A couple of months ago, a friend of mine sent me a link to a host of cool pet products. Scanning them, I stopped cold when I saw the Latch’NVent. Excitement building, I went directly to the company’s website to check it out further. It was the product I had been in search of for the past decade!
I liked what I read about Latch’NVent online. It is made from high-impact plastic and appeared sturdy. The product comes with three different extensions (2 inches, 3 inches, and 4 inches), which I realized would solve many common problems in homes with pets.
The door to any cat’s powder room needs to be secured so dogs cannot use the litter box as a snack bar. (Yes, my dog eats poop!) I thought, a 4-inch extension would work there.
Then the bedroom door must be locked into a semi-open position at night so the cats can come and go, but so my Scottish Terrier would be blocked from leaving the room. Another 4-inch extension.
I would use a 2-inch extension on my closet door in order to let the small room breathe but keep the fur kids at bay. Although I wear pet fur proudly, I prefer to gather it in person while interacting with my dog and cats.
Over the years, I’ve improvised temporary fixes while searching hardware stores for a solution. Most recently, I’d been using a rubber bumper at the top and a cute Scottie doorstop at the bottom, requiring me to bend over each time I wanted to enter the rooms and again upon exiting. While this helped add some much needed exercise to my day, it was an absolute bother. Now perhaps the answer was finally at hand.
Sad to say, the item was out of stock! Either it was immensely popular or just the opposite and off the market. I fired off an email to the company immediately asking when it would be available and received a response within a couple of hours.
“One to two months,” was the answer, but they could spare one now if I was interested. I jumped at the offer and sent them my mailing address.
Six days after my initial email, the package arrived!
The contents and directions looked easy enough, so I ran for my tools and got started. Here’s how the install went.
12:15 p.m.: Read directions.
12:20 p.m.: Removed the existing striker plate with a Philips screwdriver.
12:22 p.m.: Trimmed the tabs on the new Latch’NVent striker plate to fit and screwed it into position using existing holes.
12:27 p.m.: Drilled hole to secure outer section to doorframe and screwed into place.
12:29 p.m.: Installed 2-inch extension by simply sliding it into the channel until it snapped into place.
12:30 p.m.: Shut door. It latched in place just as advertised and is exactly what I wanted!
Whooohooo, and it only took 15 minutes to install (plus another five for photos)!
With a simple push of a button, I can easily switch extensions to adjust the opening size or to remove it to shut and latch the door normally. I did find that I needed to tighten the screws in the striker plate a bit more so the door would shut completely and not hang up. (The instructions cautioned, “Do not over tighten,” so I didn’t.) I will probably never shut the closet door all the way, but it’s nice to have that option.
I’d happily been using the closet Latch’NVent for about a month before I was able to get my hands on another one.
This one I installed on the bedroom door jam using the 4-inch extension.
I pop the extension out during the day and back in each night so as not to snap it off accidentally when walking by. (One of my nicknames in college was Klutz, so you get the picture.) It takes but a second and is much easier than dealing with the similar temporary wedge-and-doorstop I’d been using.
Kerry Swink, inventor and company owner, shared a story with me. A satisfied customer wrote to him about her senior cat who wasn’t getting her blood pressure and liver meds because the dog kept eating the dosed food. Latch’NVent solved the problem and likely saved both the cat and the dog.
I’m already wondering what other doors in my house need one of these. I love the room ventilation aspect of the product. Even though I live in California, I do not have air conditioning. When it gets hot for an extended period of time, I try to capture as much cool night air as possible, after the sun goes down and before retiring for bed. Simply propping an outside door open is not an option as my Scottie is a runner given the chance, and my cats are indoor-only. A Latch’NVent on my kitchen/garage door in the summer would create a nice draft, which would really help with evening airflow yet keep my fur kids inside.
I just love sharing cool products with the pet world when they work for me. Oh! And the Latch’NVent price is an affordable $19.99. I hope you find your own uses for this award-winning gadget.
Could you use a Latch’NVent in your home? We have three to give away! Follow the directions below for a chance to win.
How to Enter
- Create a Disqus account, if you haven’t already, and include a valid email. It takes just a minute and allows you to better participate in Dogster’s community of people who are passionate about dogs. If you already have a Disqus account, check it to ensure the account includes a valid email.
- Comment below using your Disqus account, telling us how this product would help in your home. Our favorite comment wins. You must be a resident of the U.S. to score this prize.
- Check your email for a “You’ve Won!” message from us after noon PST on Thursday, Feb. 19. We’ll give the winner two days to respond before moving on to our next favorite.
Good luck!
Read more Dogster Reviews:
- Can the Scorpion Scooper Handle Saint Bernard Poop? Monkey’s Person Finds Out!
- Liberty Wristband Claims Hands-Free Walks — Monkey Puts It to the Test
- Can the Slo-Bowl Stop My Saint Bernard From Gobbling His Food?
- Meet the H-Leash, a Climbing Rope Leash Without Hardware
About the author: Marci Kladnik, her four rescue cats, and one Scottish Terrier live in a small town with no stoplights or mail delivery. A retired graphic designer and technical writer, she designed and wrote for two publishers and two medical device manufacturers. She was also on the masthead of the monthly National Model Railroad Association Bulletin. Her award-winning, bi-weekly cat column ran for seven years in three newspapers, and she is a contributing writer for Catster.com, an award-winning photographer, and president of the Cat Writers’ Association. Involved in TNR and feral rescue, she sat on the board of directors of Catalyst for Cats from 2007 to 2013 and in her spare time, trapped and fostered local feral cats and kittens. Past columns appear on catalystforcats.org and her dog blogs at maggiestories.com.
