Best Cat Door (2026): 8 Picks for Doors, Walls, Windows and Sliders

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The best cat door depends on where it goes: an interior door to a litter box room, an exterior door, a wall, a window or a sliding glass door. Pick the location first, then check your door or wall thickness and your cat’s size. We compared eight cat doors across every common mount, from a basic interior flap to a microchip door that unlocks for your own cat’s chip.

Last updated: October 2026.

Quick picks

• Best cat door overall (interior): PetSafe Interior Cat Door, 4-Way Lock.
• Best no-flap interior cat door: Purrfect Portal Meow Manor.
• Best for large cats: CEESC X-Large Cat Door.
• Best for cold winters: PetSafe Extreme Weather Plastic Pet Door (Small).
• Best microchip cat door: SureFlap DualScan Microchip Cat Door.
• Best cat door for a wall: PetSafe Wall Entry Pet Door (Small).
• Best for sliding glass doors and renters: PetSafe Sliding Glass Pet Door (1 piece, up to 40 lb).
• Best cat door for a window: Petoasis Aluminum Window Cat Door (32–36 in size).

Cat doors compared

Cat door	Mount	Price tier	Fits (per listing)	Locking
PetSafe Interior 4-Way	Interior door	Budget	Doors 1 1/8–2 in	4-way
Meow Manor (no flap)	Interior door	Budget	Doors 1.25–1.75 in	Closing option
CEESC X-Large	Door, window, thin wall	Budget	Doors 1.26–2.17 in	4-way
PetSafe Extreme Weather (S)	Exterior door	Mid-range	Doors 1 5/8–2 1/4 in	Closing panel
SureFlap DualScan	Door, window or wall	Premium	See listing	Microchip, per pet
PetSafe Wall Entry (S)	Wall	Mid-range	Walls 4 3/4–7 1/4 in	Closing panel
PetSafe Sliding Glass	Slider track	Premium	75 7/8–80 11/16 in tall	Panel + latch kit
Window cat door	Sash window	Mid-range	Windows 32–36 in wide	4-way

How we evaluated these cat doors

We didn’t install eight cat doors for this article. We read each Amazon listing, checked stock, seller and rating counts on Amazon (US, ZIP 10001) in October 2026, and compared what each maker lists for mount type, door, wall or window size, flap opening and locking options.

We left out a SureFlap microchip flap that had only 1 left in stock, smart collar-sensor doors with under 60 ratings, and several new no-name doors with fewer than 50 ratings.

Which type of cat door do you need?

Short answer: use an interior cat door to give your cat a litter box or feeding room your dog is too big to enter, an exterior door or wall door if your cat goes outside, a window or sliding glass insert if you rent or can’t cut, and a microchip door if neighborhood cats or wildlife keep coming in.

• Interior door: a small flap or open portal cut into an inside door, often to a laundry room or closet with the litter box. Weather sealing doesn’t matter much here.
• Exterior door: needs weather seals and a lock. Each frame fits only a set door-thickness range, so measure first.
• Wall: a tunnel through the wall. It keeps your door intact, but you need to avoid studs, wiring and pipes, so get a qualified opinion if you’re unsure.
• Window or sliding glass insert: a panel that sits in the window or slider track with no cutting, and comes out when you move.
• Microchip: reads your cat’s implanted microchip and is designed to unlock only for pets you register.

How do you measure your cat for a cat door?

Short answer: measure your cat’s widest point, usually the belly or shoulders, and the height from the floor to the top of the shoulders. Pick a flap a little wider and taller than both, then check the maker’s sizing chart.

Some makers size by the cat’s girth instead. CEESC, for example, lists a maximum waist size for each size. Weight limits like “up to 15 lb” are only a rough guide, since a long Maine Coon and a compact cat of the same weight need different openings.

Pro Tip: follow the maker’s height guide, which usually puts the bottom of the opening at about your cat’s belly height. Tape the cutting template on the door first and check it against your cat. If you have a kitten, size for the adult cat.

1. PetSafe Interior Cat Door, 4-Way Lock: best cat door overall

Bottom line: a simple interior cat door with a transparent hard flap and a 5 1/2 × 6 1/8 inch opening for cats up to 15 lb, per the listing. It gives your cat private access to a litter box or food room, and the listing says it keeps the dog and kids out, though a very small dog may still fit.

The listing says it fits interior doors 1 1/8 to 2 inches thick, with a cutting template and hardware included. The 4-way lock lets you set in only, out only, open or locked. The listing had about 16,400 ratings at our check, shared with the 2-way lock version, and was sold by Amazon.

Limitation: it’s built for interior doors, not weather. A big cat may find a 5 1/2 inch wide opening tight, so measure before you cut.

Who this is NOT for: exterior doors, cats over 15 lb, or doors thinner than 1 1/8 inches.

2. Purrfect Portal Meow Manor: best no-flap interior cat door

Bottom line: an interior cat door with no flap at all, so there’s nothing for your cat to push, and the listing says no training is needed. It suits cats that won’t use a flap, and cats up to 20 lb.

The listing says it fits solid and hollow-core doors 1.25 to 1.75 inches thick, installs with screws, and has an option to close the opening when you need to. It had a 4.9-star average from about 7,600 ratings at our check, the highest average in this list. It was sold by Purrfect Portal, not by Amazon.

Limitation: the open portal leaves a direct path for light and air between rooms, and a small dog may fit through too. It’s for interior doors only.

Who this is NOT for: exterior doors, doors outside the 1.25 to 1.75 inch range, or homes where a small dog must be kept out of the litter box.

3. CEESC X-Large Cat Door: best for large cats

Bottom line: the X-Large size has a 7.9 × 8.7 inch inner opening for cats and small dogs under 25 lb with a waist under 24.8 inches, per the listing. It’s the pick for big breeds or a chunky cat who’s outgrown a standard flap.

It has a 4-way lock, a transparent flap, a rain seal on the outside and a brush strip to quiet the flap, and the listing says the tunnel adjusts to doors 1.26 to 2.17 inches thick. It can also go in windows, cupboards and thin walls, per the listing. It had about 12,300 ratings at our check, sold by CEESC.

Limitation: the frame is ABS plastic. For a cold, windy exterior door, the PetSafe Extreme Weather lists three flaps with an insulated center flap, which this listing doesn’t.

Who this is NOT for: small cats that fit a standard-size flap, or exterior doors in very cold climates where you want an insulated multi-flap door.

4. PetSafe Extreme Weather Plastic Pet Door: best for cold winters

Bottom line: a three-flap exterior door with an insulated center flap, rated for climates from -10 to 100 degrees F, per the listing. Check the Small size’s flap dimensions against your cat. It’s the pick if your cat door faces a cold or windy yard.

The listing says it fits paneled, wood, metal and PVC doors 1 5/8 to 2 1/4 inches thick, has a paintable frame and a snap-on closing panel, with a second closing panel sold separately. It had about 2,400 ratings at our check and was sold by Amazon.

Limitation: with three flaps, a timid cat may need extra practice with treats. It doesn’t fit thin doors, and the listing doesn’t list a lock beyond the closing panel.

Who this is NOT for: interior doors (they don’t need the insulation), doors thinner than 1 5/8 inches, or mild climates where a single flap is enough.

5. SureFlap DualScan Microchip Cat Door: best microchip cat door

Bottom line: a microchip cat door that reads your cat’s existing implanted chip to keep out other cats and wildlife, per the listing. The DualScan version also lets you set exit permissions per pet, so you can keep one cat indoors while another goes out.

The listing says it stores up to 32 pets, runs on 4 AA batteries for up to a year with normal use, and has a 4 3/4 × 5 5/8 inch opening. It can go in doors, windows or walls, with mounting accessories sold separately. It had about 2,400 ratings at our check, sold by a third-party seller (SparkleFront).

Limitation: it sits in the premium tier and its 4.0-star average is lower than the simple flaps here. The opening is small, so large cats may not fit, and it needs fresh batteries to keep working.

Who this is NOT for: large cats, cats without a microchip, or homes with no intruder-animal problem and no need to keep one cat indoors.

6. PetSafe Wall Entry Pet Door: best cat door for a wall

Bottom line: a telescoping tunnel for walls 4 3/4 to 7 1/4 inches thick, per the listing, with extension kits sold separately for thicker walls. The Small has a 5 1/4 × 8 1/8 inch flap for cats or dogs up to 15 lb.

It has a double flap for weatherproofing and a slide-in closing panel, and PetSafe notes the frame is plastic, so it won’t rust. It had about 9,200 ratings at our check, sold by Amazon.

Limitation: wall installs are bigger jobs. You need a spot between studs and away from wiring and pipes, and you have to seal the outside cut against rain. If that’s outside your comfort zone, budget for a handyman.

Who this is NOT for: renters, cats over 15 lb, and walls thicker than 7 1/4 inches unless you also buy the extension kit.

7. PetSafe Sliding Glass Pet Door: best for sliding glass doors and renters

Bottom line: a one-piece panel that sits in your sliding glass door’s track, with no cutting into walls or doors, per the listing. This version is sized for cats and medium dogs up to 40 lb, and PetSafe calls it rental-friendly.

The panel adjusts from 75 7/8 to 80 11/16 inches tall, with a weather-resistant aluminum frame, tempered glass, a magnetic flap, a slide-in closing panel and a latch kit to lock the slider, per the listing. The listing had about 26,000 ratings at our check, shared across its sizes. It was sold by Amazon, with 9 left in stock at our check.

Limitation: it sits in the premium tier, and it only fits sliders within its height range, so measure the track first. It also narrows your slider’s opening by the width of the panel.

Who this is NOT for: hinged doors, or sliders outside the 75 7/8 to 80 11/16 inch range.

8. Petoasis Aluminum Window Cat Door: best cat door for a window

Bottom line: a telescoping insert for sash windows 32 to 36 inches wide, per the listing, with a 7.8 × 10.6 inch flap and no tools or drilling. It’s the pick for renters, or for cats that already go out through a window to a porch or catio.

The listing lists an aluminum frame, tempered glass, a 4-way lock, a magnetic flap with weatherstripping, and safety locks to help prevent the window being opened by accident. The frame is 15.3 inches tall. It had about 780 ratings at our check, sold by Oasis for Pets. The listing also comes in XS to XL sizes for narrower and wider windows, so pick the size that matches your window.

Limitation: it only works in sash windows that slide up and down and in the width range of the size you pick, so measure the window and track before you buy. The window stays partly open, which some homes won’t accept for security.

Who this is NOT for: casement or crank windows, windows that don’t match one of its size ranges, or upper-floor windows unless they open onto a secure, enclosed catio.

How to choose a cat door

Is your cat indoor-only or indoor-outdoor?

For indoor-only cats, an interior cat door to a litter box or feeding room is all you need. For cats that go out, the door needs weather seals and a lock, and a safe yard or catio on the other side. A GPS tracker for cats can help you find a cat that roams, but it won’t keep it home.

Can you cut the door, or do you need a wall, window or slider option?

Renters need permission before cutting anything, and a glass door can’t take a standard flap. A window insert or a sliding glass panel needs no cutting, and a wall door keeps the door itself intact.

Do you have a problem with other cats or wildlife?

Any flap your cat can push, a neighbor’s cat or a raccoon can push too. Lock the door at night, or choose a microchip door, which you program with your own cat’s chip. Separately, keep that chip registered with your current contact details. The AVMA explains how microchips help reunite lost pets with their owners.

Will your cat actually use it?

Many cats learn a flap with patience. Prop the flap open at first and toss treats through, then lower it. For interior doors, a no-flap portal like the Meow Manor gives a shy cat no flap to push.

Black Friday tip: US Bing searches for “cat door” peaked at about 1,920 in November 2025, the highest month of the past year. Before the sales, measure your cat and your door, wall or window, and note the exact size and version you need, since the same listing can cover several sizes. Then check the current price and the seller on the listing.

Frequently asked questions

Where should I put a cat door?

For an indoor cat, put it in the door to the room with the litter box or food. For an outdoor cat, choose a door, wall or window that opens onto a safe yard or catio, away from a busy street.

Can you put a cat door in a glass door?

Not a standard flap. For a sliding glass door, use a panel insert like the PetSafe Sliding Glass Pet Door. For a hinged glass door, ask a glass shop to fit a cat flap into a new pane.

Can I install a cat door in a rental?

Ask your landlord before cutting anything. A window insert or a one-piece sliding glass panel needs no cutting and comes out when you move.

How do I keep other cats out of my cat door?

Lock the door at night. For full control, a microchip cat door like the SureFlap DualScan is designed to unlock only for pets you’ve registered with it.

Can a small dog use a cat door?

Some can. The CEESC X-Large lists small dogs under 25 lb, and the no-flap Meow Manor has no flap to stop a small dog. To keep a dog out of the litter box, choose an opening smaller than your dog and check that it can’t squeeze through.

Our verdict

For most homes, the PetSafe Interior Cat Door, 4-Way Lock is the cat door we’d pick first for an inside door. Choose the Meow Manor if your cat won’t push a flap, the CEESC X-Large for a big cat, and the PetSafe Extreme Weather for a cold exterior door. For a wall, go with the PetSafe Wall Entry. If you can’t cut anything, the PetSafe Sliding Glass Pet Door or the Petoasis window cat door sit in the slider or window with no cutting, and choose the SureFlap DualScan when keeping other animals out matters most.

Once your cat can come and go on its own, keep food and the litter box sorted too. See our picks for the best automatic cat feeder and the best self-cleaning litter box. Have a dog too? See our best dog door picks.