The old cat door is not doing well in the cold weather. I tried adding insulation and a makeshift tunnel to at least confine the draft so it doesn’t blow under my desk onto my feet, but it’s still leaking heat like a sieve.

cat door winterizing

Part of the problem is simply that it only has a single pane of glass:

cat door single pane

But a bigger issue is that the door is thin and flexible, and doesn’t seal well. Every time the cat goes through it gets a bit hung up on the sides and the bottom doesn’t get close enough for the magnetic seal, so there’s just a wide-open gap for cold air:

cat door stuck open

I finally got sick of dealing with the old door and the drafts and bought a more expensive model that’s specifically designed for cold and windy situations. This one has double glass, and its door is both double-layer for more insulation and has a much better sealing system:

new door double glass
new door sealed

When it closes the sides and bottom snap shut and I don’t feel any air blowing through. It takes more force to break the seal and open it, but the cat is already used to using a door flap and didn’t seem to have any problems with this one.