What Are Pet Immune Motion Detectors and How Do They Work?

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Pet-immune motion sensor
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Amazon.com list price as of post date. Read full disclaimer.

Pet immune motion detectors disregard the motion caused by animals weighing less than 80 pounds (in many instances). Most security system motion detectors use passive infrared (PIR) motion detector technology to monitor heat changes in a designated area.

With a traditional motion sensor, any motion in the coverage area sets off the sensor. Pets end up triggering false alarms as a result.

Pet immune motion detectors ignore the motion caused by animals and thus reduce the likelihood of a false alarm. Features vary by manufacturer and model, but can include selectable sensitivity for pets up to 40 pounds or those weighing up to 80 pounds and can be set to disregard one large pet, like a full-grown dog or several small pets, like cats.

Where you place the motion sensor can also impact its pet-friendliness. Aiming the sensor toward the top half of the room means any motion near the floor is always out of sight.

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Often, homeowners with pets don’t set their home’s security system fearing their pet will activate too many false alarms, which could result in hefty fines or being placed on a “do not respond” list by authorities.

However, not setting your home’s alarm weakens your family’s defense against crime. An essential component of your home’s security system, pet immune motion detectors allow you to set your home’s alarm with confidence and give your pet the freedom and comfort to move about without setting off a false alarm.

Learn which security brands offer the best pet-immune motion detectors in our roundup of the best pet-friendly home security systems



Compare the best home security systems

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Product prices and availability are accurate as of post date and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product. Safewise.com utilizes paid Amazon links.

Certain content that appears on this site comes from Amazon. This content is provided “as is” and is subject to change or removal at any time.

Celeste Tholen
Written by
Celeste has dedicated her decade-long career to reporting and reviews that help people make well-informed decisions. She once oversaw the editorial strategy and production for SafeWise, with a goal to help everyone find the information they need to make their homes and lives safer. Now she is a contributing writer. Prior to SafeWise, she worked as an editor and reporter for KSL and Deseret News. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Journalism. In her free time, she volunteers at the local botanical garden and writers for the community newspaper.

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