Ultrasonic Cat Deterrents

Idiophreak

Hi All,

I've seen a huge increase in the number of these things recently and they are really starting to get on my nerves.

I fully appreciate why people have them...people want to deter cats from doing their business on their property. If a cat comes on their property, they have every right to do something (non-harmful) to get them off, of course they do.

What I don't get, is why they should be allowed to have them come on when I'm just walking past their house on the public footpath. I'm not old enough (32) or deaf enough yet that I can't hear them (which, technically, I suppose makes them "sonic cat deterrents") and they really quite hurt my head....Shouldn't I be allowed to take a walk in peace without these things making me wince every couple of hundred yards?

I'm not a teenager, I'm not drinking white lightning outside the shops, so I don't see why I should be forced to "move along" like this...(as an aside, I always assumed you'd need a license to operate a Mosquito...apparently not)

There was another thread on here before when people said the device must be faulty if a human can hear it, but that's just not the case...I've walked past a dozen or so recently and can hear them all (or more to the point, I *can't not* hear them) - I don't think they can all be faulty.

"Have you talked to them about it?" always comes up as the first advice, so I mentioned it to a chap outside his house earlier (his one came on when I was walking on the other side of the road). I said (all cheery and polite, like) "Excuse me, do you realise I can hear that?"
him: "hear what?"
me: "your anti-cat device"
him: "well what do you want me to do about it?"
me: "could you adjust it so it just comes on when something's on your property?"
him: "no, it's to keep cats off my lawn".
me: "right...but I'm not a cat...and I'm not on your lawn".
him: "Don't screw with me, sunshine...."

I decided to leave it there....But is there anything else to be done...It's just a noise nuisance...Would the council take it seriously?

Everyone I've talked to about it has come up with hilarious and witty ways of "getting even" with them...which are lovely to fantasise about...but we all know whenever you go down the "two wrongs" route, you're the one that winds up worse off...

Any thoughts appreciated!

squeeks

have you tried walking on the other side of the road, so you don't set off the sensor if it bothers you that much?

Idiophreak

squeeks wrote: »

have you tried walking on the other side of the road, so you don't set off the sensor if it bothers you that much?

As I said, the one today was triggered whilst I was on the other side of the road...

And the one I walk past most often, there is no "other side of the road" to walk on...other than walking "in the road".

In any case, I'd kinda object to having to cross the road because someone else dislikes cats, anyway.

Davesnave

I wondered if this was a wind-up at first, but then I saw you have similar form to me.

If you make complaints, they'll go nowhere, I'm afraid. The devices are legal, and if you visited the house buying/renting forum as often as I do, you'd know councils are pretty ineffectual dealing with noise nuisance in people's homes, let alone ones in the street that few can hear.

Besides, you'd also be up against one of the most powerful non-public bodies in the UK, namely the RSPB, who are mainly supported by rich, old grey-hairs, whose hearing was damaged years ago, listening to Hendrix, Floyd and The Who!:rotfl:

Jonesya

I've got one of these and I bought it not because I hate cats as such, or for the birds, but because I hate, with a passion, having to clean up sh*t. It's the most vile, unpleasant job I had to do on a regular basis, made all the more irritating by it being other people's cats depositing it on my lawn.

You find these devices an nuisance but think how much nuisance the owner has suffered to trigger them to go out and buy one.

In future, rather than pointing out to the owner you can hear it, where the obvious response is 'so what?' Or even 'well jog on and then you won't!' Perhaps suggest having it point into the garden, (rather than toward the path).

Dan-Dan

First world problems eh

EssexExile

Davesnave wrote: »

the RSPB, who are mainly supported by rich, old grey-hairs, whose hearing was damaged years ago, listening to Hendrix, Floyd and The Who!:rotfl:

You looking at me?

Davesnave

EssexExile wrote: »

You looking at me?

Dunno. Like me, you may have changed a bit since 1967! :rotfl: