Pet-Friendly Alarms: How they Work and Why You Should Use Them

In this day and age, alarm systems are a must for any modern home. They keep your valuables safe from the hands of burglars and provide an added layer of protection to your property. If you own any pets and you wish to have an alarm system installed in your home, then you may want to consider installing a pet-friendly alarm. As the name implies, a pet-friendly alarm is a type of alarm system that’s designed to avoid accidental alarm triggers caused by pets. It’s a clever alarm system, one that you should definitely consider especially if your cat or dog likes to run around the house.

This article will cover everything you need to know about pet friendly alarms, from how they work and why you should use them for your home.

How do pet-friendly alarms work?

Most alarm systems use passive infrared motion sensors (PIRs) to detect movement in a given space. These sensors work by detecting heat waves emitted by humans (and animals) while monitoring any thermal changes in its surroundings. What makes pet-friendly alarms different is that the motion sensors themselves are designed to be pet-tolerant. This means the motion sensor ignores changes in infrared radiation of moving objects up to 35 kg. (77 lbs.) in mass.

Considering that most pets fall under 35 kgs, it’s highly unlikely that the PIR sensor will trigger an alarm, even if your pet bypasses it. Now the question is, what if you own a big pet like a great dane or a tibetan mastiff? Will the PIR detect their movement and trigger the alarm? Well the answer is yes.

Big dogs are likely to set off your alarm if they have free roam of the house. Because of their larger size, they emit more heat waves and the PIR sensors will detect a significant thermal change in the environment. But that’s not to say you can’t install an alarm system if your fuzzy fur ball is almost half your size. Here’s how to work around this problem.

Installing an alarm system that’s big-dog friendly

Even if you have a big dog inside the house, there are other configurations you can explore when installing an alarm system. Other than PIR sensors, you can use door and window sensors that trigger an alarm due to unauthorised entry. You can also install glass break detectors that detect sound waves when glass is being tapped or broken.

If you own very active pets like cats or birds, there’s a good chance they might activate the PIR sensor as well. The key is to use PIR sensors in areas where your pets are less likely to be in and work around the other areas with door sensors, window sensors, and glass break detectors. That way, you can still use motion sensors while reducing the risk of accidental alarm triggers.

Other considerations for an alarm system

This option isn’t just limited to pet owners, but every homeowner in general looking to install an alarm system in their property. Sometimes just to reduce home insurance premiums. If you’re looking for a more advanced and reliable alarm system, we recommend having camera PIRs installed in your home. A camera PIRs work great if you own any pets because it reduces the risk of unwanted alarm triggers.

These devices work by taking a snapshot (or sequence of snapshots) when the alarm takes off and the photos are sent to your smartphone via an alarm app. From there, you can review the photos and confirm if the activation was done by an intruder or by your pet. It sends the photos in real-time so that way, you can deactivate the alarm immediately and re-arm it within minutes. All of this can be done remotely through your smartphone which are both convenient and accessible.

How much does a pet-friendly alarm system cost?

Pet-friendly alarm systems usually don’t cost that much more compared to conventional alarm systems. Depending on the devices installed and how large your property is, you can expect to pay anywhere from $300 – $4,000. Smart alarms like camera PIRs are more expensive compared to pet-friendly PIR sensors. At the end of the day, an alarm system is a worthy investment in terms of protecting your property and your valuables.

Hopefully with this article, you’ve acquired a better understanding of how these types of security systems work. If you have any questions about pet-friendly alarm systems, it’s always a good idea to contact a professional security consultant and create a solution with your pets in mind.