Guide · · 3 min read
Cat door for a ranch slider or sliding glass door: fitted door vs clip-in panel
A ranch slider is the obvious way out for most New Zealand cats. There are two ways to put a door in it, and they are not equal. Here is the honest comparison.
By the Pet-Tek International team, Auckland — designers of Catwalk® and Dogwalk® since 1999.
Walk down any street in Auckland and the cat’s route to the garden is through a ranch slider. There are two ways to give it a door of its own: cut a round hole in the glass and fit a proper cat door, or stand a clip-in panel in the track. People buy the panel because it avoids a glazier. They often replace it a year later. Here is why.
Option 1: a fitted door in the glass
A glazier cuts a round hole in the pane — 245 mm for the Catwalk® Standard, 267 mm for the Maxi — and the cat door’s two frame halves clamp through it with a gasket. Nothing is screwed into the glass. The slider still slides, still locks, and keeps its full width. From the outside the door is a small round frame low in the pane; from the inside it is a flap with a 4-way lock.
On single glazing the hole is cut in place. On a double-glazed slider the glazier orders a new sealed unit with the hole made and swaps it in — same frame, a week or two for the unit. Choose a Slim Line door for single glazing and a Dual Glaze for a sealed unit.
Option 2: a clip-in insert panel
An aluminium panel with a pet door in it stands in the slider track, and the slider closes against it. No glass is cut, which is the whole appeal. The costs show up in use: the panel takes 200–300 mm out of the opening you walk through; the edges seal with brush strips that let the wind through; the slider’s own lock no longer reaches the frame, so most panels rely on a bar or a clamp; and a panel that drops into a track can usually be lifted out of it from outside. They suit renters who cannot cut glass. For a home you own, the fitted door wins on every count but the glazier’s invoice.
Side by side
| Fitted door in the pane | Clip-in panel | |
|---|---|---|
| Glass work | Glazier cuts or replaces the pane | None |
| Slider opening | Unchanged | Narrower by the panel width |
| Draughts | Gasket and brush seal | Brush strips along both edges |
| Security | Slider lock unchanged; door locks 4 ways | Slider lock bypassed; panel can lift out |
| Look | Small round frame in the glass | Full-height metal panel |
| Renting | Needs landlord agreement | Removable |
Which fitted door for a slider
- Most cats: Catwalk® Standard, glass 3–10 mm, clear or white.
- Big cats and small dogs: Catwalk® Maxi Slim Line (single glazing) or Maxi Dual Glaze (sealed units).
- Keep other cats out: Multi-Magnetic, collar magnet, no batteries — or the SureFlap Microchip with its glass adaptor.
- Dogs: Dogwalk® Intermediate Slim Line or Medium Slim Line.
Where on the slider
In the fixed pane if you can — it never moves, so the cat’s route is always there. In the sliding pane, keep the hole on the side away from the handle so the open slider clears the pet door, and at least 100 mm from any edge. Bottom of the opening 100–150 mm off the floor for a cat.
What it costs
The door, plus the glazier. Single glazing cut in place is the smaller job; a new sealed unit costs more and takes a second visit. Give the glazier the cut-out size from the product page and get two quotes. We sell the door and do not install, so there is no mark-up on the glass work.
More questions on glass, sizing and installation are answered on the FAQ page.
Quick answers
Can you put a cat door in a sliding glass door?
Yes. A glazier cuts a round hole in the pane — or supplies a new pane with the hole made — and a Slim Line glass-fitting cat door clamps through it. The slider still slides and locks as before.
What is the best cat flap for glass?
A glass-fitting door with a round frame that clamps either side of the pane: the Catwalk Standard for most cats, the Maxi for large cats and small dogs, or the Multi-Magnetic for selective entry. Choose Dual Glaze for sealed units, Slim Line for single glazing and sliders.
Is a clip-in pet door panel a good idea?
It avoids cutting glass, but it narrows the opening, lets draughts in around the edges, and most can be lifted out from outside. A fitted door in the pane keeps the slider's full width, seal and lock.
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