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Endura Flap Liberty Ideal Pet Products brand logo Hale brand logo
High Tech pet brand logo Pride PetSafe brand logo Dragon Pet Doors
Animate Cat Mate Dog Mate Logo Whiskers & Windows Watchdog Security utah pet access
Pet Door Guys Gundog Mason Magnador
Sureflap Cat Hole Enterprise Wedgit

 

The Evolution of the Pet Door: From Simple Flaps to High-Tech Access


The landscape of pet doors has come a long way. Starting its journey back in 1976 with the revolutionary sliding glass pet door, PetDoors.com has been at the forefront of the dog door market, witnessing all the innovations and upgrades in the design and functionalities of these dog and cat pet flaps.

In the 1950s, the USA welcomed Johnson as a pioneer in dog door manufacturing. Their creation was so exemplary that PetSafe, a name synonymous with top-tier pet product companies, acquired the original Johnson brand. This led to the iconic PetSafe Ultimate, a doggie door still appreciated by many today. Around the same timeframe, Pride introduced a pet door that bore a striking resemblance to Johnson's design, which remains popular to this day.

Patio Pacific made waves in 1976 when it unveiled its 'panel' pet door for sliding glass doors, a game-changer known as the 'Instant' Pet Door. The brilliance of this creation was its adjustable height capability. Not stopping at that, Patio Pacific went on to invent the Endura Flap line of doggie doors, boasting patents and addressing a dozen factors, from longevity to weather resistance. Their advanced tech and innovative approach earned them the esteemed Fancy Publications Editor's Choice Award in 2007.

Ideal Pet Products, established in 1979, became a household name, offering various doggy door options that are both user-friendly and affordable. While in Phoenix, Arizona, 1985 saw the rise of Hale Pet Door, a company which now provides dog doors in various shades and sizes, even custom designs for specific needs.

The late 80s greeted High Tech Pet Products and Ani Mate, housing the famous Cat Mate and Dog Mate brands. High Tech became a trendsetter with its Power Pet fully automatic, motorized doggie door. Meanwhile, in 1992, the Gun Dog House Door Company emerged in Minnesota, crafting "chew proof" kennel doors sturdy enough for the most active hunting dogs.

Bug Off Screen, founded in 1992, catered to the demand for screen door solutions. And then, the realm of technology took pet doors a step further. In 2008, Europe introduced SureFlap Pet Doors - electronic cat doors controlled by microchips. North America welcomed these high-tech doors in 2010. In 2011, for those not too keen on traditional patio pet doors, Pet Door Guys stepped in with their innovative approach.

Come 2021, the market witnessed the Dragon Pet Door - a luxurious yet economical dog door option, boasting impressive energy efficiency and insulation.

Though our collection is vast, please note, brands like PlexiDor, Pozzy Pet, Bug Warden, Carlson Pro Pet, and a few others are now discontinued. For details, hop onto our discontinued pet doors page.