We recently received this message from a customer who was initially hesitant to
cut into their doors, but ultimately took the plunge. We loved their honesty so much, we
asked if we could share their journey on the blog.

The Problem: The 3:00 AM Wake-Up Call
I love my cat, Barnaby. He is a majestic, 14-pound orange tabby who rules my house. But for the first three years of his life, Barnaby was ruining my sleep. If I closed my bedroom door at night, Barnaby would sleep at the foot of my bed until exactly 3:00 AM, at which point he would decide it was time for a snack. He would walk over to the closed door and begin scratching the wood. If I ignored him, the scratching turned into a pathetic, high-pitched yowl. I would inevitably drag myself out of bed, open the door to let him out, and go back to sleep. An hour later? Scratch, scratch, scratch from the hallway. He wanted back in. I was exhausted. I tried leaving the door cracked open, but the hallway light would shine in, and my roommate's dog would wander in and wake me up instead. I needed a solution.

The Hesitation: "I Am Not a Handyman."
I started looking at cat doors, but I hated the idea of a plastic flap. They are ugly, and the
idea of taking a jigsaw to the middle of my nice bedroom door terrified me. What if I messed it up? What if I moved out and had to replace the whole door? Then I saw an ad for the Kitty Korner door. The concept made total sense: just cut off the corner, attach the hinge, and the cat walks through. Plus, it locked closed so it looked like a normal door again. I was skeptical. Could I actually install this myself? I ordered the Right Hand Swing Kit and decided to find out.

The Installation: Surprisingly Simple
When the kit arrived, I watched the installation video twice. I gathered my tools: a handsaw,
a drill, and a screwdriver. Taking the door off the hinges was the hardest part (doors are heavier than they look!). But drawing the diagonal line and making the cut was surprisingly easy. The instructions were incredibly clear. I used some painter's tape to hold the hinge perfectly flush while I drilled the pilot holes, just like the video suggested. From the moment I took the door off the hinges to the moment I hung it back up, the whole
process took exactly 45 minutes. I didn't ruin the door. It looked incredibly professional.

The Result: The Best Sleep of My Life
I locked the door back onto its hinges, swung the corner flap open, and called Barnaby
over. I didn't even have to show him how to use it. He sniffed the opening, realized it led to
the hallway, and just walked right through. That night, I closed my bedroom door. The hallway light was blocked. The dog was locked out. At 3:00 AM, I woke up slightly, anticipating the dreaded scratching sound. Instead, I saw Barnaby quietly slip through the corner of the door like a shadow. Ten minutes later, he slipped back in, hopped onto the foot of the bed, and went to sleep. I didn't have to get up. I didn't have to open a door.
The Kitty Korner door didn't just give my cat freedom — it gave me my sanity back. If you
are on the fence because you are worried about the installation or altering your doors, take
it from a skeptic: it is the best $35 you will ever spend on your home.

Ready to get your own Kitty Korner door? Shop the Kitty Korner catalog and find the right
swing kit for your home.