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The Best Pet Gates For Cats, Dogs, and Growing Families

Name: Door Buddy® Cat Door Prop
Brand: Door Buddy
SKU: DB-DOG-PROPW
Price: 20.99 USD
Availability: InStock

By: Door Buddy Editors | Published: March 5, 2025

Door Buddy Door Strap holding a door open for a cat while keeping it shut to a dog

You need to block off a whole room, not just one door. Your cat won't leave the baby's room alone. Or you're staring down a "we knew this day would come" moment now that your toddler is mobile.

The instinct is to buy a gate. Before you do, it's worth knowing there are two different problems people mean when they say "pet gate," and they call for two different solutions.

The Real Problem Most People Are Solving

Some people searching for a pet gate are actually trying to keep one specific door shut against a cat or a small dog, while everyone else still walks through it freely — that's a door problem, not a doorway problem. If that's you, see our guide to a cat gate for a doorway for the door-specific fix; that's exactly what Door Buddy was built to solve first.

Door Buddy is the original no-cut cat door strap, assembled in the USA. It holds a door open just enough for a cat to slip through and closes it to everything else — no holes, no permanent modifications, no landlord conversation. Over 1 million Door Buddy products have been sold, backed by 50,000+ positive reviews and a 90-Day Money-Back Guarantee.

Where a traditional gate blocks a doorway, Door Buddy works directly on the door you already have — including for litter-box separation and other small-pet scenarios. If that's what brought you here, our dedicated guide walks through it in more depth; keep reading below for when a traditional gate is still the better fit.

What To Look For In A Gate

Before comparing products, it helps to know what actually matters:

What you're keeping apart. A determined 90 lb dog needs a different solution than a curious cat.
Whether you can modify the wall or door. Renters and anyone with finished trim need a no-damage option.
How often people need to pass through. A doorway you walk through 20 times a day needs a fast, one-handed solution.
Where it's being used. Stairs and landings have different safety requirements than an interior doorway.

Door Buddy: The No-Cut Alternative

Door Buddy Cat Door Prop mounted using a door's existing strike-plate holes

Door Strap is Door Buddy's original product: a padded strap that mounts to your door and frame, holding the door open a set amount for cats and small pets. It installs in minutes with no drilling into drywall, painted walls, or wallpaper — it mounts to the door and frame only, and needs 48 hours to fully cure after installation.

Door Buddy is a deterrent rather than a barrier. It slows a pet down and redirects them, and it does not lock the door or guarantee they cannot get through. For most cats and small-to-medium dogs, that's more than enough. For a larger or especially determined dog, the Cat Door Prop is worth a look instead: it mounts using your door's existing strike-plate holes with a screwdriver and the included T8 Torx wrench, and it's strong and durable for dogs that push hard against a barrier. It's designed for standard interior swinging doors — not pocket, sliding, barn, accordion, French, double, or exterior doors.

Both products are assembled in the USA with U.S. and imported parts, and both come in Caramel or Grey.

Traditional Pet Gates: Where They Still Make Sense

Traditional gates aren't going anywhere, and for the right situation, they're still the right call. A few honest distinctions:

Pressure-mounted gates are quick to install and don't damage walls, which makes them popular for renters. They're best for low-traffic doorways, since you have to remove and reset them each time someone passes through — and they're not rated for the top or bottom of a staircase.

Hardware-mounted gates screw into the wall or door frame, which makes them more secure for high-traffic areas and for stronger dogs, at the cost of drilling into the wall.

Freestanding gates don't attach to anything, which makes them useful for blocking off wide openings, but also easier for a determined pet to push out of place.

If you're gating a stairway, a landing, or a balcony, use a baby gate designed and tested for that purpose. Door Buddy is made to hold a single interior door open a set amount. It is not designed or tested to guard a stairway, a landing or a balcony, and it must not be used for fall protection.

Pet gate installed at the top of a staircase

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Door Buddy vs. Gates: When Each One Wins

Reviewers frequently compare Door Buddy to the baby gate or pet gate they tried first — and in most cases, they say the door strap was the simpler fix for their specific problem. The pattern is straightforward: gates are built to block an opening; Door Buddy is built to manage a door you already have. If your problem is "keep this specific door shut to one animal while everyone else uses it normally," that's a door strap situation. If your problem is "block this entire opening to everyone," that's a gate.

Feature	Door Buddy	Traditional Gate
Installation	Mounts to the door and frame, no wall drilling	Pressure, hardware, or freestanding mount
Renter-Friendly	Yes, nothing to patch when you move	Depends on type; hardware-mounted needs drilling
Best For	Keeping one door shut to cats and small-to-large dogs	Blocking an entire doorway or opening
Stairs & Landings	Not designed or tested for this — use a gate built for stairs	Some models rated for stair use
Origin	Assembled in the USA with U.S. and imported parts	Varies by brand

Keeping It Working

A few maintenance basics that come up often in reviews:

Let the adhesive-backed strap cure for a full 48 hours before regular use.
Check the strap periodically for wear, especially in high-traffic doorways.
If a dog is pushing hard enough to work the strap loose, size up to the Cat Door Prop instead.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Door Buddy work for big dogs?
Is Door Buddy safe to use around young kids?

Door Buddy is a deterrent, not a childproof barrier. An unsupervised child can still get past it, and it is not suitable for children able to climb, push past, or work a door latch (generally around age 2 and older). Discontinue use once a child is able to defeat it. Door Buddy is not a child-safety device and is not a substitute for adult supervision — never rely on it for a child's safety.
Can I use Door Buddy on a rental?
Will it work on my sliding or pocket door?

Try Door Buddy Risk-Free

Over 1 million products sold. 50,000+ positive reviews. Assembled in the USA. Backed by a 90-Day Money-Back Guarantee. Shop Door Strap and Cat Door Prop at thedoorbuddy.com.

FIND THE BEST DOOR BUDDY FOR YOUR HOME

Tired of playing door referee? Door Buddy gives you an easy way to control access in your home, from curious cats to energetic dogs to busy little humans. Find the right fit below and take back control of your space.