PestBye Advanced Cat Scarer Review
All our reviews are written by readers of The Scaredy Cat. The PestBye Advanced Cat Scarer review was written by Steve Crawford. Steve was getting tired of his neighbours cat constantly using his garden as a toilet. Approaching the issue wasn’t really an option, so Steve needed something else to solve the problem….
The PestBye Advanced Cat Scarer is an ultrasonic cat repellent that makes a loud noise whenever a cat gets close by. Unlike many other ultrasonic products, this device is designed specifically for cats and may not affect other animals. By focusing purely on frequencies that affect cats, the PestBye Cat Scarer is more targeted, which results in a higher success rate. That said, it does also affect dogs and foxes.
One of the biggest problems with finding a cat repellent is that many products can be dangerous and use harmful chemicals. The good thing about ultrasonic products is that they won’t cause any harm to the cat, they’ll simply make a noise that they dislike.
Problem
My next door neighbour’s cat frequently visits my garden when he needs the toilet, especially during the summer. I’ve tried many products in the past, such as pellets and water sprayers, but all they make him do is move to another spot of my garden. Raising the issue with my neighbour is an awkward affair and I wouldn’t dream of using spikes or any products that could cause harm to the cat. After searching the Internet I decided to invest in the PestBye Cat Scarer. I chose the advanced model purely because it covers a wider distance of 16 metres, and I have a fairly large garden.
Pros
The PestBye Cat Scarer is quite impressive. It can be mounted onto a wall or fence and has a sensor which covers a 180 degree radius. The advanced sensor contains PIR (Passive Infra-Red), which turns on when a warm body enters the area. This has two purposes; not only does it have a much greater battery life than other models, but it increases the overall effectiveness of the noise. Studies have shown that cats will become desensitized to random noises; and most ultrasonic cat repellents will generate random noises because they are triggered by movement. However, an infra-red sensor will only trigger during their presence, which makes cats realize that they are causing the sounds.
Cons
In terms of the quality of the PestBye Cat Scarer, the functionality of the device doesn’t have any faults; however, it is expensive in comparison to other cat repellents. But then, quality comes at a price. In addition it requires 2 x 9 volt batteries. While this isn’t a problem I would have preferred a constant power source, but this wasn’t included.
PestBye Advanced Cat Scarer Overall Rating
- Ease of Installation - 9/109/10
- Effectiveness - 7/107/10
- Quality - 7/107/10
- Value for Money - 8/108/10
Summary
Since using the PestBye Cat Scarer my garden has been problem free. However, it took a while to find the optimum position. During the first week I placed it next to an obstruction, which significantly hindered the effectiveness; however, when I discovered how much range it actually had, I moved it to the centre of the garden. Now the radius covers the majority of the problem area.
The best thing about the device is that cats won’t come back. During the first couple weeks they tried, but as soon as they realised that it was their presence that was making the noise, they haven’t dared to hop the fence.
