What It Is And How It Works
Here’s a basic rundown on how an invisible barrier works for cats :
Any invisible fencing system has both transmitters and receivers. The transmitterstypically wires or other small devicescan be placed beneath the ground or throughout your home in a certain configuration.
This configuration creates the invisible threshold, which often runs around the perimeter of your yard, for instance. But you can also arrange the transmitters to block off a room, stairs, doorway, etc.
If your kitty crosses or gets close to this threshold while wearing the receiver , then the transmitter will send a signal to the receiver. This is the alert signal, and depending on the setting you’ve selected on your fence system, it will trigger a specific warning to your kitty. These warnings include:
- Auditory warning
- Vibrational warning
- Electric current
But my cat’s indoors-only, you might be wondering. Why would I bother will an invisible fence?
It turns out that there are fence systems that can be used indoors as well as outdoors. This allows you to place invisible barriers around certain floors, rooms, or even specific parts of a roome.g., the side with the couch you don’t want covered in cat hair.
How Does A Invisible Fence For Cats Or Dogs / Electric Fence Work
The system uses a wire, typically buried a few inches underground, to broadcast an FM radio signal with a total range of several feet in all directions from the wire. The signal weakens further from the wire but is still detectable several feet from the wire. The FM transmitting wire is run in a loop that follows the perimeter in which an animal is to be contained. For the FM signal to do anything, the companion animal needs to be wearing a special shock collar that detects the FM signal. When the shock collar is within several feet of the wire in the weak signal area, an alarm will beep to alert the animal that proceeding will mean a shock. The signal to shock is triggered once the collar enters the strong FM signal within a few feet of the wire. In principle, an animal is to be trained to understand that the beep noise is a warning of the impending shock and they are not to proceed forward.
These fences can form an effective invisible perimeter for containing companion animals in the right circumstances. The right circumstances come down to the setting of the containment area and the temperament and trainability of the animal.
Proper and thorough training is essential for success since the systems provide no physical barriers at all. The effectiveness of the system is completely dependent on the animal being well-trained which can take weeks or even months.
At A Glance: Our Top Picks For Best Invisible Fences For Cats
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Want a quick look at the products reviewed in this article? In the comparison table below, weve highlighted some of the most important features of each product. Youll find more detailed information about each product later in the article.
- Allows you to adjust the placement of the fence to suit your needs
- Receives primarily positive customer reviews
- Has a relatively small collar appropriate for larger cats
- In-ground setup affords flexibility
- A good option for indoor use
- Appropriate for small cats weighing as little as 5 lbs
- Many reviewers say it works well
- Has multiple shock intensity settings
- Features a tone-only mode for well-conditioned cats
- Flexible, wide-ranging protection area
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Petsafe Pawz Away Cat Barrier
Last but certainly not least, the PetSafe Pawz Away Pet Barrier was an easy choice when it comes to choosing the best wireless cat fence for cats! Because we know that there are a lot of indoor cats that are often left at home, we added another indoor invisible fence for cats in this list.
The Pawz Away line of Petsafe is available in four versions: indoor, outdoor, mini, and threshold. But for this review, the Pawz Away indoor version is what we have tried. It is used to teach your cats to avoid certain areas inside your home. Unlike in-ground fences, simply set-up the barrier near the area that you want to protect then youre good to go.
One of the highlights of this product is the extremely lightweight and comfortable receiver collar of PetSafe. The adjustable collar fits pet weighing 2.3 kg or more, with neck sizes of 15 to 71 cm. The receiver collar uses progressive static correction to find the right level for your furry friend!
In terms of safety, the correction stops after 15 seconds even if your pet continues to enter the prohibited area. This feature avoids instilling fear in your pet. Just like the rest of Petsafe invisible cat fences, the receiver collar requires batteries to work. For me, its more favourable because I dont have to worry about charging the collar and barrier at night for longer usage.
Petsafe Yardmax Rechargeable In
- Weight: 5 pounds and up
- Correction type: Tone and static
- Location: Outdoor
The PetSafe YardMax Rechargeable In-Ground Fence allows you to create a secure 1/3 acre boundary around your yard to maximize your cats play space. With the YardMax In-Ground fence your cat receives correction after they cross the boundary which gives them 30% more play area. Unlike traditional in-ground fences, your pet will not receive correction when they come back into the yard if he passes the wire.
This underground fence is expandable up to 10 acres with the purchase of additional wire and training flags. The rechargeable, waterproof collar features a sound-only mode for training plus 5 levels of adjustable correction levels. The collar adjusts to fit neck sizes between 6-28 inches and is recommended for pets who weigh 5 pounds and up. This in-ground fence will contain as many pets as you need.
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Petsafe Indoor Radio Fence For Cats
Next up on our best invisible fence for cats list is the very first indoor invisible fence for cats review. Available at a very cheap and affordable price, the PetSafe Indoor Radio Fence For Cats is for those who want to set an off-limits area for their feline indoors.
There are a lot of instances where we get home to a disaster whenever we leave our felines at home. Just because we love our pets doesnt mean we have to let them free reign in our homes! With the PetSafe Indoor Radio Fence, create a safer environment for your cats and have a peace of mind without having to stress about what your pet might be up to when youre not around.
The PetSafe Indoor Radio Fence works by simply placing the transmitter in the off-limits area inside your house. If your furball approaches the warning area, then it will receive a warning tone. If he continues to the area, then a safe static correction will be administered.
Set a barrier at home with up to 10 ft. radius with the PetSafe Indoor Radio Fence. The good thing is that you could increase your electric fence system with additional Indoor Radio Fence transmitters! However, the operating range may be affected by a variety of factors such as metal objects. So, make sure that you should place your fence system in a place that it wont be interfered by other objects at home.
What Is An Invisible Fence And How Does It Work
An invisible fence is also called a radio fence or a wireless fence. This is a fence with an invisible perimeter that helps contain your cat to a chosen safe area. The fence uses a transmitter and a receiver in your cats collar that emits a wireless signal such as an electrical shock, sound, or vibration in case your cat tries to go beyond the safety zone. This wireless signal wards off your pet from crossing the safety zone.
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Can Cats Sense Electric Fences
Cats do have the ability to sense the presence of an electromagnetic field. Because of this ability, they will tend to stay as far away as possible from an electric fence. This means that they will have no choice but to stay within the yard. They wont go near a fence that has more than enough electric power to cause them a fatal injury.
Can You Use It On A Cat
The most important part of choosing a collar for your cat is to select one that can be used on felines. There are no invisible fences on the market explicitly designed for cats. Most of them state that theyre for use with dogs. However, that doesnt mean that they can only be used for dogs, though.
If you do a bit of digging, many companies state that some invisible fences can also be used for cats. It mainly depends on the weight minimum of the fences and the weight of your feline. In many cases, you can use the collar on any cat or dog over 5 pounds.
Based on our research, there is no invisible fence that is okay for animals smaller than this. If your cat isnt, you may be out of luck.
You do not want to put a collar designed for a larger weight on your feline. Not only will the collar itself be too heavy, but the shock may be too extreme.
Youll need to know your cats weight to pick out an invisible fence correctly. If you havent weighed your cat yet, we recommend doing so before purchasing a fence. You dont want to get one thats the incorrect size.
Most invisible fences that are the right size will work for both cats and dogs. It depends more on the size of your pet than the species.
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Petsafe Wireless Fence Collar And Waterproof Receiver
- Weight: 5 pounds and up
- Correction type: Vibration and tone
- Location: Indoor and outdoor
This collar is as lightweight and safe for cats 5 pounds and up. The sleek and modern remote for this collar has a velvety matte finish that feels nice to the touch. A large display with clear symbols makes it easy to see the selected mode and switch between training modes and correction strength as needed. It comes with one intensity level for sound and nine levels for vibration mode. The remote works up to a range of 1000 feet, making it perfect for outdoor or indoor activities, and can control up to two collars.
This collar uses the latest lithium battery technology, providing battery life that lasts for at least a week. The battery can provide up to 16 hours worth of continuous corrections and also has a battery-saving standby mode that is activated after 5 minutes of inactivity.
Best Invisible Fences For Cats In 2022 Reviews & Guide
The world outside your house can be a dangerous place for a cat, but you can make it safe for your kitty to enjoy your yard with the help of an invisible fence. What are the best invisible fence systems that are designed with cats in mind? While its true that invisible fences are most frequently used with dogs, weve worked to find the best invisible fences that are suitable for a cats unique requirements. These reviews will help you find the most cat-friendly invisible fence so your little backyard lion will stay safe, secure, and close to home.
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Will An Invisible Pet Fence Work For My Cat
Nobody knows your kitty better than you do, and we know that keeping her safe and healthy is one of your top priorities. For this reason, it’s helpful to keep a few things in mind when deciding if and what type of invisible fencing device is best for her.
- Invisible fences may work effectively for some animals. But some pets aren’t effectively deterred by invisible fencing systems, especially if they’re highly motivated to hunt .
- If your kitty scares easily or has a health problem, and especially if she has a known heart condition, don’t use an invisible fence. At the very least, you should chat with your vet before trying one out!
- Even if your kitty is perfectly healthy, the unexpected stimulus could easily overwhelm her senses. And as a feline, she’s already highly sensitive to her surroundings anyway. Your cat could also experience emotional distress, anxiety, and other issues from experiencing the device at work. Go ahead, put yourself in her paws: it’s not hard to imagine how stressful that could be!
- In general, electrical shocks can be physically harmful and are considered borderline humane at best. Avoid using the electric current mode at all costsand keep in mind that even the vibration or auditory warnings can still be overwhelming to some animals.
Are Electric Fences Safe For Cats
In general, an electric fence is relatively safe to use in order to keep cats in the yard. This is because of their ability to sense the electromagnetic field that an electric fence is designed to generate. Because they know the field is there, they will do all in their power to stay away from it. This will keep them safe from harm.
However, if a cat should accidentally brush up against the fence, there could be a very serious problem. A cats body is smaller and more compact than a dogs. As a result, they are in much more danger from an electric shock than other animals. It only takes a very small shock to give them an injury that could turn out to be fatal.
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What Does An Electric Fence Do To A Cat
An electric hotwire fence cant do anything to a cat unless they come into direct physical contact with it. At this point, it can give them a shock that can cause severe injury or even death. This is because it only takes a very small amount of electricity to harm a cat. The amount that can kill them is much lower than for a dog or human being.
In most cases, cats will do all in their power to avoid invisible electric fences. This is because they have the ability to detect an electromagnetic field. Since this is the precise kind of field that an electric fence generates, they will naturally tend to stay away from them. Their sensing ability will warn them away from an encounter.
Electric Fence Amps Voltage And Watts For Cats
A total of 0.01 amps of sustained 110 volt house current is enough to cause a fatal shock to a cat. Keep in mind that a shock as low as 0.02 amps will be more than enough to cause severe, even fatal, injuries in a human. This means that any electric fence that you use with cats in mind will need to have its amperage at a very low total.
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What Happens If Your Cat Or Dog Leaves The Containment Area
An excited or a panicked animal may ignore the beep and run through the strong signal shock area. Once out of the strong field area the shock stops. Now the animal is outside the invisible underground fence. It is important to note that the animal will encounter the same warning beep as it would inside the radio fence / invisible underground fence as it approaches the warning beep perimeter from the OUTSIDE of the perimeter. They were just shocked leaving the system so they received a strong reminder of what the warning beep means. Essentially the animals training will tell them NOT to go back into the radio fence because they will get shocked. This is one of the biggest shortcomings with this type of pet containment.
Some pet owners have had good success with these systems. That said, it is not a physical barrier. It does not keep other animals out and it will not keep an overly excited, frightened or panicked pet in. Invisible fence for cats, in particular, are less likely to be effective due to the difficulty in properly training them, not to mention that many people tend to have multiple cats. So training them and keeping all the collars in working order can be overwhelming. Batteries are also an issue, many of these systems require constant replacement of batteries and components to keep the system in working order.
Should I Get An Invisible Fence
With safety in mind, dog owners may consider traditional or electronic fences. Here are advantages and disadvantages to popular invisible fences.
Pros:
Reasonable cost. Although there are less expensive versions of traditional fences, neighborhood codes often specify the types of construction materials that are allowed. Some fencing materials are expensive and labor is an added cost. Invisible electric fences are often less costly even when professionally installed.
Adaptability. While traditional fences work well on flat or gently sloping yards, invisible fencing works on almost any terrain. Invisible fences can span hilly spots, wooded areas and water. Also, electronic fences can cover acres of ground in any pattern to create large exercise areas for dogs.
Aesthetics. Invisible fences are, well, invisible. These barriers do not visually interfere with scenic views or green spaces and enhance the feeling of being outdoors. People can move around the yard freely without the hassle of opening and closing gates. The inconvenience of outlining flags is temporary. Once the dog learns the boundaries of the electric fence, the flags can be removed.
Convenience. Electric fences can be installed more quickly than conventional enclosures. Trenching and laying wire takes less time than laying fence posts, nailing boards, welding iron, or rolling wire.
Reliability. Dogs with a tendency to climb over, dig under, or chew through fences may be better contained with an electric fence.
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