doors for cats is influenced by a number of important factors. You want your cat to have the freedom to go outside or come inside your house when they please, but you also want to keep them safe from wild animals, stormy weather, and other potential risks that can harm their health and safety. Whether you are shopping for an insulated cat door or electronic cat door (or both!) we've got you covered. There are tons of cat door choices on the market, so it can be tough to which is the best cat door for you.

Cat Mate and PetSafe pet doors offer both manual pet door models as well as automatic pet door models among their extensive product lines. Both brands have pros and cons, and we're here to help you select the best option for you. Microchip cat doors open only for your cat's unique microchip so they are a great option for keeping neighborhood critters out of your home!

Cat Mate Cat Doors

Cat Mate offers durable cat doors. Each door is made from hard plastic that stands up through repeated exposure to stormy weather. The manual and automatic cat doors can be installed in virtually any type of door, including metal doors. They also offer a shielded brush seal that keeps dirt, rain, snow, and insects outside your house.

If you are using a four way locking door or an electronic cat door you get some nice high-tech perks with a Cat Mate door. This pet door for cats features a four-way locking system with magnetic closure to seal the door against strong winds. The electronic RFID cat door works automatically to let your cat in or out by sensing a magnet in a battery-operated collar they wear. Looking for a cat door with timer function? The Cat Mate "Elite" is a great option with timer control for up to 9 cats to customize access as needed. You can also check out the Cat Mate 360 Microchip Cat Flap.

The main drawback to Cat Mate doors is that the collar only unlocks the door when your cat is extremely close. This can create a risk of injury if the sensor malfunctions. Raccoons have also been known to lift up the hard plastic flap from the outside and sneak into a house.

PetSafe Cat Doors

PetSafe offers a reliable and inexpensive design with its cat doors. The doors are made from high impact plastic and support pets as large as 15 pounds. A PetSafe four-way door also features a magnetic closure to seal the flap in high winds or stormy weather and a sliding lock system you can set to in, out, both ways, or locked. The company's automatic pet door offers a user-friendly design and a collar that requires no batteries.

The main problem with PetSafe electric cat doors is that raccoons can break the plastic flap. With the electronic door, it is not keyed to specific pets so strays have a better chance of coming through it.

As you can see, the main problem with pet doors are the chance encounters with wild animals. No matter how safe you are, there is always the chance of a stray raccoon coming in through the door, but the main conclusion from reviewing both Cat Mate and PetSafe is that they are quality companies that provide top-notch pet doors. You can browse the cat doors that best fit your needs in our cat door selection.