Pestbye® Waterproof Ultrasonic Repellent Cat Repeller and Scarer with Ground Stake (Battery Powered)

I recently took-up slate chippings at the front of my house and replaced them with a Cotswold stone. I had no inkling that a couple of months later the neighbour's cat would suddenly decide to use it prolifically as a litter tray - eventually three times in four days leading-up to the installation of my new cat scarer. I read the reviews and chose the PestBye in the hope that this would resolve the problem! It arrived in a plain box (inside the usual Amazon packaging) with minimal instructions. It requires 4 AA batteries (not included) and it is fairly self explanatory to assemble, simply put the batteries in, put the rubber seal around the back and use the four screws to attach the battery cover. I couldn't get the battery cover to be absolutely flush and the screws wouldn't go all the way in and I didn't want to over-tighten at the risk of splitting the plastic, but with the rubber seal I think it should be waterproof (time will tell and I'll update on here if it isn't!). I am using it on a stake rather than attaching it to a wall (the stake was fairly easy to attach and drive into the ground - so that the unit was 4 inches above the ground). As it is only a small area I have reduced the sensitivity to the minimum level (and it still works fine). I am using the dial on the third frequency dot as per a very helpful review further down (which will tell you which frequency is most effective against which pest), it doesn't give any suggestion in any instructions. I have adjusted it so that it covers just the space in front of my house, it can cover up to 80 degrees. I am giving it five stars for the effect that it has had on the cat, who seems to hate it as I don't see it wandering around the front of my house anymore - but I would say the instructions are poor and I wouldn't say that it is fantastically constructed as the back doesn't `fit flush'. The neighbours children can hear it as well, so consider that if you want children to be able to play in that area. Just two points to note if you are buying: Make sure you have 4 AA batteries Make sure you have a very small cross-head screwdriver to hand - easily purchased from any pound shop or DIY place ***UPDATE*** I've had it for 2 months now and it has worked a charm, not a single bit of cat mess! I've noticed that another neighbour has recently installed one to cover his lawn. I was told that some older cats go deaf and can't hear this signal - to sure if that is correct or not but the cats nearby seem to be fairly young so it isn't a problem for me.

As many other reviewers, I found it fiddley to assemble. Battery cover screw holes had to be enlarged before accepting self tapper screws. Common complaint, assembly information detail given (simple anyway, apart from being awkward). The important part where a bit of help is required, i.e. operating instructions were non existant. These it turns out are available on [...]. The repeller actually works. I got rid of a persitant visitor after about five days. It required a bit of setting up in right posistion. I would say that the Pestby is most effective in a small garden. To save you hunting, details of operating info attached below. The Cat repeller is the quickest fix for cats in the garden. Battery powered, it's easy to install by pushing into the ground using the stake supplied, or it can be screwed to a wall or fence. Fully waterproof, it can be left out in any weather. Why the motion sensor? The repeller comes complete with an infra-red (PIR) motion sensor which turns the device on when a warm body enters the controlled area. This has an important purpose other than saving battery life: researchers have found that cats can become desensitised to the noise if they realise that random sounds are not associated directly with their presence in the controlled area. With the motion sensor, the cat learns to associate the noise with its own movement and is much less likely to stop being afraid of the noise. Frequency Settings This repeller device allows you to change the output frequency, enabling you to have the most effective solution for your particular pest problem. Listed below are the types of animals that this repeller can be used against and the most effective setting for each. Working from left to right (from the smallest dot to the largest) Cats - Between 3 - 5 Dogs - Between 3 - 4 Foxes - Between 3 - 6 Squirrels Between 2 - 7 Rodents - Between 2 - 7 Insects - Between 2 - 7 Roaches - Between 9 - 11 N.B If set on numbers one or two the chances of humans being able to hear this are greatly increased. Batteries Requires four AA batteries. Battery life depends on how many times the device is activated, but they typically last 3-4 months assuming 10 activations per day.Batteries are not supplied as standard but we can supply them (see options above). What area does it cover? It covers an 80 degree arc, to a distance of up to 23ft (7m), giving a total unobstructed working area of 184sq ft. Unlike most other repellers this allows you to cover a smaller area with the sensitivity dial. The repeller will give you the full 7m if the dial is fully round to the right to decrease the distance turn to the left, this will help to increase battery life as the repeller will cover the distance you want it to. How quickly will it work? If cats have a habit of feeding and fouling in your garden, it can take 14-28 days to deliver the full deterrent effect. 'Occasional' visitors will usually be stopped within 7 days. If you have a dog, the dog may be affected if it is allowed in the same part of the garden. The sound doesn't travel well through walls and fences, so it won't affect a dog in the house, or a neighbour's dog. Of course, as with all methods involving animal behaviour, we can't guarantee effectiveness in every situation, however, our own experience and the feedback we get from customers suggests that this device is effective in almost all situations. Will it affect birds? Not at all - you'll be able to welcome the birds back to your garden. Occasionally, children and some adults may be able to hear this device. If this happens it will usually only occur while children are in the garden. Dimensions Height 10.5cm, Width 10.5cm, Depth 4.7cm.

I have come to hate cats. It's that simple. I have young children running about the garden, and I detest the local cats using the lawn and the veggie patch as a toilet. I tried the usual granules, etc. Nothing worked, and they were expensive and ineffective. I bought one of these. Within a few days of installing, it has removed about 98% of the problem. It's so good that I am going to buy another one to cover the last part that is out of the PIR sensor line of sight. Here are a few tips and observations. I am a working scientist for your background. 1. The highest frequency a person can detect decreases with age. Grandparents can't hear anything at all from it, even when putting their ear to it, but I can still hear the frequency chirp from the speaker as the unit is triggered (which coincides with a blue light going off). 2. The "claymore" spike it comes with is quite satisfying. You can imagine the little present-droppers meeting an unexpected end. 3. Rechargeable batteries (4xAA) are a must. I get about ~6 weeks out of one set, with it being triggered quite a lot during the day. 4. The children don't seem to mind the sound too much, it's fairly high frequency anyway and not particularly loud, so they just ignore it. 5. The unit is (presumably) made in China. The screws holding the battery cover plate on are a bit fiddly and flimsy, be careful. I also found that there is a slight loose connection in mine. Knocking the unit hard-ish allowed the blue light to flash but diabled the speaker. This may explain why some people are having issues with it. 6. It works like a burglar alarm with a PIR sensor. It must be able to see the cat moving, so keep the sensor clear of growth and pointing in the right direction. I turned the sensitivity up to maximum. Cover your garden with overlapping fields of fire. 7. Here are a couple of events that have reinforced my belief in the unit. The first is when a cat walked nonchalantly into the garden one day. I was watching in when the unit went off, the cat nearly left the ground and ran for the exit! The second was when the batteries ran out, I immediately got a stinky gift. 8. When the batteries begin to go flat, the blue light still comes on for a couple of days, but the speaker emits a distorted warble at lower frequency. This is your warning to change them. Again, for older folk particularly, if you can't hear it, you won't know that the unit is not operating at optimum efficiency. 9. You can't really turn it off. You can turn the sensitivity right down, or cover the PIR sensor up. But that's it. Personally, I would like an on/off switch, but can live without it. 10. It seems to be weatherproof (few months in), avoid drenching it with the watering can if you can though. I have done this a few times inadvertently to no ill effect. Hope it works out for you too, for me it's a totally essential part of the back garden now.

Having read the reviews I had high hopes for this product which were crushed all too quickly. As soon as the batteries were inserted I could hear the unit squeaking and clicking at me, which probably should have been the first indication that things weren't quite right. After all the very definition of ultrasonic is a frequency above the range of the human ear. The three cats, who were sat in the kitchen at the time, looked on with interest mainly although the youngest (the one who is my nemesis) did seem the nearest to being upset by it and did eventually leave the room. I took this to be the sign that I'd found the ideal frequency and set the two units strategically in the borders giving me maximum range and waited. For 12 hours not a single visit occurred and I felt victory would surely be mine. The motion sensors picked up everything, in fact the range on the sensors appears to be the best function on them, however the claim that they work on an infrared level I would have to question as they would often be set off by the movement of a leaf or the flap of the laundry on the washing line. It was not long however before Sheldon (my tabby tormentor) came sniffing around ready to do his grotty little business in my tiny plot of paradise yet again. Aware that the instructions state that it will take 2-4 weeks for cats to take the hint I have persevered. These are not cats that have grown up untrained in the use of the litter tray and nor is their tray left to fester until it stinks out the entire house. No these are cats whose conveniences are probably kept cleaner that most humans are and short of chasing after them all day with a pristine tray and a bucket of moist wipes to clean their little botties with after there is little more we could do to make their motions more comfortable. So it is with a heavy heart and a huge sense of disappointment that I have disassembled these units after several weeks of patient anticipation and experimentation with the frequencies. Even before removing the batteries and packing them away I have experimented with the cats in the kitchen once again. This time one cat got so upset he sat down nonchalantly, raised his left leg in the air and casually licked all that the vet was kind enough to leave him with. Strangely though it is my thirteen year old daughter who is happiest to see the back of these items as she couldn't sit out in the garden without them giving her a headache. So there you go, it's a one star rating from me. Partly because they won't let you rate it a zero and partly because if your teenagers are leaving little parcels in your petunias then this will surely stop them.

After months of daily presents being left in our garden by one of the (at least) six visiting cats, we finally succumbed and purchased this. After a week we'd only received one unwanted gift, so we repositioned it to get better coverage and for nine months it was clear. The cats learnt that the only way to get through the garden is to balance precariously on the fence or climb over the garage. That was until we did some significant work on the garden and bought an extra scarer and replaced the batteries in the older one, now it's back to being a cat toilet again. So the moral of the story is don't dig your clay soil over and improve it, leave it rock solid. The fact of the matter is there are too many cats round here, I'm now aware of 8 that creep around my boundaries which in a garden 25 feet by 40 is just too many. It's now been over a year since our initial purchase, we now own 3 scarers, one in the front and 2 in the back, things are definitely better but not by any stretch perfect and we've had to replace the batteries twice. We still get presents left in our flower beds from time to time but we've probably only had about 15 since our initial purchase. If cats start soiling our soil, the scarers get repositioned for a while and the offending items removed and they then seem to change their habits again and move next door! Then again they may just be upset that I've planted onions and lavender, neither of which they like. So my recommendation is go for a multi-faceted approach, electronic and herbal and be prepared to adjust the position of your sensors regularly, making sure that they get triggered at cat height.

* Physical This device is small, boxlike, and its green colour means it blends into the garden and is not visually intrusive. It is made to be stuck into the ground on a spike at around 20 cm from the ground. It has a blue light that shows when the sensor is operational. It has two rotary dials to set the controls; one for frequency to optimise which animals you wish to force away from your garden , the other to make the draining battery work for longer. * How it performs The sensor means that it saves batteries by only working when the sensor detects an changing object in its roughly 90 degree angle at upto a few meters away. The differing animals need slightly differing frequencies, and this can be adjusted according to the instructions that come with the device . The batteries (4*AA) only need changing around every 12 months or so. To replace its batteries, you require a small screwdriver to release its four screws protecting plate. Its pretty robust, and stands up to the weather this year (2015) * Summary I am amazed that the local cats that used to use our garden as their own toilets have not touched our garden for months. I have seen cats jump on bins to avoid the invisible and inaudible field - for most humans over teenage anyway - it projects from this unit. Although i can hear a quiet, intermittent, scratchy - type noise from this device as its blue sensor is operating. But, - Dec 2015 - we now we have a mouse in the house! So have brought this device inside to drive the vermin out. We put traps down, notice where the mouse leaves its freshest droppings, then put the device in this area. We needed to change the setting of the device to select the most annoying noises to a mouse. We have deduced that this device was probably submerged in the recent heavy rain weather and this is the reason why its sensor does not now work properly. We have bought another 'Cat Repeller.' We have contacted a pest control officer to help us with this issue this week. Believe it or not, when changing its settings to repulse a mouse or rodent it makes them disappear and it works with these too! It's been over 10 days since last seeing the mouse. We are monitoring this situation.

I love this bit of equipment. My neighbour's cats definitely don't like it. The combination of this and some other measures have given us our garden back. No more cleaning up disgusting festering cat s*** on an almost daily basis. No more having to watch your every step when outside. When setting up this equipment I was impressed with the quality feel. As I played with the sensitivity and volume controls my wife began to complain "Will you stop doing that" or something similar. I was surprised as I could hardly hear anything. When I asked what it sounded like she said that it wasn't that loud but the sound was unpleasant. My 20 year old son heard it differently again - to him it was loud "7 out of 10". There is a battery compartment at the back but this is where a problem lies. A Phillips Size 1 mini cross head screwdriver (much smaller than normal) is required to secure the battery compartment and make a waterproof seal. If you haven't got one of these you can't do the job. I bought a Rolson 15 piece precision screwdriver set (£8). The quality of these screwdrivers is a bit dodgy but plenty good enough for this job and many more besides. The cats definitely don't like this gadget. I use it on the supplied ground spike and keep moving to different places in the garden (the cats don't like that either). If you get drunks passing by the blue light on the PIR will attract them but if that's the case just use it in the back garden.

I cannot sing the praises of this item highly enough. I bought 3 about 4 weeks ago and now have a cat-muck free garden again, and it's wonderful. I have suffered with cats at a number of different houses and tried everything from orange peel to pepper dust to expensive concoctions and never had any real success. I set these up as instructed and it would appear the job is done! I have a dry dusty area under some huge conifers at the bottom of my garden and when my neighbour got two cats they decided it was an ideal place to use as their toilet. I protested to my neighbour and we almost fell out over it, but we couldn't stop the cats soiling, and to make matters worst other local moggies began to follow suit. At least four cats were using the entire area as one big litter tray and the mess was horrendous. I daren't let my grandchildren play in the garden any more (I know from first hand experience that cat and dog faeces can carry some very nasty diseases and parasites) and I could not dig over my flower beds or plant any veg because the cats would use any freshly turned soil with relish. All in all my enjoyment of my garden was spoilt. I saw these and decided that the reviews were good enough to give them a try - after all, I was getting desperate. They arrived within a couple of days so I set to and raked all the disgusting muck up (for the umpteenth time) and cleared the area completely, installed one of these at either end and Hey Presto! No more cat poo! Well, almost none. We had one moggy that was a bit more resilient than the rest but I just turned the frequency up a bit and even he gave up after a few more days! It says you may have to persevere for a few weeks with them before they have an effect but that is not my experience, they've worked almost from the off. I dug over a bed to put some strawberries in , and installed my third repeller there to stand guard over it, and it remains poo-free! Batteries are lasting well too, and they're only some old rechargables that won't work my camera any more! Yes, the battery installation could be easier than messing about with 4 small screws, and yes the instructions are a bit naff (print off the product details on Amazon - they are much better than the instructions!) but other than that these items are a Godsend. I've just ordered another in readyness for digging over a veggie bed, so I've now spent about £70, but it's been worth every penny to get my garden back! I hope they work as well for you.