5 Benefits of a Pet Door
When it comes to your pet, you’d probably do just about anything to keep them healthy, happy, and with the highest quality of life. Between all the wet kisses, furry cuddles, and companionship they provide, your pet does a lot for you—and means even more.
One of the best gifts you can give your dog or cat is a pet door. This addition to your home is relatively simple to install but can make a big difference in your pet’s life, potentially improving their health, happiness, and even behavior.
Wondering about the many benefits of installing a pet door? Keep reading to find out.
#1 They Give Your Pets More Freedom
One of the biggest benefits of installing a pet door is the sense of freedom and control it provides your pet companion. Your cat or dog may love the comforts of home—a warm, safe place to sleep, guaranteed meals, and of course, your cuddles—but even the most domesticated animal is likely to long for the great outdoors. Having a pet door will make your pet feel at home by allowing it the freedom it needs.
You may not think that your pet is too concerned with their personal freedom, but experts suggest otherwise. In fact, according to animal behaviorists and ethicists, giving your furry friend the gift of freedom has the potential to improve their quality of life by:
- Increasing mobility and exercise – A pet door can give your dog or cat increased opportunities to enjoy open, unobstructed areas where they can play and exercise as needed, even when you’re not around to open the door for them.
- Engaging animal instincts and expending energy – If you’ve ever witnessed your pet running the length of your home for no apparent reason, then you already know how much energy they can build up—and clearly need to expend. With a pet door, they can easily let themselves out to chase birds, hunt rodents, or sniff around the grass, fully engaging their basic instincts.
- Minimizing isolation – When you and your family are at work or school all day, your pet can start to feel lonely. A pet door can minimize those feelings by giving them easy access to the outside world.
A pet door allows your cat or dog to come and go as they please, meaning you won’t have your family meals or Netflix binge sessions interrupted by your dog braying at the back door or your cat meowing to be let out. Thanks to that newfound freedom, a pet door can benefit you as well as your furry friends.
#2 They Can Increase Your Pet’s Happiness
Walking by a dog park or watching a cat chase a bird through your backyard is proof enough that animals love being outdoors. Installing a pet door allows your cat or dog to experience that happiness more frequently.
Running and playing is very important for a dog’s happiness. No matter how pampered they are, they’re still animals, meaning they crave the outdoors. According to some animal behavioral experts, going outside can help decrease a dog’s level of boredom, anxiety, and depression.
For cats, going outside primarily means the opportunity to hunt. Cats are natural and expert hunters and will follow through with these instincts even when they’re well-fed.
#3 They Can Lead to Better Health
Regular access to the outside can do wonders for your pet’s health. Dogs in particular have a lot to gain by being able to let themselves outside whenever they want. Aside from the benefits to their mental health, a pet door means your dog can go outside when they need to use the “restroom,” meaning their favorite spot in your yard.
How is that good for their health? Leaving your dog inside all day while you’re gone can mean they have to go long periods of time without passing waste. Holding urine for hours and hours at a time can pose serious health risks, such as:
- Urinary tract infections
- Bladder infections
- Bladder stones
- Kidney infections
- Weakened bladder
- Toxic back-up
In the long run, a lack of regular potty breaks can also lead to incontinence.
#4 They Can Improve Your Pet’s Behavior
Aside from the benefits to your pet’s mental and physical health, a pet door can also help manage and improve their behavior.
When pets are stuck inside all day, they grow bored, restless, annoyed, and even angry. But if they can go outside and play when they want, whether you’re around or not, they’re more likely to have positive, amenable dispositions. Easy access to the outside can reduce:
- Boredom
- Aggressive behavior
- Unnecessary barking
#5 They Can Help Keep Your House Clean
A pet door can help keep your home clean and tidy. For dogs, it can reduce the number of indoor accidents that occur when they can’t easily access the outdoors—their “bathroom.” That means no more coming home at the end of a long workday to a puddle of urine on the kitchen floor and an embarrassed pup.
For cats, it can eliminate the need to keep a litter box in the house. Cats who travel freely may be more likely to do their business outside, though this may simply mean you’re picking up after them in the backyard instead of cleaning their litter box.
Installing A Pet Door to Help Your Furry Friend
The benefits of having a special door for your four-legged friend apply to you as much as to them. Between healthier habits, bodies, and mental states, plus a cleaner home, a dedicated pet door is one easy way to ensure wagging tails and purring cats.
Glass Guru can set you up with a pet door that meets your needs, whether you want it at the front or back of your house, and in a standard wooden door, glass patio slider, or even a screen door. If you’re not sure which style is best for you and your pet, our team of expert estimators and installers will work with you to make the right decision. Your pet should enjoy the same freedoms you do. The Glass Guru can help.
