If you want a 24" door then yes the opening must be larger to account for all you mentioned, definitely.

I use, and swear by, this brand. They cost more than others but they're made extremely well and are easy to install. I can't image any cat pushing the security door open when it's closed! You'll want to price shop since some sites beat the Hale site prices. Just compare shipping and return policies. Also check eBay. There are some listed there and I'll soon be selling one (new) since we thought we'd need a cat door for the shop. The cat ended up in the house instead! :)

Thank you all so much for your kind words and your interest in our "growing" little family! Baby Tonto quickly found his way into our hearts, and as with Posy, we are absolutely smitten with this kitten! He is SUCH a little lovebug. He will literally run and jump into your arms when he sees you come through the door (he's still sequestered away from the rest of the gang, but we are doing slow introductions), and he nuzzles and kisses like crazy, and has his purr-motor going constantly. I have a fuzzy pink robe that I wear in the mornings, and he has taken to kneading it like mad and suckling on it. It must remind him of mama! I just let him do it ... it'll wash! In typical kitten fashion, Tonto is nonstop movement and it's hard to get him to sit still long enough to take his photo. This one looks slightly possessed, but this is pretty much him in action! He manages to somehow look like a big boy in the pictures I do get of him ... But he's still quite itty-bitty, as the size of his head will show here ... The other cats are having mixed reactions to Tonto. While Posy initially seemed ok with him, she's started acting a bit more aggressive towards him. She sits right outside the door to "his" room, but when brought INTO his room, she sits next to the door and whines and yowls, sticking her paws out underneath the door as though to say to the cats on the other side, "Get me OUT of here, you guys!" She has run at him a few times and slapped at him, and of course there's the hissing that comes from BOTH of them. Tonto sounds like the tiniest little snake! He seems to be able to hold his own, and while he hasn't been the aggressor, he doesn't run away from the others either. After awhile, they'll sort of settle down, and even sleep within a couple of feet of each other, but they are still keeping a wary eye out. The playful interaction I'm hoping for just hasn't happened yet. In the meantime, Posy is getting more and more integrated into the activities of the older cats. She is almost always in their presence, and they don't seem to mind her anymore. Penny especially is doing much better with her. Although they still won't play or cuddle together, Posy does seem to have infiltrated their little "posse" and more or less become one of the gang. Old man Pooh seems to like BOTH of the young newcomers. Molly is still ambivalent and a little grouchy about the whole thing. Penny is not at ALL keen on the new baby. I'm sure all things will work themselves out in Catland, as they always do. That doesn't stop me from longing for everyone to get along well in the here and now, so I'm working on my patience as well! Here is Posy after tiring herself out Friday evening being grouchy towards Tonto. Perhaps having a baby makes her seem so much bigger in comparison, but I swear she has had a major growth spurt just in the past couple of weeks. This pic of Posy was taken just recently: And this was taken on Saturday. (I love how her face is a little bit Spuds MacKenzie looking here! Remember him?) She is an amazing little cat. :-) Finally, here's a quick snap of Penny I took yesterday. Her eyes looked so green up against the colors of the bedding. Doesn't quite translate in this photo, but I thought she was still looking pretty. :-)

Maybe you can remove both doors and make a statement with a big sliding barn door in a bold color? I’m not sure if the fuse box to the right may be in the way of the tract though. What is the style of the rest of your home? What room is those closets in? Also, you may not want to store stuff on top of or around your water heater. It has to work harder which will cost more in your electricity bill.