I don't know about stylish, but they do make baby gates with cat doors in them.

I have this one http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2970281 and I think it looks pretty nice. My skinny cats can get through the bars, but the fat cat can't. It comes with hardware to mount it to the wall or to pressure mount it.

Here is a link that might be useful: gate with cat door

I was thinking a nice rot iron gate too. You could paint it if needed to match your kitchen, it wouldn't fall on your dog, you could get a style that would allow the cat to pass through, it would be high enough for you to easily operate and it would look nice.

Here is a link that might be useful: the usual pet gates

OneStepAhead has some decent looking gates.

Here is a link that might be useful: Gates

We have this baby gate: Summer Infant Sure and Secure 6 Foot Metal Expansion Gate, we use it for our son, but I would highly recoment it. It has a large walk through opening, an easy one handed open and is strong and secure. It does have hardware to attach it to the wall but they are small and the gate easily comes out of the hardware for cleaning and company. Just my 2 cents, good luck!

Here is a link that might be useful: Summer Infant Sure and Secure 6 Foot Metal Expansion Gate

I do foster care for Cavaliers. Sometimes they chase my cats, so I have an extra wide baby gate from Target that lets that cats occupy one side of the house and the dogs the other side. I have wide archways that go from the living room and dining room and at the other end of the living room. The gate has a nice swing opening in the center. My cats just jump over it when they want to go to the other side. It's very easy to install. Here it is from Amazon.

Here is a link that might be useful: Here it is

prill - The gates looks like you don't have to use screws to secure it between the walls. Does it work well / stay secure with tension?

I want something like that between our kitchen and mudroom (~42" opening, with woodwork around it) but I don't want to drill into the woodwork. I haven't found any of the gates to look at in person. (Looked at BB&B but they don't have them in the store, you have to order online.)

debrak: if I were to re-do my renovation (which we did before getting a puppy) I would put a pocket 1/2 door or gate between my kitchen and mudroom, something that looks nice but slides back when I don't need it.

You may feel you need something much more permanent, this may seem silly...but I have one idea...

We've tried most everything. We've had tension gates which our dogs tried to climb and warped them into unrecognizable works of dog art...we've had expensive gates that were drilled into the wall which resulted in a large hole in the wall because again the dogs would push at it and try climbing. Fortunately I know how to repair large holes in sheet rock!

Then we found that our dogs, and the dogs we've had over to visit, won't challenge an opened (inexpensive) ex-pen fashioned into a barrier or "gate". It is freestanding and very lightweight and I believe that is the exact reason they don't bother it. Even when they are VERY excited, like when company arrives, they will jump up next to it, but they will not touch it.

We took a 36" tall light wire ex-pen, we unclipped one end making it more a "fence" than a "pen". We didn't need a long gate so we divided it into two sections by unclipping in the center. Each section stands by itself, in a bit of a zig zag. It is not connected to anything. The dogs are afraid to push on it, because it will move, so they choose to leave it alone completely.

What we like is no drilling into the walls, no dogs trying to climb over it. It is very lightweight, moves quickly and easily to any area we want it, or we can take it down altogether whenever we choose.

Three boisterous boxers and one tenacious boston terrier all leave it alone. Once our friends saw it, they now use the same method for their two boxers.

{{!gwi}}

Here is a link that might be useful: This is an Ex-pen

We use a Dreambaby gates for our baby & dog. :) We use the black one between the kitchen & living room where there is a lot of iron, ORB and darker finishes. With the extensions, you can go really wide. We used one large and one small extension and easily spanned our 46" doorway. The extensions do not compromise the stability (I was afraid it might make it wobbly). We use the cream one upstairs (her rooms are mostly brushed nickel, cream and vivid colors) to block our DD's areas.

I don't know if they make a cat gate option. But maybe you could mount it a few inches above the ground and the cat could crawl under? (Never had cats, don't know how feasible that is)

Or DID, I should say. Moving into a new house next week where wall layout doesn't fall in a way that a tension gate will work. That's an entirely different conversation, tho! :)

Here's what we did, only a bit smaller with the extensions:
{{!gwi}}

You don't need to screw into the woodwork for the gate I got to work - it works with tension and is quite sturdy. I didn't have any problems. It's very similar to the one above. Mine came from Target if you have one, or as I posted, Amazon also has them.

Before our Labradors got too old to get into mischief, we used painted interior shutters and just screwed them in low across the bottom part of the opening. We liked them bc when they were open, they collapsed flat against the door frame and they just fit with the style of our bungalow.

http://cgi.ebay.com/SET-2-VINTAGE-WOOD-SHUTTERS-43-X-26-/170533545958?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0amp;hash=item27b49767e6

Here is a link that might be useful: shutters

Thank you all for the posts. Baby/pet gates are looking alot better now than when I bought mine. I think part of my issue is that I have had this gate in place for almost 16 years straight! First for the kids and then the dog. I'm so tired of it.

Vampiressrn, a long time ago someone here posted a new kitchen that had an iron gate that look beautiful and not like a gate. I wish I could find it.

prill, Thats my dog! Not really but it looks just like him, a tri colored aussie.

Athomesewing, I agree sometimes all they need is an obstacle like a chair.

chicagoans, good thought on the pocket door since we are cutting into the wall anyway.

I think whatever we do it will have to be fastened to something. This area seems to be a hang out spot. People lean on the tension gate all the time and it falls over later on. Besides the cat and dog I have teenagers that chase each other through the house.

I'm going to show DH all the ideas. Keep posting if anyone has any other ideas!

Thank you!

this is a nice wooden idea

http://www.thegildedpaw.com/store/dog/prod_details.lasso?id_prod=merryproducts_gatencrate

iron - this is white but does come in black

http://kidco-gate.catmj.com/

http://www.buybuybaby.com/product.asp?sku=16430226&;

for freestanding you could always go with a fireplace screen. They are gorgeous!

http://decor-collection.com/Category_Fireplace-Screens.html

Here is a link that might be useful: elegant gates

Oh, just let the dog eat live with the rest of you and put the cat food away.

Clg7067 - I was thinking the same thing, and was afraid to say it! So you've given me courage. I have found that just keeping the cat food bowl on the counter is an easy solution to the dog eating the cat food. I wouldn't want to isolate the dog. Dogs are so "pack" oriented, and need to be with their people. It's like he is being punished for shedding. Why have a dog at all if not to be a part of the family, but instead be kept isolated to one room? I am sad for your dog.

My brother used to put the cat food on top of the dryer. The cat loved it there and the dogs knew nothing about it! (:

I understand your concerns. There is more too it I just didn't want to make my story any longer.

He is with us as much as possible but at night, when we are eating meals, or when we are not home he must be somewhat contained. When we eat he cries and barks so he must be in a different room. He is totally food obsessed and will eat anything until he makes himself sick. He needs to lose about 6 lbs. He was the runt of the litter.

Besides eating anything that even smells like food, he goes up and down stairs, usually running. As he gets older we worry about his hips. He has fallen a few times going up or down stairs. Just did last week. The vet says he is fine maybe just starting with some arthritis. He has started waking up in the middle of the night to go up and down the stairs in complete darkness. Apparenty doesn't need as much sleep as he ages. We are now blocking the stairs with a chair at night.

Over all he has lots of freedom where we live. Big yard with no fences. This weekend he is going camping with us. All we have to say is "cabin" and he just jumps in the car.

There a lot of pet gates you could use for your kitchen door. They have different styles and sizes you could choose from. Here's the link: http://www.petstreetmall.com/pet-gates.aspx

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Dog Gates, FAST SHIPPING Wide Dog Gates, Tall Dog Gates, Free Standing Pet Gate

Here is a link that might be useful: Pet Gates, FAST SHIPPING Wide Dog Gates, Tall Dog Gates, Free Standing Pet Gate