Conversely, a busy area with lots of traffic and pedestrians (or worse, pedestrians walking dogs) could prove too enticing, scary, or distracting for even a well-trained animal to stay within the containment area. The manufacturers of invisible fence cat collar systems provide recommended training procedures.Ī quiet backyard is the ideal setting for this system. Then, they train the animal to stay within the area delineated by the line of flags. Typically, owners mark the “warning beep” perimeter with a series of small flags. The system's effectiveness completely depends on training the animal well, which can take weeks or even months. Since no physical barriers are involved, proper and thorough animal training is essential for the success of invisible fences. The “right circumstances” come down to the setting of the containment area and the temperament and trainability of the animal. These fences can form an effectively invisible perimeter for containing companion animals in the right circumstances. In principle, an animal is trained to understand that the beep noise is a warning of the impending shock and should not proceed forward. The signal to shock is triggered once the collar enters the “strong” FM signal within a few feet of the wire. When the invisible fence cat 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 FM transmitting wire runs in a loop that follows the perimeter where you want the animal contained.įor the invisible cat fence to work, the animal must wear a special “shock” collar that detects an FM signal. The signal weakens further from the wire but is still detectable several feet from it. Invisible pet fences use 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. For the purpose of discussing the effectiveness of invisible fence cat collars as pet containment, this article will not cover the ethics of intentionally inflicting pain on an animal as a means of changing their behavior. A Note About Electric Shock to AnimalsĮlectric shock is unlike any naturally occurring pain an animal will encounter, and its use as a training tool is controversial. The fence uses a radio broadcast with an electric collar to shock the animal if they attempt to leave the containment area. It is a popular pet fence commonly used to contain dogs and is also marketed for cat use. The radio fence is also known as a wireless fence, electric pet fence, invisible cat/dog fence, or underground fence. One of the more heavily marketed options (and often misunderstood) is the radio fence. Picking the right fit for your fur buddy can be a daunting task, to say the least. Then, factors such as cost, ease of installation, effectiveness, and even plain old personal preference, add to your options. Some suggested choices are catios, kennels, yard fencing, invisible fencing, shock collars, and more. Choosing the right solution for creating a safe outdoor space for your cat can be riddled with options and misinformation.
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