The magic of Design Thinking is Insight
I like to let some fresh air inside during the day. Screendoors are good for that.
My kitties also like to spend some time outside. They usually either
- Rush frantically through the door as I’m walking in or out
- Sit obviously and expectantly nearby – and then conspicuously ignore my invitation to enter or leave. This is generally followed by plaintive yowling after I give up.
Now, the screendoor itself is fairly cheap – so the screen often comes loose at the corners and …
Voila! The instant Kitty Door
The space just below the protective pet barrier on the door is just the right size and in the right position to serve as a convenient pet portal.
Sometimes Good Design is just a Happy Accident
The ability to transcend expectations
Interestingly, the metal mesh panel that I installed in the door (available at your local hardware store) is marketed as a protective barrier. It’s intended to prevent cats or dogs from scratching or pushing through the screen.
Win/Win
My placement of the “barrier” on the screendoor also created a viable Kitty Door, while still providing security. The cats can go in and out at will during nice weather and I can have the doorway open – but latched securely.
From a Usability perspective:
- The protective barrier addresses the limited agenda of one stakeholder (me): The security of my property.
- But it also is a primary satisfier of critical users of the system (my cats): It provides accessibility and convenience
© The Communication Studio LLC
It takes perhaps a bit of training, but there is a type of door tghat may be activated by the cat itself weqaring sort of an electronic necklace that will open the door whenever he’s close enough – – say something like 6-9 inches away.
The nice thing about this it will only open the door for your cat and you won’t ever come home to a ‘kitchen cat surprise party’! 🙂
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Stripes is an ‘outdoor’ cat (half feral) who sometimes brings his buddy Blackie in for a snack and some impromptu singing. What can I say?
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