Electronic Pet Doors

America's Pet Store carries all manner of electronic pet doors that can be installed in doors, walls and even in the track of your sliding glass windows. Power sources used can be electricity, batteries, or both.

There are differences among electronic pet doors. Plexidor makes the highest quality electronic pet doors on the market today. You can be fully assured that a Plexidor automatic pet door is the most reliable and secure. Plexidor electronic pet doors utilize Radio Frequency Infrared Device (RFID) technology. They feature a waterproof programmable key that is worn on your pet's collar, and activates the dog door when your dog is standing within inches of the door. In researching electronic pet doors you will find that a Plexidor pet door will truly stand out as superior. They cost more than other brands but if excellence is your goal then Plexidor is the brand for you.

Another very popular line of electronic pet door is the High Tech Power pet door lineup. These doors utilize ultra-sonic technology and come in different models for different areas of installation in your home. High Tech offers an electronic patio pet door, a wall-mount pet door and door-mount styles.

High Tech's electronic pet doors, including their pet door for sliders, give you three options for a power source: electric power, electric power with a battery back-up, or just battery power alone. The great thing about using electric power with a battery back-up is that in the event of a power outage, the battery power automatically kicks in. So if you aren't home and the power goes out, you won't have to worry about whether or not your pet door will still operate. It will.

If heavy winds are a concern for you, keep in mind that both the Plexidor and High Tech product lines are 100% windproof. This is because the door only opens if it receives a signal from the transmitter on your pet's collar. The door will not open any other way, which also means you won't have to worry about any 4-legged intruders such as raccoons or skunks.

Ideal Pet Door makes an electronic pet door for sliding glass doors that is battery operated with a standard, 9-volt transistor battery (included). The batteries are easy to find at most any electronics or hardware store when it's time to replace a dead one with a fresh one. Ideal specifies that their electronic pet doors are for cats. But if you are looking to buy a small pet door because you have a small dog, Ideal's flap/entrance is 7" x 9" and many of the small breeds will have no trouble using it.

Of course, you must measure your pet to be absolutely sure before you buy a pet door for dogs or a pet door for cats. We cannot emphasize this enough. The best and most accurate way to figure out if a pet door is large enough is to cut out a hole in a piece of cardboard that is the exact size of the flap entrance. If your pet can walk through the hole, then the flap entrance’s size will work for your pet.

The Staywell Pet Door line offers electronic pet doors utilizing infrared technology. The 6 x 6 flaps on these doors are quite small and are basically pet doors for cats or very, very small dogs. These models can also be used as a window pet door but Staywell notes the following: If a flap is to be fitted into double glazed, toughened or tempered glass then this can ONLY be done so at the time the glass panel is manufactured.

Preventing other animals from entering the home is one of the biggest reasons people turn to electronic pet doors, even though they definitely cost more than a traditional flap pet door. Traditional flap pet doors aren't "smart" so they can't differentiate your pet or pets from other domestic or wild animals. To those people, the extra cost is well worth the security of knowing raccoons, skunks, feral cats, etc. can't enter their home and cause mischief…or worse.

Other folks who seek out electronic pet doors are those who have multiple pets where some are allowed outdoors and others are not. In those situations traditional, manual flap-style pet doors would never do, but electronic pet doors are not 100% foolproof either.

Crafty pets that really put their mind to it might be able to sneak out through electronic pet doors when they open for an authorized pet. However, it's a big "might". Basically, electronic pet doors are a very good solution for letting some pets out and keeping some pets in for their safety.

Those are the most common reasons that people site for wanting electronic pet doors. But there are other very important reasons, even if less common. For example, people with infants who are able to crawl about the house may prefer electronic pet doors to traditional ones to prevent their baby from crawling outdoors.

Demands for energy efficient pet door models are increasing more and more due to higher home energy costs. Electronic pet doors by design can be more energy efficient than some manual flap pet doors because they can't blow open in the wind. Not even in very heavy winds. Remember, the only way an electronic pet door will open is if it receives a signal from the transmitter attached to your pet's collar.

To promote optimum energy efficiency, all brands of electronic pet doors carried by America's Pet Store come with weather-stripping to help insulate the pet door after installation. Other brands we carry that are also designed for optimum energy efficiency (but are not electronic) are Freedom Pet Pass pet doors, Hale Pet Doors and Patio Pacific Pet Doors. If you need a pet door for sliding glass doors that is super energy efficient take a look at Patio Pacific's Thermo Panel IIIe models that feature dual-pane glass and the famous Endura Flap.

If you would like assistance in comparing different brands of electronic pet doors or any of our other products for pets, please contact us toll-free at 1-800-870-1941 or at customerservice@americas-pet-store.com and we'll be happy to help you.

In addition to electronic pet doors, Americas-Pet-Store.com carries many other types including a traditional, flap-style pet door for patio doors and many others. Check out our PetSafe Pet Door and DogWalk Pet Door lineups. You'll find sizes from small all the way up to large pet door models. We even carry XL pet door models. However, we no longer carry storm doors with pet doors.