A safe, effective way to train your pet
Written: Jun 04 '04 (Updated Jun 05 '04)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Humane and effective, cordless, works 24 hours a day, doesn't make you the villain!
Cons: Sensor light doesn't always work, size might be too large, expensive one-time buy.
The Bottom Line: I find this method of training to be safe, humane and effective. Sends a definite message, is easy to install/remove & store and makes for a more peaceful household!
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| califtonjgirl's Full Review: A Trendy Home Electrostatic Pet Scat Mat |
My husband and I are the proud owners of two adorable cats...they're clean, smart and on the mostpart, extremely well-behaved. There are times however when their stealth comes in handy to them and makes enforcing the "house rules" extremely difficult. As our cats are indoors-only and we all spend the majority of our lives together, it's very important to me that our cats understand what boundaries they should not cross. One of those rules is that when they are in the kitchen, they are not to be on food prep areas or dining areas -ever. Not only is it unsanitary (just think of the fur and those feet digging through the litterbox going into your food & do I really need to mention what touches the counter when they sit -YUCK), but it's downright dangerous (stove burners on, knives left on the counter when I need to take a short break away from the kitchen while cooking)!
This has been a somewhat difficult rule to enforce...when we leave the room, they will simply jump on whatever surface they darn well please. We can hear them jumping off of the counters late at night or when we're in another room during the daytime. I don't blame them, really...that's what cats do. But it doesn't mean that that sort of behavior has to continue. Cats are very smart creatures and they CAN learn what they should or shouldn't do. Besides, who wants to run around after their cat(s) all day, yelling "NO" at them? It's confusing to the animal and can sometimes make them fear you, which is not what we want, right? We've all got lives to lead...I say let some inventor's gadget do the dirty work!!! And it DOES work!!!
When I first purchased the Scat Mat two years ago, I did so sheepishly...it felt somewhat cruel and to some, it may be hard to even think of going there. But after one failed home remedy after the other (foil on the counters, low-tack double-sided tape, cookie sheets filled with water...what a pain!!!) to deter this behavior and a store-bought vibration-sensor (the alarm ended up detecting US [vibrations caused by walking into the room] and scared the heck out of ALL of us!!!), I decided it was time to try yet another invention. That said, I think it's crueler to allow the cat to subject themselves to injury when they think it's OK to jump on the counters when we're out of sight (again that knife and stove-burner thing). Prevention is key.
The Scat Mat is indeed a mat with a small power box on one end that holds one 9V battery and has on/off sensor settings on it. The mat itself has all sorts of thin/flat wires and such inside that are hooked up to the battery area. When stored, it can be rolled up as it's fairly thin (like a thin, flexible sheet of vinyl). After the battery is inserted, one can set it to LO, MED or HI, depending on the size of the animal. Our cats fall into the MED range, which is a current suited for their size. The MED current is a darned good one, as I found out twice after testing it with my arm and my husband got wind of when he leaned on the counter one night (LOL)...it's both surprising and unpleasant but completely harmless. Be aware that however strong the "zap", it will not hurt the animal. It WILL send a message that saying (or yelling) "NO" sometimes can't. The mat sends electrostatic pulses (like a long carpet zap) over the course of three seconds upon contact. It's like my counters are saying, "Get away from me!!!"
What made me feel better about my purchase (and a somewhat pricey one-time purchase indeed) was that the Scat Mat is endorsed by Humane/Veterinary Societies and Animal Behavior Specialists.
The first night, I unrolled the Scat Mat onto the counter while the "kids" were in the other room, turned it on and left the room. Within half an hour, I heard a resounding thump in the kitchen and ran in, terrified that the thing had fried my cat!!! What I saw was an askew Scat Mat and no cat. Talk about Fear Factor. I checked on both of them and they seemed fine. I kept the Mat on the counter for a few days and moved it to another part of the counter. Again, it worked. So it was moved to the table after a few days (I put it out at odd hours during the day and left it on the counter all night) and then put away. The thing about this mat is that it's really hard to see at floor level, so the cats never know when I have it on the counter or whether it's off...it's a psychological thing, I guess!!!
There's supposedly a small LED light that will come on when the Mat is activated, although this has never happened since I've been using it. However, it's easy to tell when my cats have encountered it: it's usually off-center because they've scattered to get off of the surface of it as quickly as possible.
The scat mat I purchased is the smallest available at time of writing and measures 16 x 30". If I need it on a smaller surface I just roll it partway and place it wherever I need it.
Every now and then, the cats need a "refresher course" (they forget after so many months and start jumping on the counter again) and once again, the mat is put out...I'd estimate this is every six to eight months and getting longer as they get the message. I do not EVER put the mat out unless I feel the need to...it's a training tool and is used as such in our household.
There are other mats that are larger in dimension, Scat Mat strips and even "dummy mats" that upon the animal's sight will cause it to avoid the area, even when there's no "live" current (might work better with dogs or on surfaces that can easily be seen like a couch or floor). Most of the "live" mats connect to others, daisy-chain style. I would like to buy one larger and another of the same size I already have, just to make training faster (otherwise, I have to slowly move the mat throughout the kitchen over the course of a week or so).
A bit of advice: Warn your family about coming into contact with it because they will not enjoy getting "zapped"!!!
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
califtonjgirl
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 - Top 1000 |
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Location: Silicon Valley, CA
Reviews written: 39
Trusted by: 13 members
About Me:
I am a married female in her mid-thirties.
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