Cat flaps on a fire door?

georgiaandco · 09-25-2007, 03:16 PM

Hi everyone I am new here and was wondering if I may ask a question please?

I have two indoor cats and we have always rented and had their litter box in the laudry room, we are buying a house which does not have a laundry room and would like to put a cat flap on the garage door so the cat litter box can stay in the garage (this is how it was at their old home, I adopted them).

When we had a walk through at the new house today they said we wouldn't be able to put a cat flap on the door as it would be a fire hazard and the insurance company may not insure us, my insurance man is not available to ask right now.

Does anyone else have this problem? Or do they make fire safety cat flaps please?

Any help will be greatly appreciated,

thank you

**doodlebug** · 09-25-2007, 03:25 PM

I believe that in most cases the door between the house and the garage must be a fire door, which means it must be steel. There would be no way to make a fire proof cat door that I can think of.

Unless your insurance company pulls inspections there's no way they'll know about the cat door. But, should a fire start in your garage and spread to the rest of the house via the cat door, they would refuse to cover the damage to the house. Your decision on whether you'd like to take that risk...

Do you have a basement? Maybe the boxes could go down there...

Welcome to the forum! Hope to see some pics of your kitties!

Kittys Mom · 09-25-2007, 03:28 PM

That doesn't make too much sense to me, although, I don't know how you'd put a cat door on a steel door. I guess you'd have to replace the whole thing.

Couldn't you just put a cat door on a wall between the house and the garage? Instead of on the actual door?

Leazie · 09-25-2007, 05:55 PM

If you put a cat door in the wall where you had a fire rated door you would be negating the idea of a fire break between the garage and the main living quarters.

We have the cat boxes in the basement, with a cat door in the basement door.

georgiaandco · 09-25-2007, 05:58 PM

Thanks for your replies, I do not have a basement, otherwise that would be a great idea!!

coaster · 09-25-2007, 06:51 PM

The ordinary cat flaps are not fire rated. However, I remember seeing a rather unusual pet door. It was made of a steel panel that was raised and lowered by a motor. It's possible that might pass fire codes. Though it's very expensive. I'm afraid I don't have it bookmarked, and don't have time to google for it right now. This web site: http://www.moorepet.com/ has a huge selection of pet doors and if they don't have it, they can make it or direct you to where you can get it.

Zalensia · 09-26-2007, 03:05 AM

Fire risk assessment is a part of my job. Looking at it from a work point of view, as others have said if a fire were to start and spread the insurance company would soon find out about a catflap in the firedoor and not pay out. It could also be possible that if there was a fire elsewhere in the house they would use it as an excuse not to pay out. We all know how they like to make life difficult for everyone, there was a story on the news here once about a guy who had a severe heart attack and couldn't work anymore. His insurance refused to pay out claiming it wasn't a heart attack but something else... I don't know how to story ended.

coaster · 09-26-2007, 08:41 AM

Z. makes an excellent point. Insurance companies look for excuses to avoid paying. Unless a cat flap meets the same fire-retarding properties as the door itself and is rated that way, a cat flap could be a big problem with fire insurance.

Kittys Mom · 09-26-2007, 12:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Leazie

If you put a cat door in the wall where you had a fire rated door you would be negating the idea of a fire break between the garage and the main living quarters.

Hmm...I have a fire rated door between my house and garage, but they also share a wall. Just a normal wall, nothing special about it. So, I'm not sure how putting a cat door in that wall would either increase or decrease the fire protectiveness of the door. Then again...I know nothing about the mechanics of fire and how they spread, so...maybe it would.

coaster · 09-26-2007, 01:01 PM

If the wall is a standard wall with sheetrock on both sides, it's up to code for fire retardancy. That's the purpose of the sheetrock. Of course, if you put a hole in it, then you reduce its effectiveness.

09-25-2007, 03:16 PM	#1 (permalink)
georgiaandco Kitten Join Date: Sep 2007 Posts: 2	Cat flaps on a fire door? Hi everyone I am new here and was wondering if I may ask a question please? I have two indoor cats and we have always rented and had their litter box in the laudry room, we are buying a house which does not have a laundry room and would like to put a cat flap on the garage door so the cat litter box can stay in the garage (this is how it was at their old home, I adopted them). When we had a walk through at the new house today they said we wouldn't be able to put a cat flap on the door as it would be a fire hazard and the insurance company may not insure us, my insurance man is not available to ask right now. Does anyone else have this problem? Or do they make fire safety cat flaps please? Any help will be greatly appreciated, thank you

09-25-2007, 03:25 PM	#2 (permalink)
doodlebug Super Moderator Join Date: May 2006 Location: New Hampshire Posts: 19,001	I believe that in most cases the door between the house and the garage must be a fire door, which means it must be steel. There would be no way to make a fire proof cat door that I can think of. Unless your insurance company pulls inspections there's no way they'll know about the cat door. But, should a fire start in your garage and spread to the rest of the house via the cat door, they would refuse to cover the damage to the house. Your decision on whether you'd like to take that risk... Do you have a basement? Maybe the boxes could go down there... Welcome to the forum! Hope to see some pics of your kitties! __________________ And their companion, Jake, the dog. Onyx, Callie May & Maggie forever in my heart.

09-25-2007, 05:55 PM	#4 (permalink)
Leazie Premier Cat Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: West Virginia Posts: 9,504	If you put a cat door in the wall where you had a fire rated door you would be negating the idea of a fire break between the garage and the main living quarters. We have the cat boxes in the basement, with a cat door in the basement door. __________________ Molly Brown December 2006- January 9, 2013

09-26-2007, 03:05 AM	#7 (permalink)
Zalensia Premier Cat Join Date: Aug 2003 Posts: 8,519	Fire risk assessment is a part of my job. Looking at it from a work point of view, as others have said if a fire were to start and spread the insurance company would soon find out about a catflap in the firedoor and not pay out. It could also be possible that if there was a fire elsewhere in the house they would use it as an excuse not to pay out. We all know how they like to make life difficult for everyone, there was a story on the news here once about a guy who had a severe heart attack and couldn't work anymore. His insurance refused to pay out claiming it wasn't a heart attack but something else... I don't know how to story ended. __________________ Me on Last.fm

09-25-2007, 03:28 PM	#3 (permalink)
Kittys Mom Cat Addict Join Date: May 2004 Posts: 2,141	That doesn't make too much sense to me, although, I don't know how you'd put a cat door on a steel door. I guess you'd have to replace the whole thing. Couldn't you just put a cat door on a wall between the house and the garage? Instead of on the actual door?

09-25-2007, 05:58 PM	#5 (permalink)
georgiaandco Kitten Join Date: Sep 2007 Posts: 2	Thanks for your replies, I do not have a basement, otherwise that would be a great idea!!

09-25-2007, 06:51 PM	#6 (permalink)
coaster Banned Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Wisconsin, USA Posts: 17,726	The ordinary cat flaps are not fire rated. However, I remember seeing a rather unusual pet door. It was made of a steel panel that was raised and lowered by a motor. It's possible that might pass fire codes. Though it's very expensive. I'm afraid I don't have it bookmarked, and don't have time to google for it right now. This web site: http://www.moorepet.com/ has a huge selection of pet doors and if they don't have it, they can make it or direct you to where you can get it.

09-26-2007, 08:41 AM	#8 (permalink)
coaster Banned Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Wisconsin, USA Posts: 17,726	Z. makes an excellent point. Insurance companies look for excuses to avoid paying. Unless a cat flap meets the same fire-retarding properties as the door itself and is rated that way, a cat flap could be a big problem with fire insurance.

09-26-2007, 01:01 PM	#10 (permalink)
coaster Banned Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Wisconsin, USA Posts: 17,726	If the wall is a standard wall with sheetrock on both sides, it's up to code for fire retardancy. That's the purpose of the sheetrock. Of course, if you put a hole in it, then you reduce its effectiveness.

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