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Purrfect Portal vs Cathole: Original Interior Cat Door (Guide/Review)

What is the best original interior cat door, Purrfect Portal or Cathole? This is the best one (Click here for the reviews on Amazon). Read on for more detail.

Quick original interior cat doors comparison

DescriptionImageMy Rating
01. Purrfect Portal Cat Door (Best Option)
Click here for the price on Amazon		5 stars
02. Cathole Cat Door
Click here for the price on Amazon
03. Juegoal Cat Door
Click here for the price on Amazon		4 stars
Contents show

What you need to know about original interior cat doors (Guide)

Before you think about picking up one of these cat doors, it’s important to understand the benefits and features to look out for. Therefore, in this section, I will share with you some of the top ones to look for.

  • Size (Big enough for most cats)
  • Suitable for solid and hollow original interior doors
  • Simple installation
  • Customizable
  • Aethstitically pleasing (Looks good)

Size (Big enough for most cats)

An important factor for these cat doors is the size. The ideal one will support most cat sizes, including large cats. Usually up to 20 pounds of weight. Therefore lookout for some indication that it can accommodate this size range.

Suitable for solid and hollow original interior doors

Ideally, the cat door needs to fit the original interior doors. Or shall I say, its actually mandatory? But, as well as this, it needs to work on hollow or solid doors. Therefore, look out for this as a feature.

Simple installation

Another important quality is how simple it is to install. However, with these cat doors its unreasonable to expect a 5-minute quick job. These units will need some DIY effort, so be prepared. But, with that being said, it should still be straight forward once you have the tools and some basic level of DIY competence.

Customizable

Most of these cat doors come in a neutral color. And, when I say “neutral”, I mean white. So, if your house/apartment requires a different finish, then you should have the option to change up the color quite easily. A good cat door will be paintable.

Aethstitically pleasing (Looks good)

With a cat door, it will be on constant public display. Meaning, it should look good enough to be on display. There are some cute ones that look like the outline of a cat, which you can look out for.

My best 3 original interior cat doors

In this section, I will share three of my best cat doors, in particular, designed for interior doors. This will be a comparison of Purrfect portal, cathole, plus another contender called Juegoal.

For each one, I will explain what I liked and didn’t like so you can see what works best for your individual preference.

01. Purrfect Portal Cat Door (Best Option)

Click here for the price on Amazon

Pros:

  • Keeps kids or dogs out, but gives your kitty access
  • Good size (Fits cats up to 20 pounds)
  • Gives your kitty freedom
  • Simple to use (No confusing flap-based system)
  • Lock away odor-filled rooms, without locking out your kitty
  • Built to last (No glue or adhesive used for installation)
  • Suitable for solid or hollow doors
  • Straight-forward, templated set-up

Cons:

  • Bit larger than I expected
  • Hard to replace if you decide to change it

What I like about this cat door

First of all, this cat door has a lovely cat-like template that will impress any true cat-lover. Looking at it from a more practical perspective it is a great way to lock away a stinky litter tray in a room, but still giving your kitty access, are you with me?

In general, it is a great way to give your kitty freedom around your house. And, allow you to avoid having to let your cat into the room every time she needs access when you are not close by.

One of the things that I like about this cat door is the fact that it is built to last. Meaning, the installation does not rely on adhesive or glue, or anything like that. It is securely fixed to your door.

While we are on the topic of your door. It is also good to know that it is compatible with most doors, regardless if they are solid or hollow. You simply follow the template-based, DIY installation guide to get up and running in no time.

What I do not like about this cat door

This cat door is a sweet one. But, there are a couple of annoyances that I need to vent. Nothing serious I might add, but worth mentioning anyway.

Firstly, it is quite large. In fact, it is a little bigger than I anticipated to be fair. But, I guess because it is designed to accommodate cats up to 20 pounds, it probably has to be large enough.

Lastly, its the template and installation, not the method, but the actual after-affect. Meaning, it has a very unique shape that needs to be created. So, if at any time, after installation, you wish to change it up. To a different brand say, you will be stuck really.

I understand that you are unlikely to switch this up, but, it is worth knowing this up-front, right?

02. Cathole Cat Door

Click here for the price on Amazon

Pros:

  • Made from quality birch wood
  • Simple to paint (to match your decor)
  • Large size (Can accommodate cats up to 20 pounds)
  • Made locally (US-based)
  • Keep your litter separated from your living area
  • Fast installation (Approx 30 mins of DIY)
  • Self-grooming brushes (removable)

Cons:

  • Not possible to close it if required
  • Hard to replace it if required (due to its custom installation)

What I love about this Cathole cat door

This cat door has a unique look about it. In particular, is the wide door with brushes attached. which are used to groom your cat with each pass-through. I also like the fact that this brush can be removed if the idea does not sit well with you.

It is a nice size, and when I say “nice” I mean it can accommodate larger cats (up to 20 pounds). If the default color is not in-line with your decor it is easy to paint it to match your needs. The fact that is made locally (in the US) is another bonus.

Be warned, you will need some DIY skills to install this, but they have attempted to make this as easy as possible. They estimate a 30 minute installation time, which, on paper, sounds good. The idea is to truly fit it to the door, rather than a quick-and-dirty adhesive or glue job, are you with me?

In summary, this is a great cat door that will allow your kitty freedom to roam around the rooms you wish her to. And, an opportunity to separate her stinky cat litter in a separate room, while giving her easy access.

What I do not love about this cat door

This cat door is great, but one thing that does annoy about this is the fact that you can’t close it if you need to, are you with me? To be fair, this is really what I paid for. But, sometimes it would be nice to close it.

Finally, like the last cat door, it has a very unique installation, which requires you to prepare your door in a certain way. Therefore, if you need to swap it out one day, you could find that you are stuck with it.

03. Juegoal Cat Door

Click here for the price on Amazon

Pros:

  • Cute kitty shaped cat door
  • She can access the room anytime (without messing with flaps)
  • Can be used with solid or hollow-core doors
  • Easy installation
  • Satisfaction guarantee

Cons:

  • Bit larger than I anticipated
  • Will need a jigsaw to cut the size correctly

What I appreciate about this Juegoal cat door

I have to start off by saying how much I just like the look of this cat door. The cute looking cat template just makes it clear that you are a cat-lover, are you with me?

Juegoal has made life as easy as possible, by making the install process as simple as they can. But be warned you will need some DIY skills (more on this later).

Regardless if you have a solid or hollow door, this cat door can work for you. Which is reassuring to know. And, to add to this reassurance, Juegoal has laid on a satisfaction guarantee.

I like these guarantees, it gives me the feeling that they have faith in their product with it, are you with me?

In summary, this is a great cat door, that has a nice cute design that will allow your kitty the freedom she deserves.

What I find annoying about this Juegoal cat door

One of the gripes I have with this cat door is the size. I guess it is good if you have a large cat, e.g. a Maine coon or a ragdoll (Click here for the best cat trees for them) cat, then it is ideal. But, it was just a bit larger than I expected, if that makes sense?

Finally, regarding the installation process. It does need some DIY skills, to be honest. Meaning, you will need a jigsaw to do it right, in my opinion. This won’t be an issue for some, whereas others may need assistance to do this, like me.