Cat Mate Electromagnetic Cat Door Review

Cat Mate Electromagnetic Pet Door Review

Cat Mate Electromagnetic is a cat door that gives your pet the freedom to exit and enter the house as many times as he/she wants, enjoying the outdoors and relieving you from the “doorman” duty.

Cat Mate pet door gives a reliable solution because it identifies your cat with electromagnetic technology and allows it to enter the house without letting stray pets or other animals enter the house. The door recognizes your cat through a small magnet that doubles as an identification tag that your cat wears in its collar. A sensitive circuit located in the control panel senses your cat tag and allows it to get in.

Features of Cat Mate Electromagnetic Pet Door

• Electromagnetic 4-Way locking cat door
• Self-framing to 2-3/8 inches thick (60mm)
• Includes 2 compact magnets
• Flap with brush weather-proof seal, keeping home temperature and reducing noise
• It opens only to the cat wearing the magnet and keeps unwanted animals out
• Overall Door Size: 9-1/2-inch tall x 7-5/8- inch wide
• Cut Out Size: 8-5/8-inch tall x 6-5/8-inch wide
• Cat Opening: 6-1/2-inch tall x 6-inch wide
• Complete instructions included
• Suitable for: Doors/Panel

Key Specifications

• According to the manufacturer official website, this electromagnetic pet door is suitable for small to average size cats. Considering the door’s dimensions, cats weighing up to 13 lbs should fit well.
• The Control Panel is battery powered with a single 9 Vol. alkaline battery that lasts approx. 12 months with a single cat and normal use.
• 3-year guarantee.

How the Cat Mate Electromagnetic Door Works

The Cat Mate cat door detects the field of a super compact magnet the cat wears in its collar and unlocks a latch that allows the cat to enter the house from the outside by pushing the door with its nose or head to get in. Once the cat gets inside, the door returns to its normal position to get locked.

The unit features 4-Way locking: 2-way, Only-in, Only-out, Locked. Frame lining to 2 3/8” (60mm), ideal for all doors. Control Panel uses one 9-volt battery not included. Cat Mate Electromagnetic cat door includes two compact magnets that go attached to your cat’s existing collar similar to a name tag.

Locking System Modes

The locking system only prevents the door from swinging into the house, but not from swinging outward. How the 4-Way setting works:

• 2-Way: The cat wearing the magnet on its collar can exit and enter the cat door. The cat only needs to wear the magnet when entering the door but not when getting out.
• Entry Only: Useful setting if you want to keep your cat inside at night. The locking has to be made manually once your cat is inside.
• Exit Only: This feature allows you to keep your cat outside.
• Locked: the pet door is completely locked.

Is The Cat Mate Electromagnetic Pet Door Easy to Install?

The Electromagnetic Cat Mate door is relatively easy to install. Depending on the installation you will need a jigsaw, a drill, and a screwdriver. Usually, in the descriptions, you will read “self-lining”. A “liner” is simply the frame that goes through the door to cover up the inside of the door. Self-lining means that you don’t have to build the frame for the cat flap if used in the door or panels.

Installing on Wooden Doors and Plastic Panels:

1. Place the template in the position you want the cat door. The bottom of the hole has to be the same height as your cat’s lower stomach.
2. Draw the cat flap round completely.
3. Before cutting the hole, drill 2 holes of approximately 1/4″ (6mm) diameter in both top corners.
4. Cut the hole along the inside of the drawn line using an electric jig-saw.
5. Determine the thickness of the panel in your door to use the right screws.
6. Screw attaching both parts of the cat door.

These instructions are for general information. You will find more detailed information and other types of installations in the manual.

Pros & Cons of Cat Mate Electromagnetic Pet Door

By checking a list of pros and cons you are more well informed about the advantages and disadvantages of this device so you can make a better decision:

PROS

• 4-Way locking
• Easy instructions and installation
• Collar magnets are generic so you have more alternatives where to buy replacements (they have to be strong).
• Neighbor’s cats without a magnet can’t access the cat door.
• It is not very loud (when unlocking it sounds like a Morse code machine)
• Good size allows cats up to 13 lbs to pass through
• Flap with brush weather-proof seal
• Battery lasts over a year.
• Very good to use for interior separations
• Good price

CONS

• Any cat with a magnet can access the cat door, magnets cannot be programmed for specific cats.
• The locking mechanism can’t be neutralized automatically. You have to tape the latch down to train your cat in the beginning.
• The cat door only locks when swinging in but not outwards. A smart cat or raccoon can pull the flap open and enter the door. This happens only with very smart cats and with some raccoons.
• The magnet on the collar attracts metal objects (so no more bells in cat toys or metal tag names)
• It requires the magnet to be at an exact level to work (the margin of error is approximately .39” or 1 cm), but this can be adjusted on the cat’s collar.
• The cat door makes a clicking noise when unlocks. It is not loud but it may bother some cats.
• The door sometimes fails in locking when swinging back into its original position. Most of the time it does lock, but not 100% of the time (due to wind, trapped with your cat’s tail, etc).
• A heavy and very determined animal might be able to break the latch.
• The brush strip on the cat flap gets dirty with cat hair.
• The lining is not suitable for walls

Tips & Tricks to Use the Cat Mate Electromagnetic Door

• When putting the magnet in your cat collar make sure the “paw print” of the magnet is facing forward. Also, make sure to attach the magnet ring around the collar instead of just clipping it to the existing metal ring on the cat collar. This will stop the magnet from going sideways.
• In the beginning, it is a good idea to tape the door open and put the magnet on your cat’s collar to get it used to the clicking noise first, without any locking mechanism.
• If the cat door opens in a half-open position, check the holes on the top corners of the cat door, it means they were drilled too small, preventing the hinge from moving loosely.
• To avoid cat hair in the brush strip, clean the door once in a while. .40”
• Consider the size of your cat to make sure it will fit nicely through the cat door.

User Feedback Highlights

To offer a more comprehensive view, I’ve gathered insights from customer reviews on platforms like Amazon and PetCo. Here are a few recurring points:

• Ease of Installation: Many users appreciated the included template for cutting the door opening, though some suggested that the self-lining feature would be more adaptable if it worked for walls as well as doors. One reviewer mentioned, “The template was easy to use, but I wish there were better guidelines for wall installation.”
• Magnet Durability: While the door includes two collar magnets, a few users pointed out that replacement magnets are readily available, but proper attachment is essential for ensuring correct alignment with the sensor. One customer noted, “The magnet sometimes shifts on the collar, but adjusting its position solves the issue.”

*User feedback gathered from Amazon and PetCo reviews.

Conclusion

The Cat Mate Electromagnetic cat door works to stop unwanted animals from entering the house. The downside is that it can be pulled outwards by very smart cats or raccoons. If you need a little extra security against neighbor’s pets or to separate animals inside your house, this is a good solution for you. If unwanted pets or other animals outside are very smart, strong, and stubborn, this might not work for you.

The Cat Mate Electromagnetic pet door is the best of this type in this price range, considering a medium resistance to pushing and pulling from a strong animal. If you need a very restricted entry system 100% animal-proof, maybe it would be a better idea to get a higher-tech product with a locking system on both sides, such as the SureFlap DualScan.

Botom Line

Due to all the pros and cons and the points mentioned,

I recommend the Cat Mate Electromagnetic cat door to:

• Small or medium size cats that are not afraid of noises
• Areas with not too many street animals
• To separate pets inside the house, create feeding stations or cat litter box stations
• If your cat does not have contact with small metal objects

Get the Cat Mate Electromagnetic Pet Door for your cat on Amazon by using this link.

x This unit may not be suitable for:

• Timid cats afraid of noises
• Cats that weigh more than 13 lbs
• To stop aggressive/smart cats or raccoons.