How to keep my pet from triggering my alarm

We’re a nation absolutely barking mad for pets. From cats and dogs, rabbits and hamsters, even lizards and frogs; an estimated 59% of British households own at least one furry (or not so furry) companion. That amounts to roughly 51 million four legged friends joining us in pride of place on the settee.

And don’t get us wrong, pets are great! They make us laugh and are there for us when we need them the most. Some of them even help us to feel a little safer in our homes  and will do what they can to keep intruders away. 

Yet, best intentions aside, pets certainly come with their own challenges when it comes to keeping our houses fully protected when we’re not there. From accidentally triggering motion sensors and causing loud alarms to sound throughout the day, to being the main culprit in some household accidents, pets can sometimes unfortunately be a barrier when it comes to properly securing our homes. 

Sadly, there’s now a greater  need to keep our pets safe with a smart home security system too. Since the start of the pandemic, dog theft has increased by 250% with homes and gardens being the number one place for criminals to snatch your beloved friend. Now more than ever it’s important to protect our loyal pals with a home security system designed with them in mind. 

How do the SimpliSafe Motion Sensors work with pets?

Here at SimpliSafe we’ve designed a Motion Sensor that’s smart enough to detect people and ignore pets. With infrared heat sensors at the heart of our technology,  our Motion Sensors use a precision human-form detection algorithm to differentiate between humans and our furry companions . This means that our sensors allow any pet under 23kg to roam freely in your home without any alterations to your set up.

Tips to help prevent your pet triggering the alarm

If you’re having trouble with pets and your Motion Sensor, follow our handy guide below to determine what is causing the issue.

Step 1 - Confirm if it is your pet triggering the sensor

It may not be your pet that's triggering the alarm, something else could cause this. Before we look at pet prevention measures, check to see whether the following could cause a false alarm:

• Is your Motion Sensor placed near any heat sources? For example, if it's above a radiator the hot air could rise and trigger the sensor.

• Check to see if there's a theme when it comes to the time the sensor is triggered, as this could be caused by the heating if it's set on a timer.

• If the Motion Sensor is installed near a window or door where direct sunlight keeps hitting the sensor, this could also potentially trigger the sensor.

If you have checked the above and think it could still be your pet that triggers the alarm, give our next step a try.

Step 2 - Pet proof your Motion Sensor

Is your pet triggering your alarm? Fear not, follow our super simple, tried and tested trick,  which pet owners love!

If you have a dog, follow these steps:

1. Turn the Motion Sensor upside down with the test button facing towards the floor.

2. Fix this to the wall at around 4-5 ft high - make sure it’s out of reach of your pets.

If you have a cat, follow these steps:

1. Place the Motion Sensor on an area on a wall where there is no furniture below it or near it if possible.

2. Turn the Motion Sensor upside down with the test button facing towards the floor.

3. Fix this to the wall at around 4-5ft high where your cat (hopefully) won’t jump up at it.

Bonus tip - sensitivity switch

All relevant sensors have a sensitivity switch on the back, below the batteries. This switch is usually set at ‘medium’, but by changing the sensitivity to ‘low’ it will have a lower sensitivity and the device will require a much more significant heat signature in order to trigger. This can be used in instances where you may have a bigger pet that could trigger your alarm by being able to jump higher, such as a specifically mischievous cat or overly enthusiastic dog.

Why these pet friendly tricks work

When positioned “normally”, our Motion Sensor looks straight out and down towards the ground. When you turn the sensor upside down, it flips the field of view to look straight ahead and up instead. This creates a convenient blind spot below the Motion Sensor which allows pets to roam around your home freely without triggering your alarm. 

If you have pets that often jump on top of counters it’s important to consider where those potentially false alarm triggering area’s are in your home. By locating and pre-empting that these areas could cause issues, you can prevent your pets triggering alarms here by turning the motion sensor to face away from them. 

We understand that in some instances, altering the placement of your Motion Sensor might not be an ideal solution for you and your home - that’s why we’ve also included the option to lower the sensitivity of your sensors. It also reduces the effective range from 30ft to 20ft (ideal for smaller rooms).

Find your purrfect system

Looking for a pet friendly security system for your home? Shop our range of home security packages or build your system today.

If you have any queries, or would like some further tips and tricks for using SimpliSafe home security with pets, please don’t hesitate to contact our dedicated customer support team on 0800 456 1789, or email us at customer-support@simplisafe.co.uk.

Need more tips and tricks to keep your pet safe at home? Take a look at our post on how to prevent pet theft.