Cat-proof PIRs

[daern]

I've recently taken on two (very active!) kittens and, with a view to this, replaced a couple of aging Honeywell PIRs in the kitchen where they live with a pair of Pyronix KX10DP, described as "Pet Tolerant PIR".

Well, you can probably guess the next part. The little buggers set the alarm off last night waking me (and half the street), so the kitchen sensors are back to disabled again!

Any recommendations either for tuning the Pyronix sensors or, alternatively, something else that will do a better job? (I can reuse these sensors elsewhere where the cats don't live, so no real problem replacing them if needed). I've previously used KX15DTAM (dual tech - not just pir) in the garage which have been excellent, but was slightly worried about interference issues (as well as the cats still setting the bloody things off anyway!)

System is a Texecom Premier Elite, but I don't think this has any bearing here.

 

[sparkymarka]

It’s not just putting up a pet tolerant sensor ….it’s seeing the layout of the room and seeing if a pet tolerant sensor is going to work …are there any tables ….curtains that the cat can climb onto or up can the cat get within 1.0 m from the sensor ?
Normally fit optex rx40 pt ( now apparently discontinued….but still available) or Bosch pet tolerant pirs

 

[daern]

Kittens can definitely get high - table, curtains, probably the bloody walls too, tbh. The Pyronix was advertised as being insensitive to lower weight objects, but the reality seems to be that it's more about "low and high" which ain't much good here. Whether or not they can get within 1m of the sensor is hard to say, but "probably" is the answer. Would dual-tech sensors be any more likely to be more tolerant to them, or is it likely that I need to accept that kittens at head height will set off room sensors?

 

[sparkymarka]

Ball and chain …

 

[daern]

Haha. Not sure that would go down so well....!!

Ball and chain …

 

[sparkymarka]

Eg

 

[slip.cougan]

2.e. is interesting. My dogs and cats stay pretty much the same size despite the temperature

 

[secureiam]

Go perimeter Protection to alert at attempted break in.

for example cats are usually small enough for normal sensors not to pick them up walking across the floor, but they rarely just walk across the floor.

however pet tolerant PIRs ignore below a certain height and are pointless in my opinion. As anything that gets the pet above this cut off height can cause an alarm and also allows burglars to be short or crawl around.

 

[daern]

I'm loving the idea that there is a market for vertically challenged burglars

As far as perimeter security goes, this is probably the way I'll go, accepting that movement detectors and cats are not a good mix. I already have door sensors, but not window sensors (which wouldn't be easy to retrofit either) and the interior PIRs were a "catch-all" in case someone did try to enter through a different route. There's still PIRs in other rooms (which the cats can't enter when the alarm is set), so if an intruder did move into these rooms (and I can't see them remaining in the kitchen) then it will trigger anyway.

Thanks for the advice, all.

 

[secureiam]

did you ever see the footage of the pub where the burglar is crawling along the floor and you can see a certain brand of pet pir in place.

look at the spec of the pet sensors, I have been to properties where there pet sensors didn’t detect the lady of the house because she wasn’t big enough.

perimeter protection for the rooms the pets are in is certainly the way to compromise, if your away and the pets are boarding then the PIR in that room can be un omitted.

 

[sparkymarka]

Don’t you have a premier elite ?
Put a wireless expander on it and add some wireless shocks / contacts to the windows

 

[sparkymarka]

did you ever see the footage of the pub where the burglar is crawling along the floor and you can see a certain brand of pet pir in place.

look at the spec of the pet sensors, I have been to properties where there pet sensors didn’t detect the lady of the house because she wasn’t big enough.

perimeter protection for the rooms the pets are in is certainly the way to compromise, if your away and the pets are boarding then the PIR in that room can be un omitted.

Years ago in the late 80’s we had a customer that crawled around on the floor in the lounge saying he could get to the kitchen ….. my work college said “ let’s see you do that with a TV on your back “

 

[secureiam]

probably easier to do it now with flat screen TVs being slime and light, but still have to reach for the TV

 

[daern]

Don’t you have a premier elite ?
Put a wireless expander on it and add some wireless shocks / contacts to the windows

Definitely an option, although with this system I've tried to avoid adding any wireless components (following the general rule that wires are better!) Thanks for the suggestion.