Contech Stayaway Review
All our reviews are written by readers of The Scaredy Cat. The Contech Stayaway review was written by Marcia Williams. Unlike most of our readers, would have problems with getting rid of cat from their gardens, Marcia was having issues with her own cats inside the house. One was tearing the sofa to shreds, whilst the other had a real fascination with climbing plants….
The Contech Stayaway is an electronic cat repellent that uses light sprays of water as a deterrent. It’s generally considered to be one of the best of its kind on the market and has received rave reviews since its release.
Problem
I own two cats and both of them have their own individual spots of annoyance: one enjoys climbing behind the sofa to tear up the fabric; while the other regularly climbs up a tall palm-like tree that I’ve had for decades. Both situations are equally frustrating.
After already owning the Contech ScareCrow for my garden, I decided to purchase the Contech Stayaway after getting excellent results from the company’s other model. Due to the position of the sofa and tree I purchased two individual devices – risky I know. But overall I am very pleased with my decision.
Pros
The device is very small, which doesn’t hinder the visual qualities of the area in which it’s placed. I’ve managed to hide one of the devices among the soil at the base of the palm tree and at first glance, you’d never even know that there was something there. The other device is out of sight anyway, since the problem area is behind the sofa.
The first time I put them in place, the cats seems more confused than scared. They panicked a little after they were constantly getting sprayed and didn’t know where the water was coming from – which was quite amusing. It only took a couple of days for them both to stop in their tracks upon approaching the said areas. Again, this was quite amusing as they would try to sneak by slowly, but it always got them in the end.
Cons
Now, the most frustrating thing about the device is actually how well it works. Naturally I find myself forgetting where they are and when I move close to the palm tree to feed it I almost always get a little spray on my legs. While this isn’t exactly a problem, it can be a little frustrating. I’m currently experimenting with a new position. Will it stop the problem? Only time will tell!
Another negative is that the Contech Stayaway uses 4 AA batteries. Again, this isn’t a huge issue and it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out when they have run dry; however, it would have been nice to have an AC adapter as well for a little added peace of mind. That said, the batteries have been going strong for months now and the device has already stopped the cats from approaching these forbidden spaces, so maybe I’m just nit-picking.
Contech Stayaway Overall Rating
- Ease of Installation - 10/1010/10
- Effectiveness - 8/108/10
- Quality - 9/109/10
- Value for Money - 5/105/10
Summary
The Contech Stayway is an excellent device if you’re looking for something suitable for indoor spaces. If you only have one cat, just pick up one device, even if it tends to attack multiple areas of your home. After a few days in one spot you can be sure that it won’t return, so you could quite easily change the position in order to cover more ground.
