HOW TO BABYPROOF 

INTERIOR DOORS

By: Door Buddy Editors      |     Published: 30 July 2025

As parents, we all want to keep our little ones safe, especially at home. And if you're also a proud “pawrent,” that means creating a space where your pets (especially your cats!) can relax, while keeping curious toddlers away from things like litter boxes and pet food.

But when you’re trying to create a babyproof home that’s also pet-friendly, you’re bound to hit a few roadblocks.

One of the trickiest and most overlooked is babyproofing interior doors, especially when you’re sharing your home with a curious cat or dog.

In this post, we’ll walk you through the best babyproofing solutions for every type of interior door, without sacrificing your pet’s freedom or your sanity.

Between pet gates, cat doors, baby gates with pet access, and all the combinations in between, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. So how do you choose the right one?

It all comes down to what works best for your “furmily”.

Sure, baby gates can work, but do you really want to unlatch one every time you walk through a room? (Probably not.)

So, without further ado, let’s break down how to babyproof interior doors, the smart, pet-friendly way.

WHAT TO CONSIDER WHEN CREATING A BABYPROOF HOUSE

As we've already covered, babyproofing is essential, so it’s important to get it right! To help, we've created a handy babyproofing checklist you can use at home.

Before jumping into the many options available, here are a few key points to keep in mind when babyproofing your interior doors:

• You want to prevent your child from opening or using the door independently.

• You want to prevent your child from injuries caused by moving parts, such as hinges or slamming doors.

• You want to keep your little one out of certain areas, like the room with the cat's litter box, without restricting your pet's access.

Whether you choose a cat gate, pet door, baby gate with pet access, or a combination of gates designed for both pets and babies, make sure you consider these goals first.

And most importantly: What safety solution meets your needs without getting in your way?

HOW TO CHOOSE BETWEEN A PET GATE, BABY GATE, DOG GATE, OR OTHER OPTIONS

With so many options out there, it can be challenging to choose the right babyproofing product, especially when it comes to interior doors? And pocket doors? They're practically a category of their own.

Whenever we're stuck, we like to start with the basics. A great place to start is to compare pros and cons of each option. Here’s the good news: we’ve done the hard work for you!

Below, you’ll find the pros and cons of pet gates, cat doors, dog gates, and more. We're also sharing our own "ameowzing" favorites to help make your decision easier.

Pros: 

• Creates an effective barrier

• Babyproofs stairs easily

• Blocks dogs and toddlers

Cons:

• Bulky and unattractive

• Difficult for older kids and adults to use

• Expensive

• Hard to install

Cat Doors or a Pet Door

These days, cat doors or a pet door for interior doors come in all shapes and sizes, making them more aesthetically pleasing in your home. They are generally small enough that your little one can't get through, but your cat or dog can (as long as it's not too chonky).

While this is “purrfect” for giving your cat some much-needed space, cat and pet doors, much like pet gates, often require some form of damage to your home. You aren't going to need to babyproof your home “fur-ever”, so you want an option that can adjust as your needs change.

Pros: 

• Takes up a little space 

• Blends into decor easily

• Gives cats easy access to rooms

• Blocks bigger dogs and bigger kids

Cons:

• Smaller kids can still squeeze through

• Requires permanent damage

• Expensive

A Baby Gate with Pet Door

As the name suggests, a baby gate with pet door is a gate designed to keep babies and toddlers out of rooms that are off-limits, while still allowing small pets to come and go through a built-in opening.  

While there is definitely a place for baby gates, especially on staircases, they’re not always the most practical choice for interior doors.

Pros:

• Effective barrier for toddlers and bigger dogs

Cons:

• Bulky design

• Doesn't work on all door types

• Expensive

Pros: 

• Works on most door types

• Affordable

• Blends into decor well

• Lets cats and adults into rooms easily

• Blocks dogs and toddlers

• Keeps fingers safe with a foam door stopper

• Installs in seconds

• Damage-free installation

• Non-permanent

Cons

• Dogs smaller than your cat can still fit through

BABYPROOFING INTERIOR DOORS: COMPARISON TABLE

With so many options to choose from: baby gates, pet doors, adjustable straps, and more, it helps to see everything side by side. 

Here’s a quick breakdown to help you decide which babyproofing solution works best for your home, your pets, and your little one:

HOW CAN DOOR BUDDY'S ADJUSTABLE PET DOOR STRAP HELP WITH BABY PROOFING YOUR INTERIOR DOORS

Take it from us, after having two girls who couldn't stay away from the cat's food and litter box, we know how exhausting it is to constantly say “no.” Thanks to Door Buddy's babyproof door lock, keeping your little one safe at home has never been easier. Parenting is hard enough; why should babyproofing be just as hard?

When we were in the babyproofing stage, we were quickly overwhelmed with all the options and the never-ending to-do list. Plus, what were we supposed to do about our glass sliding doors and pocket doors? 

That’s precisely why we created a simpler, smarter alternative to traditional pet doors and gates. While some parents go straight for a safety lock for door handle, Door Buddy offers an easier, drill-free solution.

Don’t forget to position your Door Buddy a little higher up on your door so that your little one can’t reach this babyproof door strap and unhook it. Then, add the included foam door stopper to protect tiny fingers from getting pinched. Just like that, babyproofing your sliding door is simple, safe, and stress-free!

Once again, Door Buddy’s babyproof door strap saves the day!

CONCLUSION: BABYPROOFING NORMAL INTERIOR DOORS

There are a number of ways to babyproof interior doors, but our adjustable door strap really does take the cake!

You won’t have to do any cutting or drilling to install it, which is especially helpful if you’re renting.

Door Buddy also fits seamlessly into your home and is designed to blend in with your décor, unlike bulky baby blocker gates.

There are a few different ways you can attach your Door Buddy. If you have a strong-willed dog or toddler, we recommend using Installation Method 3 in our setup guide.

However, the great thing about Door Buddy is that it's non-permanent and can be moved around as your needs change.

As we said, the world of babyproofing interior doors can be overwhelming. Who would have thought that there’d be so many options to sort through, cat doors, pet gates, dog gates, baby gates, and door straps?

If you're feeling unsure about how to babyproof a home, starting with the interior doors is a smart, manageable first step. It creates safe boundaries for your child and gives you peace of mind.

At the end of the day, you only want the best for two and four-legged family members. If in doubt, we suggest checking out warranties and return policies. For example, Door Buddy offers a 60-day money-back guarantee so you can try it risk-free and see if it fits your home’s needs.

Want to learn more about proofing? Read our blog on how to childproof doors.

Happy babyproofing!