February, 2022 | Ultra Secure Direct

We often get asked if it is possible to use a House Alarm while having Cats, the answer is Yes, but only if thought is taken about the Type & Location of Sensors before purchasing.

Full Run of the House:

The first question to consider is, will you be giving the Cat or Cats the Free Run of your House during times that you would consider Arming the Alarm:

If the answer is Yes, then we have to think carefully about what type of Sensors to use and where to use them.
If the answer is No, then we can use standard Alarm Sensors in the locations where the Cats will not be present whilst the Alarm is Armed, together with carefully selecting the correct Sensors for the locations where the Cats will be present. Some customers will even decide not to use Sensors in the locations the Cats will be in, but this is very much dependant on the layout of the House and the Risk involved in not protecting these areas.

Type of Cat Sensors available:

These are a few different Sensors that can be used to avoid False Alarms caused by Cats, please see examples below:

Door & Window Contacts:

These Magnetic Contacts are designed to monitor a Door or Window being physically opened, a great device to prevent False Alarms from Cats & other Animals, there are various models available, both Wireless & Wired depending on the Alarm System you choose to use, in my opinion the best Sensor to use for Houses with Cats.

Cat Proof Wireless Door & Window Contact

Please Click Here to View the details about fitting these type of Sensors.

Pet Friendly PIR’s:

Pet Friendly PIR’s are designed to detect body weight (mass) over a certain weight, for example these Wireless Pet Friendly PIR’s are designed to detect animals weighing over 10 KG, the average domestic Cat would average 3.5 – 5 KG.

But this is not an exact science as other factors may come into effect, such as:

You may have two Cats in the House, so in general they should not be a problem, but these two Cats may decide to play or fight with each other at any given time, therefore collectively passing the PIR as one mass, they may also be in a heightened state of excitement so both giving off more Heat (or radiation).
The same logic would be used if you have more than two Cats, and I guess more chance of these episodes actually happening.

Cat Friendly Wireless PIR

The main argument for using a PIR against a Magnetic Contact would be if the location in mind has multiple Door or Windows making it expensive to use multiple Contacts.

Please Click Here to view general information about fitting PIR’s.

Vibration Sensors:

Vibration sensors are very similar to the Magnetic Contacts, in fact some Vibration sensors can also double up as a Magnetic Contact. They are designed to help protect Doors & Windows and will trigger if there is a sudden and violent shock to the Door or Window they are protecting (for example someone trying to force them open).

Many people prefer these as they can trigger the Alarm before the potential Burglar has managed to open the Door or Window.

We would however recommend purchasing a Vibration Sensor that has built in sensitivity adjustments, as some can be too sensitive and can be falsely triggered, the typical false trigger could be caused by:

A Bus or Lorry driving past the Door or Window at high speed.
A Ball hitting a Window.
High Winds & Storms.

But if there is adjustable sensitivity they can be adjusted to suit the application.

Vibration Sensor and Magnetic Door Contact

Curtain PIR’s:

There are some PIR’s that are designed to create a very narrow Beam, therefore when fitted Vertically (pointing down to the floor) they create a detection pattern that resembles a long curtain, if mounted horizontally they can provide a wide detection area which can be above the height of a Cat on the floor (ensuring there is no furniture in the location that the Cat could climb onto).

These can be useful in some applications when Cats are present, but care needs to be taken before deciding to use them, if in doubt contact a Security supplier for advice.

Curtain PIR

Type of Alarms:

Apart from choosing the correct type of Alarm Sensors and best location for these Sensors, you can choose to use many different Alarm Systems available on the market today, some of the options include:

GSM (these alarms will use a built in SIM Card and contact owners & key-holders by Phone or Text).
Wireless or Wired (you can choose to have the more convenient Wireless Alarms or go for a Wired Alarm which is a lot more involved in the Installation).
Siren Only (you can choose to have a Alarm with just loud Internal or/and External Sirens).

If you Need Advice, please Contact Ultra Secure Direct for Advice !!

Telephone: 0044 (0) 1604 589414 (8am – 5pm Monday to Friday, UK Time).
Email: info@ultrasecuredirect.com
Website: www.ultrasecuredirect.com
Visit: 10 Ryehill Court, Lodge Farm I/E, Northampton, England, NN5 6QW.

Should I fit my Alarm Sensor or Camera inside a Protective Wire Cage ?

Protective Wire Cages help protect Sensors & Cameras

When using Alarm Sensors or CCTV Cameras Outdoors or inside External Buildings such as Sheds, Workshops & Garages it can be beneficial to utilize a Protective Cage in some cases, which can now be found on the market from various sources.

These will not only help to protect your Alarm Sensors or Cameras from Vandalism & Theft, but more importantly will also keep your Security in tact.

It is common for Burglars to visit a site before carrying out the Crime, this can be at night covertly or as brash as they come visiting during the day using some poppycock story about being lost, looking for Mr Smith or wanting to sell you something all the time having a good look around, and if you happen to be away from the property they can be even more intrusive.

If on these visits, they can quickly disable or hinder any of your Security it is in their Interest to do so, so making it harder for them to achieve this is important.

Protective Wire Cages can be purchased in many different shapes and sizes, or Bespoke models can even be obtained.

Outdoor Driveway Alarm PIR’s:

When using Driveway Alarms, there is really three sensible ways of fitting the PIR’s:

Covertly (fit the PIR out of obvious sight, behind a bush, hanging plant, garden ornament etc).
Hidden inside an object (birdbox, water butt, feed bucket etc).
Fitted inside a Protective Wire Cage (which can also provide a visible deterrent).

PIR inside a Cage

Because of the nature of a Driveway Alarm PIR is to normally position it on the approach to your Home or Business (as it is often the advanced warning system), making them probably one of the most vulnerable type of Alarm Sensors, so need to be protected or well hidden if possible.

Perimeter Laser Beams:

Laser Beams by nature need to be lined up with each other (they normally come in pairs), therefore one or both are quite often visible to wannabe Intruders or Vandals.

For this reason Protective Cages can be a real benefit to protect the Beams from Vandalism or Theft, or simply to stop them being tampered with, because if they come out of alignment they will stop working.

Laser Beams with Protective Wire Cages

Cameras:

CCTV Cameras can at least be fitted higher up than most Alarm sensors making them harder to reach for most casual Vandals & Intruders, but anyone determined can use a variety of objects and tools (often laying around) to either destroy or at least move the Cameras positioning which could make them obsolete.

This is more likely if the Cameras are fitted in remote locations (often with no one around for hours), for example 4G Cameras which can be fitted literally anywhere in the world (providing there is a mobile phone signal).

Utilizing Security Cages will help to protect the Cameras up to a point, the downside would be that the images would be looking through a meshed view, some people do not mind this as they just want to help identify a Vehicle or Person, sometimes even just wanting to know it is an Intruder and not a false alarm.

Other people want a clear view so the answer is to snip out the Cage around the Lens area of the Camera, this obviously results in a better view but reduces the protection that the Cage gives.

CCTV Camera in a Protective Cage

Shed, Garage & Workshop Applications:

It is less likely that customers will think of using a Cage over an Alarm Sensor or Camera inside a Shed, Workshop or Garage, but when you think about it, these buildings are often in remote locations or at the bottom of your garden, so Intruders will have plenty of time to work out their plan of action.

Sometimes this would be to destroy the Sensors or Cameras inside the building and quickly vacate to see if anyone responds, if their is no response they are free to take their time and clear the building out, if there is a response they simple slide back into the shadows and return within the next few days (day or night) knowing the destroyed Security Alarms or Cameras are unlikely to be replaced yet.

The other problem with these buildings are:

They are often small and low, so being able to easily reach the Security devices is achievable.
These buildings are often full of work tools (hammers etc), garden tools (spades, forks etc), golf equipment (golf clubs), fishing equipment (bank stick and poles), work material (wooden & steel poles) which can all be used to destroy your Security devices, literarily placed on a plate for the Villain.

So using a Protective Wire Cage may well be a good idea for many of these Buildings.

Alarm Detector in a Protective Wire Cage

I hope this Blog has given you some food for thought, if you would like to Contact Us to discuss, we would be delighted to hear from you (click here for Contact details).

Visit and give us your thoughts on our other Blogs !!

Monthly Archives: February 2022

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