A cat door for an interior door almost always means sawing a hole through the bottom of a door that, in a rental, came with the apartment, so check your lease before any jigsaw comes out. If cutting is off the table, a no-cut latch can hold the door at a gap your cat slips through. And a cut-in door can still go into a second door that you hang now and swap back at move-out.
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Cat door for an interior door you rent: the picks
Renters with a standard latching door should get the Door Buddy Cat Door Prop: no saw, no adhesive, no new holes and an adjustable gap.
Will it fit? Door Buddy Cat Door Prop
- Gap
- 3 to 5.5 in (8 to 14 cm), adjustable
- Door
- Latching swing door 1⅜ in (3.5 cm) thick; strike plate screws 1⅝ in (4.1 cm) apart
- On the door
- Replaces the strike plate, on its own screws
- Best for
- Renters with a standard latching door (our pick)
- Skip if
- Ball catch, sliding or folding door, or a door 1¾ in (4.4 cm) thick
Details
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon.com at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.Other doors and leases:
- Lease forbids new hardwareFlexLatch Cat Door Holder (XL).$9.49 Price as of Nov 2, 2026, 03:52 UTCCheck price at Amazon
Details
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon.com at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product. - Pocket, bifold or barn doorDoor Buddy Dog Plus Door Stopper.$19.97 Price as of Nov 2, 2026, 03:52 UTCCheck price at Amazon
Details
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon.com at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product. - Big cat, cutting allowedMeow Manor XL, rated to 30 lb.$39.01 Price as of Nov 2, 2026, 03:52 UTCCheck price at Amazon
Details
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon.com at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
Key takeaways
- Read your lease before cutting or drilling; if it says nothing, ask the landlord in writing and keep the reply. → the lease first
- Hold the door open 4 in (10 cm), then 5.5 in (14 cm); if your cat hesitates at 5.5 in (14 cm), go cut-in. → opening size
- Cutting allowed only if the original returns? Cut a second door and store the original with its pins. → the door swap
- A cat going outside a box placed behind a door may be ill: see a vet first, as Cornell advises, and at once for straining. → the vet note
We shortlisted eight products from five makers and read every maker’s own page. Three leave the door whole. Five need a saw.
Will it fit? FlexLatch Cat Door Holder, Extra Large
- Gap
- About 5.5 in (14 cm), fixed
- Door
- Most doorknob styles, FlexLatch says
- On the door
- Nothing; it hangs from the knob
- Best for
- A lease that rules out any hardware change
- Skip if
- You want to set the gap yourself
Details
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon.com at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.Will it fit? Purrfect Portal Meow Manor XL
- Size
- 11 x 10.25 in (28 x 26 cm) overall, cut from a paper template
- Door
- 1.25 to 1.75 in (3.2 to 4.4 cm), hollow or solid core
- Cat
- Up to 30 lb (13.6 kg)
- Best for
- A big cat and a door you may cut, or a second door
- Skip if
- The landlord has not said yes in writing
Details
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon.com at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.| Product | Type | Gap or opening | Door | Cat size given |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Door Buddy Cat Door Prop | No cut; replaces strike plate | 3 to 5.5 in (8 to 14 cm), adjustable | Latching doors 1⅜ in (3.5 cm) thick | “Most cat sizes” |
| FlexLatch Cat Door Holder (XL) | No cut; hangs on knob | About 5.5 in (14 cm), fixed | Most knobs | “Most large cats” |
| Door Buddy Dog Plus Door Stopper | No cut; adhesive strap, foam stopper | 0 to 6 in (0 to 15 cm) (FAQ: up to 8) | Most interior doors | Not given |
| Meow Manor Interior Cat Door | Cut-in arch, latching door | 9.36 x 9.19 in (24 x 23 cm) overall | 1.25 to 1.75 in (3.2 to 4.4 cm) | Up to 20 lb |
| Meow Manor XL Interior Cat Door | Cut-in arch, latching door | 11 x 10.25 in (28 x 26 cm) overall | 1.25 to 1.75 in (3.2 to 4.4 cm) | Up to 30 lb |
| The Kitty Pass XL | Cut-in open frame | 9 x 8 in (23 x 20 cm) opening | 1.25 to 1.75 in (3.2 to 4.4 cm) | Up to 30 lb |
| PetSafe Cat Corridor | Cut-in open frame | Not published | Interior doors only | Up to 20 lb |
| Kitty Korner Right Hand Swing Kit | Corner cut, SlideLock hinge | About 10 x 14 x 10 in (25 x 36 x 25 cm) corner | Hollow or solid core | Not given |
Weight ratings are not widths: no maker here converts 20 or 30 lb into a shoulder measurement. See the opening-size section to check your own cat.
Before you cut: the lease, the door and a tape measure
Whether you may cut, drill or swap a door is between you, your lease and your landlord, so check your lease first. If it says nothing, ask in writing and file the reply with your move-in photos. Then measure:
- The door’s edge. Cut-in doors here fit 1.25 to 1.75 in (3.2 to 4.4 cm); Door Buddy built its prop for 1⅜ in (3.5 cm).
- Its core: a hollow-core door sounds hollow when you knock.
- The strike plate the latch clicks into. For the prop, its screw holes must sit 1⅝ in (4.1 cm) apart, and the trim’s front under 1⅜ in (3.5 cm) from a hole’s center.
- What the door swings back against. Door Buddy says a wall, cabinet or appliance beside the doorway can defeat its widest setting: picture a bathroom door that opens onto the sink.
No-cut options: a door prop, a strap or a knob latch
None of these three touches the door with a saw. Each holds it at a gap its maker calls wide enough for a cat and too narrow for a bigger dog.
The prop. The Door Buddy Cat Door Prop screws on where your strike plate was, with the same screws, and slides to the width you choose before you lock it with the Torx wrench in the box. Door Buddy calls it portable and suited to renters, and removal means putting the original plate back. Propped, the door stays put. Turn the handle to walk in, or push the prop aside to close the door fully.
The strap. The Door Buddy Dog Plus Door Stopper sticks a strap and latch to the door and frame on 3M pads and adds a foam stopper. It fits the pocket, bifold and double doors the prop cannot. Removal is the renter’s question: Door Buddy says to soften each pad with a hair dryer and twist the part off, or to work floss through the warm adhesive, which it admits is not guaranteed to leave no damage. Keep the pads off walls and drywall.
The knob latch. The FlexLatch Cat Door Holder is a one-piece nylon latch with a stainless steel support that hangs from the doorknob. No screws, no tape, nothing to undo at move-out. FlexLatch gives about 4 in (10 cm) of gap for the standard size and about 5.5 in (14 cm) for the XL. That gap is fixed, and FlexLatch’s pages never say whether the latch stops the door from swinging shut.
Plain door stops are the weak link. A wedge holds a door open, not narrow, so a dog shoulders past. A foam stopper on the door’s edge, like Door Buddy’s, keeps it from closing on a tail but lets it swing wider.
Tails, paws and teeth. Door Buddy says its strap on its own does not stop a door from closing, so without the foam stopper a finger or tail can be pinched and a pet shut in or out; its prop holds the door still. No maker here mentions chewing. Check straps and latches weekly for bite marks or fraying, and take them down for a cat that chews, since swallowed thread can cause a linear foreign body, an emergency in VCA Animal Hospitals’ guidance. Door Buddy adds that its products never replace watching a child and must never be used to contain an aggressive animal.
Cut-in doors: cut-out size and door thickness
Purrfect Portal’s Meow Manor and PetSafe’s Cat Corridor install alike. Take the door off its hinges, tape the template at the bottom center, cut with a jigsaw and screw a frame to each face; PetSafe adds four holes from an 11 mm bit. Kitty Korner puts a hinge on one cut corner instead. No maker prints the cut-out as a number on the pages we read, so the table gives the overall or opening sizes they do publish.
Two makers state the opening itself. The Kitty Pass gives 9 in wide by 8 in high (23 x 20 cm); Kitty Korner, about 10 x 14 x 10 in (25 x 36 x 25 cm) for its corner opening, with no thickness range or weight limit. PetSafe’s page lists neither an opening nor a thickness range, so we cannot give either.
Most results for a cat flap for an interior door are frames like these; the Meow Manor is sold as flap-free. Whichever you pick, a 9 in (23 cm) hole is no nail hole to fill with spackle. Plan the swap below before you cut.
Swap the door at move-out: keep the original
If the landlord will allow a cat door as long as the original comes back, cut a second door. No maker here covers renters swapping doors, so this is practical advice, not a rule.
- Get the yes in writing, naming the door.
- Measure height, width, thickness, hinge positions and the handle side.
- Tap the hinge pins up, bottom hinge first, with a helper holding the door; the Meow Manor manual warns that an unsupported door can fall and injure someone.
- Wrap the original and store it somewhere dry, its pins, strike plate and handle bagged and taped to it.
- Hang the cut replacement on the existing hinges.
- At move-out, rehang the original.
In a studio the hard part is storage. Under the bed or flat behind the sofa are the obvious spots, and the space-fit planner shows whether that gap really exists.
How big an opening does a large cat need?
No veterinary source we read gives a cat door opening size or a body width for cats. Only makers give numbers. Door Buddy says 3 to 5.5 in (8 to 14 cm) suits most cats; FlexLatch says 4 in (10 cm) suits most cats and 5.5 in (14 cm) most large ones; The Kitty Pass XL gives 9 x 8 in (23 x 20 cm) for cats up to 30 lb. The Meow Manor and PetSafe give weight limits but no opening.
Pounds leave out shape. A 20 lb cat can be long and narrow or short and broad. Door Buddy suggests judging by head size or shoulder width, which costs nothing to try: hold the door open by hand at 4 in (10 cm), then 5.5 in (14 cm), at the latch edge, and watch whether your cat strolls through or squeezes. If 5.5 in (14 cm) makes it hesitate, go cut-in.
Apartment cat door setups: litter, food and the bedroom
A litter box behind a closed door
Hiding the box is why most people want a cat door, and the guidelines care about the one thing a door changes: access. The AAHA and AAFP guidance lists quiet spots with an escape route, and Cornell’s Feline Health Center says most cats prefer a box they can reach 24 hours a day. A closet door that blows shut at 2 a.m. fails both. Hence a prop that holds the door still, or an opening that cannot close.
In a closet the cat door is the only exit, so place the box where the cat can watch that opening. The 2014 house-soiling guidelines from the AAFP and ISFM add that some cats avoid a box near a cat door other cats use, so a second cat’s box belongs elsewhere. Their yardstick for box length is the cat’s nose-to-tail-base length times 1.5, and the cat measuring tool checks a closet against it. Move a box that already works only several inches a day, as they advise; the litter box placement guide compares the closet with other spots.
If the box stops getting used. A cat that starts going outside the box once it sits behind a door may be reacting to the door, or may be ill. Cornell’s Feline Health Center says to see a vet first, since urinary, kidney and thyroid disease, diabetes and pain can all start this way. Straining or crying in the box means a vet at once.
Keeping a dog out of the litter and the food
Door Buddy is candid about the limit: a gap works when the dog is larger than the cat or about the same size, and may not when the dog is smaller. No cut-in maker publishes a dog size its opening keeps out. Put the bowls behind a different door from the box if you can, since the AAFP and ISFM want litter well away from food and water.
Heating and cooling a closed room
A propped door never seals a room; Door Buddy pitches the airflow as a way to trim heating and cooling costs, with no figures. To keep a bedroom warm on a winter night, or one room cool under a window unit, pick the Meow Manor, whose little door latches shut with a turn of its knob.
A cat door for the bedroom at night
Kitty Korner built its hinge for the cat that scratches at 3 a.m. to come in, then out. Any gap ends that, and the Door Buddy prop still lets you close the door fully. A new cat is different. San Diego Humane Society starts a newcomer in one small room with a door, and Door Buddy suggests its narrowest setting, under 3 in (7.6 cm), for introductions, so keep the gap shut through the first weeks of the 3-3-3 rule.
The eight picks, and who should skip each one
Who each one suits, and when to pass:
- Door Buddy Cat Door Prop, our pick. No cut, no adhesive, no new holes, a gap you set and door measurements published up front. Skip it for a ball catch or a sliding or folding door.
- FlexLatch Cat Door Holder (XL). For a lease that bans any hardware change. Skip it if your cat needs a gap other than 4 or 5.5 in (10 or 14 cm).
- Door Buddy Dog Plus Door Stopper. For pocket, bifold, barn and double doors. Skip it on fresh paint.
- Meow Manor. A latching arch for cats up to 20 lb, 15 to 25 minutes to fit by its maker’s count. Skip it for a cat near 20 lb.
- Meow Manor XL. The highest rating here, 30 lb. Skip it if the landlord said no to a cut.
- The Kitty Pass XL. A stated 9 x 8 in (23 x 20 cm) opening, made in the USA; its own site showed it sold out on Oct 17, 2026, so look on Amazon. Skip it if you need a door that closes.
- PetSafe Cat Corridor. Rated to 20 lb, with 45-day returns from PetSafe. Skip it if you want the opening size before you cut.
- Kitty Korner. A corner cut instead of a hole, in left- and right-hand kits. Skip it if you want a weight limit in writing.
How these interior cat doors were chosen
The page is written for renters, so the first test was whether the door stays uncut. Eight products from five makers were then compared on the door thickness and core each one fits, the gap or opening, and how the original door comes back at move-out. Every figure comes from a maker page. PetSafe’s page gives no opening or door thickness, and numbers seen in search snippets could not be confirmed, so the size is called unpublished. No maker turns a weight rating into a body width.
Questions about interior cat doors
Can you put a cat door in an interior door?
Most interior doors can take one if the thickness falls inside the maker’s range, which is 1.25 to 1.75 in (3.2 to 4.4 cm) for the Meow Manor and The Kitty Pass. The work is lifting the door off, tracing the template at the bottom and cutting with a jigsaw. In a rental, read the lease first.
What are some alternatives to a cat door?
A door prop that replaces the strike plate, an adhesive strap from door to frame, or a latch hung on the knob. Each one holds the door at a cat-sized gap without a hole. A wedge also props a door open, though nothing then stops a dog from widening the gap.
Can a cat door go in a hollow-core door?
Three of the cut-in makers here, Purrfect Portal, The Kitty Pass and Kitty Korner, say hollow core works as well as solid. The Meow Manor’s two frames sit one on each face of the door, and its maker warns that a slab thicker than its range can leave a visible gap between them.
Do I need my landlord’s permission for a cat door?
That depends on your lease, which is why it comes before anything that needs a saw. If the lease says nothing, email the landlord, describe the door and how you will restore it, and keep the reply. A knob latch avoids the question, since nothing on the door changes.
What do I do with a cut door when I move out?
Rehang the original, which is the reason to store it from day one with its pins and handle. If the original is gone, ask the landlord how they want the opening handled before the final walkthrough, rather than patching it yourself.
Will a door prop work on a small bathroom door?
It depends on what the door swings into. A vanity, toilet or wall beside the opening can pinch even the widest setting, by Door Buddy’s own account. Hold the door at 5.5 in (14 cm) and measure the cat’s path past the sink before ordering.
Next step. Plan the litter box behind that door with the space-fit planner.
Sources
- AAHA and AAFP, “2021 Feline Life Stage Guidelines: general litter box considerations,” aaha.org, read Oct 16, 2026.
- AAFP and ISFM, “Guidelines for Diagnosing and Solving House-Soiling Behavior in Cats,” Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery, 2014, journals.sagepub.com, read Oct 16, 2026.
- Cornell Feline Health Center, “Feline Behavior Problems: House Soiling,” vet.cornell.edu, read Oct 16, 2026.
- San Diego Humane Society, “Adopting: Cat Confinement in a New Home,” sdhumane.org, read Oct 16, 2026.
- VCA Animal Hospitals, “Linear Foreign Body in Cats,” vcahospitals.com, read Oct 16, 2026.
- Door Buddy, “Door Buddy Cat Door Prop” and “Door Prop Installation Guide,” thedoorbuddy.com, read Oct 17, 2026.
- FlexLatch, “Extra Large FlexLatch Cat Door Holder” and “FlexLatch Cat Door Holder,” flexlatch.com, read Oct 17, 2026.
- Door Buddy, “Dog Plus Door Stopper,” “Door Strap Installation Guide” and “FAQ,” thedoorbuddy.com, read Oct 17, 2026.
- Purrfect Portal, “Meow Manor Interior Cat Door,” “Meow Manor XL Interior Cat Door,” “FAQs” and “Meow Manor Installation Manual,” purrfectportal.com, read Oct 17, 2026.
- The Kitty Pass, “The Kitty Pass XL Interior Cat Door,” thekittypass.com, read Oct 17, 2026.
- PetSafe, “Cat Corridor Interior Pet Door” and “How to Install the Cat Corridor Interior Pet Door,” petsafe.com, read Oct 17, 2026.
- Kitty Korner, “Interior Cat Door: Right Hand Swing Kit” and “Installation Stuff,” kittykornerdoor.com, read Oct 17, 2026.
