Cat Barricade for Sliding Patio Door?

[Rackonteur]

I am trying to set up some sort of barrier for my sliding patio door so that I can open the glass door and keep the screen door shut. Something to reinforce the screen door. The other day my cat spotted something outside and hit the screen door running. Thank goodness it held but I am afraid it might give way next time.

Do you think a big dog crate set in front of the door would work? If 29"-36" high I don’t think she would jump up on it. She doesn’t jump more than about 20" at her age (15). I am also thinking about a dog/cat playpen like this one.

https://www.chewy.com/furhaven-soft-…ypen/dp/225346

I thought about a gate, but I’m worried that even if I set it tightly in the doorway it might come loose and fall on her.

If you have any ideas, please let me know! She loves sitting by the screen door listening and smelling the great outdoors but I don’t want her hitting the screen anymore at a run.

[Chall]

Lol, I recall when my childhood cat launched at a bird outside and left a cat head dent in the screen and a dizzy cat.

i would start with making the screen visible. Cats focus exclusively on the bird and stop seeing the netting.

Maybe decorative lattice would work, again as a visual aid. Focus on the visual aids.
if you have time on your hands you could make a lattice of light weight wood, balsam wood comes to mind or anything you can find in a crafts store.

i think you need to cover the whole door, otherwise the cat will try to jump over the “fence” if it’s just the lower half of the door.

[Chall]

@Chall

Lol, I recall when my childhood cat launched at a bird outside and left a cat head dent in the screen and a dizzy cat.

i would start with making the screen visible. Cats focus exclusively on the bird and stop seeing the netting.

Maybe decorative lattice would work, again as a visual aid. Focus on the visual aids.
if you have time on your hands you could make a lattice of light weight wood, balsam wood comes to mind or anything you can find in a crafts store.

i think you need to cover the whole door, otherwise the cat will try to jump over the “fence” if it’s just the lower half of the door.

P.S. My cats learned to walk on leashes (more like 20 ft of string attached to their collars). My cat with a cast on her leg would go out and sniff and enjoy the outdoors while I read a book. Eventually I “stake tied” her leash to the door handle so she could go out or come in. That worked fine until a thunder storm when she broke loose and I ran through all the neighbors yards like a madwoman and caught her. She could really move in that cast!

[CanadianTrotter]

@Chall

i would start with making the screen visible.

Maybe decorative lattice would work, again as a visual aid. Focus on the visual aids.
if you have time on your hands you could make a lattice of light weight wood, balsam wood comes to mind or anything you can find in a crafts store.

i think you need to cover the whole door, otherwise the cat will try to jump over the “fence” if it’s just the lower half of the door.

Hardware cloth?

I’ve used it for screen doors and for screened windows.

[Rackonteur]

@Chall

Lol, I recall when my childhood cat launched at a bird outside and left a cat head dent in the screen and a dizzy cat.

i would start with making the screen visible. Cats focus exclusively on the bird and stop seeing the netting.

Maybe decorative lattice would work, again as a visual aid. Focus on the visual aids.
if you have time on your hands you could make a lattice of light weight wood, balsam wood comes to mind or anything you can find in a crafts store.

i think you need to cover the whole door, otherwise the cat will try to jump over the “fence” if it’s just the lower half of the door.

I like your idea of a lattice. Thank you.
Do you mean make it part of the screen door, or make it separate and mount it some way in the doorway?
I have a friend who might be able to make something like that.

[Rackonteur]

I’ve even thought about a fireguard. One of those big ones that curves at the top. But again, I would worry about it falling inward on her.

[Rackonteur]

@Chall

P.S. My cats learned to walk on leashes (more like 20 ft of string attached to their collars). My cat with a cast on her leg would go out and sniff and enjoy the outdoors while I read a book. Eventually I “stake tied” her leash to the door handle so she could go out or come in. That worked fine until a thunder storm when she broke loose and I ran through all the neighbors yards like a madwoman and caught her. She could really move in that cast!

I have had 4 cats that would walk on leashes. Three did fine until they didn’t. All three got loose – including my current kitty when she was about 2 years old.

[Chall]

@Rackonteur

I like your idea of a lattice. Thank you.
Do you mean make it part of the screen door, or make it separate and mount it some way in the doorway?
I have a friend who might be able to make something like that.

whatever works for you, for diy I usually end up doing whatever is easiest. I’d probably make a frame for the lattice and use eyehooks to attach it to the door*, so it could be removed. But lightweight so if it fails no one gets hurt.

Cammie’s picture though, scares me. Maybe not a latice but vertical sticks would both block and discourage the inner Mount Everest hiker…

• don’t do something permanent until you know it works!

[Marla_100]

Now I realize why so many here have built kitty condos- screened- her own screen room. Lots of old threads on COTH if you’re
interested. A cat rescue near me built a huge screened cat-o-minium and the kitties love it.

[rubygirl1968]

Could you have someone handy reinforce the screen with hardware cloth on the outside? That way you’d still have the screen for bugs but reinforcement for Callie.

[danacat]

Maybe put a pattern of ‘glass awareness’ – peel and stick – stickers on your screen. No idea how well they will stick to screen… and if they stick too well they might be hard to get off. Could solve your problem though.

[Gainer]

I use baby gates like Cammie does. I have some very sturdy ones with a honeycomb-type design. If I stack 3, 1 on top of the other, they pretty much cover the entire door.

It has kept both young and old, fat and skinny, climber and non-climber contained. You do need very sturdy ones, though, which cost a bit more.

[Simkie]

If you Google screen door saver or screen door protector, there are a bunch of options that install on the door and give you a solid screened section at the bottom. They’re designed to prevent pets (usually dogs) from going through, or kids.

Here are a couple:

”‹”‹”‹”‹”‹
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Unique-Home-Designs-36-in-x-30-in-Bronze-Steel-Pet-Grille-ISPA800036BRZ/203077138

https://m.kohls.com/product/prd-813836/safety-1st-screen-door-saver.jsp?skuid=91753153&

They’re really an “install and forget” kind of thing, which is great–you don’t have to worry about it once it’s on.

We have the first and often leave that door open. No problems with the cats going through or climbing (and they would! 🤣)