Guide
Is your garden the neighbourhood cat toilet? Here’s what you can do
by Darina Schweizer
Crazy Pet Gadgets: a doorbell against unwelcome guests
8.5.2024
Translation: Jessica Johnson-Ferguson
Certain products grab my attention purely because they’re wacky. In the series Crazy Pet Gadgets, I’ll be presenting these gems one by one. And we’re kicking off with the Cat & Hound pet bell.
An unexpected ring at the door – some people love it, others hate it. I definitely belong to the latter group. Recently, however, I came across a doorbell that could be right up my alley. It’s designed to let in four-legged friends only. How on earth is that supposed to work? Does it involve some kind of circus act featuring me training animals to press a button? Besides, wouldn’t that end in non-stop ringing?
To find out, I knocked on Ansgar Berger’s door. He’s the managing director of Berger + Schröter GmbH (page in German). The company based in Iserlohn, Germany, manufactures pet bells. In my mind, I never even knocked on Ansgar’s door, it opened all by itself.
Ansgar Berger (AB): «Oh, it’s you! Come in.»
Me (DS): «Were you expecting someone else?»
AB: «I thought it was one of my cats.»
DS: «Didn’t you see me?»
AB: «No, I heard you.»
DS: «Really? But I didn’t even ring?.»
AB: «Well, you did in a way. The pet doorbell’s motion detector spotted you and let me know by giving off a sound.»
DS: «Now that’s interesting. Where is it?»
AB: «I attached it down here, at cat body level.»
DS: «Now I see it. But I still don’t quite get what it’s for ...»
AB: «The bell is for people who don’t want to or can’t install a cat flap. It tells you when an animal’s at your door.»
DS: «Isn’t the constant ringing a bit of a pain?»
AB: «The volume’s adjustable, and you can switch to a light signal, especially at night. Or you can go for a combination of both.»
DS: «How does the doorbell know it’s your cat and not the neighbour’s or a plant blowing in the wind?»
AB: «Pets usually hang around in very specific places. The bell should be set to react to those areas and not the entire outdoor space.»
DS: «What about surveillance cameras with motion detectors and a notification function?»
AB: «They work, too, but are a lot more expensive and more complex to use.»
DS: «Does the pet bell also work for animals other than cats?»
AB: «Absolutely. For example, for dogs that are in the garden. Or for indoor animals. Maybe you have a rabbit that’s allowed to run free indoors, but isn’t allowed to leave a certain area. That’s where the bell comes into it.»
DS: «I bet your customers have some amusing anecdotes to tell.»
AB: «They do, indeed. One cat had just caught something and wanted to show it off to its owners. The doorbell rang, the door opened and the mouse used it as an escape route into the house.»
DS: «So that’s another animal who can use the doorbell. Just one more question: how did you come up with the idea of making this product?»
AB: «It came up because our cats always had to wait outside for us to open the door.»
Ding-dong
AB: «Here’s one now. You’ll have to excuse me ...»
So should I invest in a pet bell? I’m still undecided. Now I know there’s no need for me to become a cat trainer, nor would I be pestered by constant ringing. However, the neighbour’s cat set off the bell just as easily as my own four-legged friend. So I won’t know who’s ringing until I open the door. Honestly, I could also do without unexpected visitors on four legs. Although the cat next door is really cute ...
What do you make of the pet bell? Have you come across other pet crazy gadgets? Let the Community know in the comments!
Header image: Berger + Schröter GmbH
Darina Schweizer
Senior Editor
Darina.Schweizer@digitecgalaxus.chI love anything with four legs or roots - especially my shelter cats Jasper and Joy and my collection of succulents. My favourite things to do are stalking around with police dogs and cat coiffeurs on reportages or letting sensitive stories flourish in garden brockis and Japanese gardens.
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