Pet Friendly Alarms

Gryzor

couldn't find anywhere else for this.....if i want to fit an alarm i have to get pet friendly motion detectors fitted as i've a couple of cats that live in the house...anyone any experience of these...do they actually work or will i be annoying the neighbours every second day with the alarm going off??

on a sidenote....the house is already wired for an alarm and i saw alarm kits in B&Q that gives you all the components etc....anyone fittted one of these them selves??

Spocker

Hi Gryzor,

I was in the same situation as you a couple of months back when fitting an alarm with a cat in the house. We had 2 PIRs/motion detectors installed and AFAIK there is no way to set the sentistivity on them (but I'm open to correction on this) so we had an alternative solution - we got the installer to give set up to a "part set" on the panel.

We have the normal full set with all detectors, including PIRs active, and a second "part set" which has all windows and doors active but the PIRs are not used, allowing our cat to roam freely around the house when the alarm is set - you do lose the benefit of the PIRs though

HTH

S.

Gryzor

sound for the reply spock, i see the PIR's as being the most important part of the alarm system, so i'd prefer to have them on if i could.....and you can get them as "Pet Friendly" units....just curious to know if they actually work though??

The BLP1-P detector can distinguish between signals caused by humans and signals caused by one or two animals with a combined total weight of 30 lbs (13,6/13.6 kg).

BoschSecurity

Spocker

Your guess is as good as mine, but if you do get them and they work, let me know cause I might get a pair and replace my own two - I agree with you about the PIRs being essential but the missus won out on that one

Just had a quick look through the Bosch sales brochure and saw the line:

Distinguishes signals caused by humans from those caused by one or two animals (or numerous rodents) with a combined weight of 100 lbs (45 kg).

- thats a lot of rodents :eek:

FX Meister

Why not confine the cats to a certain part of the house and have the PIRs in the other? Also, the house may be wired for an alarm but is that just for windows/doors or do they have it wired for PIRs as well.

beller b

Pet sensors don't have to be that technical. Simply masking part of the lens on the inside of the lid usually does the trick.With a little trial & error you can usually get it right.Part set is another option, on most systems you can also have a timed partguard that can inhibit a PiR if you want to go out & leave the cat in.
WRT DIY alarms your best to keep away from them..If you go to a decent Alarm suppliers you can probobly get a decent make with very little difference in the price.
Why do you consider the PiRs the most important part of the alarm..?
If the perimiter is alarmed properly the alarm should be activated before anyone gets to cross a PiR..

Dilbert75

Aritech definitely have pet-sensitive PIR's (or had up to a year or two ago). Won't be triggered by anything up to 10kg. Bound to be the most reliable method - the neighbours likely won't appreciate experimentation with tape on sensors.

beller b

You experiment with the tape while you are there!!..It take about 3 or 4 attempts all thats needed is you ,your alarm & your cat..All you are doing is masking about 2 feet up off the ground..Works every time. I've never had a problem.If you want to try Aritech (now GE Interlogix) you can call them on 014699760

Gryzor

beller b wrote:

WRT DIY alarms your best to keep away from them..If you go to a decent Alarm suppliers you can probobly get a decent make with very little difference in the price.

cost of a DIY is about €250 for all the bits....cheapest quote i've got around limerick for a professionally fitted one is €800...and the house is a 3 bed terace and allready wired..

beller b wrote:

Why do you consider the PiRs the most important part of the alarm..?

in my case i rekon they would be...i can't have the vibration sensors on the windows...cats again!!....all i can put on is the closed circuit contacts...easy enough to get around..break the glass or remove it from the frame...no alarm triggered...

@ beller b...do you fit alarms...or did u do this in your own place???

FX Meister

Gryzor wrote:

cheapest quote i've got around limerick for a professionally fitted one is €800...and the house is a 3 bed terace and allready wired..

That's just because you are in Limerick and demand for alarms is high

patrido

most pet friendly pirs just have lower sensitivity in the lower area of the sensor. texecom have one that claims to have "holographic optical technology" no idea if it works, but texecom is sposed to be a good name in alarms.

beller b

Must be a big cat to set off inertia sensors...
The quote of €800 is supply & fit.. A few hundred of that is labour..

Macy

Gryzor wrote:

in my case i rekon they would be...i can't have the vibration sensors on the windows...cats again!!....all i can put on is the closed circuit contacts...easy enough to get around..break the glass or remove it from the frame...no alarm triggered...

Are you sure - we've had no problems with 2 house cats (well only out when we're there). The only false alarm was caused by the blind "bar" banging the sensors when the window was on the second lock (if you know what I mean). No problem with the cats setting them off at all.

I'd be interested in the pet friendly PIR though, so let us know how that goes. If your cats are like ours, a PIR that doesn't cover the bottom 2 feet would be bugger all use if they were chasing a fly or moth about the hall

Gryzor

beller b wrote:

The quote of €800 is supply & fit.. A few hundred of that is labour..

still costing me €800...

Macy wrote:

Are you sure - we've had no problems with 2 house cats (well only out when we're there). The only false alarm was caused by the blind "bar" banging the sensors when the window was on the second lock (if you know what I mean). No problem with the cats setting them off at all.

thats good to hear....it was one of the alarm guys who came in to give me a quote told me we couldn't get the inertia sensors.....made a bit of sence because we've wooden blinds on all of the windows....so i thought if the cats knocked the blinds off the windows theyd trigger it..

Macy wrote:

a PIR that doesn't cover the bottom 2 feet would be bugger all use if they were chasing a fly or moth about the hall

my thoughts exactly....

beller b

Gryzor wrote:

still costing me €800...



thats good to hear....it was one of the alarm guys who came in to give me a quote told me we couldn't get the inertia sensors.....made a bit of sence because we've wooden blinds on all of the windows....so i thought if the cats knocked the blinds off the windows theyd trigger it..



my thoughts exactly....

Gryzor ,The point I was making re the €800 was with part of that being labour , the equipment could be bought for about €400..

The Alarm guy who told you that you can,t have inertia sensors was talking crap..
Inertias have 2 settings ,Gross which is the force a window has to be hit with & pulse count which detects scratching or cutting etc.. Your cat couldn't activate a gross attack on a sensor. With that in mind a sensor zone can be adjusted to a higher pulse level while still protecting the window in the event of breaking etc..
Another option available to you are break glass detectors.
On the last point about the cat chasing something around, you are ofcourse right..But no matter what kind of protection you install you will always be able to think of a instance where the alarm will activate...
Its a matter of putting your home security first & your cat second............

Gryzor

beller b wrote:

Gryzor ,The point I was making re the €800 was with part of that being labour , the equipment could be bought for about €400..

The Alarm guy who told you that you can,t have inertia sensors was talking crap..
Inertias have 2 settings ,Gross which is the force a window has to be hit with & pulse count which detects scratching or cutting etc.. Your cat couldn't activate a gross attack on a sensor. With that in mind a sensor zone can be adjusted to a higher pulse level while still protecting the window in the event of breaking etc..
Another option available to you are break glass detectors.
On the last point about the cat chasing something around, you are ofcourse right..But no matter what kind of protection you install you will always be able to think of a instance where the alarm will activate...
Its a matter of putting your home security first & your cat second............

points taken beller b.....good info on the inertia sensors....was just trying to sort the fact from fiction that the sales guy told me.....i know damn all about alarms and i just don't want to put one in that i can never turn on cause the cats will be setting it off all the time.....i'd be strung up by the neighbours within a week.. :eek: and i wouldn't blame them!!

Jip

We have a small dog at home and he can roam around the house, up and down the stairs without triggering the PIR and setting the alarm off. But for example if we walk down the stairs our foot or leg will be detected.
Our system was installed by Merrion Security so maybe they can answer any questions.