Cat friendly baby gates

[emschwar]

I think I remember seeing a question here recently about baby gates with a pet door. But I can't remember. I could be losing my mind. Anyway, I saw this today and I thought it might be useful to someone. (I sure wish I'd known about these when I started buying gates!)
http://a1272.g.akamai.net/7/1272/1121/20050629213934/www.drsfostersmith.com/images/products/large/p_21318_28803.jpg
http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=12521&Ntt=gate&Ntk=All&Ntx=mode+matchallpartial&Np=1&N=2001&Nty=1

[solongtogo]

I just asked this very question on the newlymoms LJ group..thanks for the info!

[ButterflyJen]

Thank you, Em, my mom has been looking for something like this! :)

[emschwar]

You're welcome! I just wish I had found it sooner. Seems like such a common problem that there would be more out there!

[Bernie & Matt]

THANK YOU!!!

We're moving into a new house at the end of Sept, so we've held off with gates, getting by with the bare minimum. For now, we've used a pressure gate to block the laundry/cat room by putting it up about a foot or so off the floor, enough for the kitties to squiggle through, but not for a crawler to get under.

I'm definitely getting this for the new house!

[emschwar]

You're welcome! I just ordered one (it's backordered, so it'll be a few weeks before we have it) but I'll let you know how it is.

[elladee]

Ok, as a cat-owner/mom-to-be, I have to ask. Can't a cat just jump over a regular gate?

I am just wondering because I never considered the need to get a gate with a cat door before, but maybe I should... (That's why I love this place - all this stuff comes up that I never would have thought of otherwise.)

[emschwar]

elladee - I've heard of some cats that can jump over gates, but ours can't. (Not that I'd want to, if I were a cat. Jump up, over the gate and be faced with tumbling down a flight of stairs? No thanks! But our cat isn't particularly graceful either.)

We have hardware mounted gates at the tops of the stairs, and we leave them unlatched whenever Noah isn't around so Tildy (the cat) can just push them open and walk through. The pressure mounted ones at the bottom of the stairs (the ones we found anyway) had to be lifted and opened, even if they weren't latched, and a cat just couldn't do that.

[Bernie & Matt]

I thought about jumping over as well, but one of my cats is almost 10 years old and I thought that was pretty "elderly" to have to jump gates, especially to get food/water/etc.

[lcarlson90]

I have another question about these gates...

If you leave the kitty door open, can't the baby crawl through it to the other side? My DS is only 4 months but I have heard of babies crawling through doggy doors before.

[emschwar]

lcarson - I don't think it's big enough for a baby to get through. In the picture, it only looks a little bigger than a cat, so I don't even know if a medium sized dog would go through. I'll let you know when it arrives though!

[jbemommy]

We are finishing our basement as a play area for our DC. That's where we keep the cat food and litter box now. We want to put a gate up to that area so DC can't get in, but need a way for the cats to access it. Will they be able to squeeze through the slats? I can't seem to find any gates with pet access. Any suggestions?

[Kanga]

Unless it's by the stairs, they should be able to jump over it fairly easily. Otherwise you can install it a few inches above the ground. Enough for the cats to go underneath but not enough for your ds to crawl under.

[jesseybell]

Ooo, I like the idea of installing the gates slightly higher than normal. I hate the idea of my cats having to constantly jump over them (or sitting by them an crying), especially since one of them is getting up there in age.

We are installing a cat door in our door that goes down to the basement.

[Kate&Joey]

Ooo, I like the idea of installing the gates slightly higher than normal. I hate the idea of my cats having to constantly jump over them (or sitting by them an crying), especially since one of them is getting up there in age.

We are installing a cat door in our door that goes down to the basement.

We have 2 cats. Cat#1 really wants to be friends with Cat#2. Cat#2 isn't too crazy about this. So, we usually keep them separate (Cat#2 in master bedroom/bath). Lately Cat#2 has exhibited interest in visiting the rest of the house, but isn't willing to jump over the toddler gate. I suggested to DH that he raise it so the cats can go under, but DS cannot. Almost immediately, DS was on his belly trying to go UNDER the gate...got his head stuck...started crying. :( So much for my brilliant idea! :rolleyes:

[catmom]

There is this one:
http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=13044&Ntt=gate&Ntk=All&Ntx=mode+matchallpartial&Np=1&pc=1&N=0&Nty=1

We have our gates installed 4" above the floor, and it works great. This is the height our babyproofers recommended to us, and it was the maximum hight that their insurance will allow them to put the gates off the floor. Even my little fatty can slide underneath.

[emschwar]

There is this one:
http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=13044&Ntt=gate&Ntk=All&Ntx=mode+matchallpartial&Np=1&pc=1&N=0&Nty=1

We have our gates installed 4" above the floor, and it works great. This is the height our babyproofers recommended to us, and it was the maximum hight that their insurance will allow them to put the gates off the floor. Even my little fatty can slide underneath.

We got that one and had to send it back. First off, the thing is TALL. Seriously crazy tall. Second, it's dumb. Maybe it's just the space we were trying to put it in, but the gate was too small without the extensions, and too big with them.

Our hardware mounted gates are just a few inches off the floor so the cat can scoot under them. The pressure mounted ones are on the floor, but left open unless we're in that area, so the can can get through freely when we're not there.

[emschwar]

Oh yes - one more thing about this gate. Our friend has one too, and skinny kids CAN fit through the "pet" door. We tested it out at playgroup one day.

[jesseybell]

I hadn't been back to the thread since they were joined.

I had just forwarded the gate with the catdoor to DH and 2 things:
1) I was concerned looking at the hardware to attach it to the wall - our pediatrician told us to make sure our gates were meant for the top of stairs (ie they could withstand being leaned on)

and then DH brought up a good point: This gate is not meant to be a baby gate
"Keeps larger pets confined but gives access to kittens or senior cats that can't jump over"

[emschwar]

It's a pressure mounted gate. Not hardware, so not for the top of the stairs.

And no, it's not meant to be a baby gate. The skinny babies at our playgroup could crawl through it.

[Hello Kitty]

bump!

[Sophia]

Why the pet door--wouldn't the cat just jump over? :confused: When DS and DD1 were little we put a safety gate at the doorway of the room that had the litter box and the cats always jumped over with no problem.

[cosmic]

I really liked the height of the Dr. Foster's gate because I was hoping to keep the cat OUT of the upstairs rooms. (The cat is 12 years old.) But sounds like there could be some problems with it. Any other experiences?

[RobynScott]

Anyone have solutions that work w/ cat and baby? We need gates for the tops and bottoms of 2 sets of stairs and we'd like our cat to continue to have free reign of the house. i do not picture her jumping over a gate. Does 4" above the ground really work for cat and a curious baby?

Thanks!

[jennylou]

We have a regular gate and my cat leaps over it just fine. Sometimes we raise it higher (helps keep the dog out too!) and then she can run right under the gate - but it's not high enough that DD could get under it.

[miaclear]

We have a regular old accordion style gate our cat leaps over with ease. Then we also have a taller gate by 1st Years, where you step on the lever and push open with your knee. I know our cat has gotten over it but I've yet to see her do it. She's only done it in the middle of the night. If it's during the day and we're around she acts like a big baby crying till you open it for her to walk through.

[jenjen0713]

RobynScott - We have our gate a few inches off the floor so the cats can slip under it. Has never been a problem for them. (We have an older cat and I didn't want him to have to try and jump the thing.) DS#1 will from time to time put toys under the gate so they fall down the stairs. :rolleyes:

[Tracie]

Our gates are also a few inches off the floor. It works great. There's no way DS could get under them and kitty can get under them just fine. I've never seen her jump over the gates, even though she's young and pretty nimble. Maybe she just doesn't have to.

I should say that these are not staircase ones, but I would imagine it would work well with any gates that are hardware mounted to the wall.

We also have a cat door to allow our cat access to the basement, and DS has not ever been able to fit through that, either. It's too skinny for his thick head.

[PookASaurus]

We have 3 cats - one big fat one, one "regular" kitty, and a smaller himmy. I have 2 regular baby gates that I use around our home and all 3 cats jump over them just fine.

If they are feeling lazy, they'll actually jump on top of the gate, then to the floor. We've never had an issue with a trapped kitty but I can see where a kitty door might come in handy, especially with an older/smaller/weak/whatever cat.