Home Security And House Pets By Alek Peterson “A home security system can’t be used by people with pets”. This outrageously false statement is one of the main reasons people fail to install a monitored home security system. Modern electronic home security systems are designed to easily distinguish between animals, children and the significantly larger “home invaders”. This means that false alarms or constant triggers are a thing of the distant past.
Of course even the best security systems cannot provide complete protection to our beloved house pets while we are away or at work. Because a majority (roughly 80%) of pet owners believe their dogs, cats, gerbils, birds, snakes and other housemates are members of their family, many opt to install the more advanced home security systems to ensure their ongoing safety.
What are advanced systems? In addition to the wonderful benefits of a 24-hour monitored home security system, many manufacturers make smoke, carbon monoxide and water detectors available as well. What this means is that pets are protected from the hazards of household fires, appliance or heating system malfunctions and even the problems associated with broken pipes or flooding.
Would my pets really be at risk? Each year there are thousands of house fires around the country, and while fire departments and emergency crews are usually able to limit the damage to the structure, they cannot prevent the hazards of heavy smoke from harming pets. In fact a majority of pets lost to household fires do not perish in the flames,
but die from smoke inhalation.
Additionally, many security systems provide their customers with door and window badges that indicate the presence of pets in the home. These are generally installed at all points of entry and trained fire fighters know to read them to see the number, names and varieties of animals they will find inside. This can really make the difference between life and death for a house pet that may be hiding in fear somewhere in the home, but who may also be in great danger from the conditions inside the building.
Of course there are many times when a home security device is activated when the family is actually home, and this too is most frequently due to the presence of smoke or other harmful toxins. If the problem is real, the monitoring service alerts the fire department and emergency services, but the family members should be able to get themselves outside as quickly as possible. This usually calls for an evacuation plan that the family has practiced at least once before.
It is a wise idea to include all house pets in any such “fire drills” and have an idea of how they will be handled in the event of an emergency. A good plan will include options for “containment” such as carriers or even keeping pets inside of parked vehicles. For example, a family might keep a “cat carrier” by each emergency exit. This can be something as simple as the cardboard containers provided at veterinarian’s
offices, but which will keep a cat safe and comfortable during an emergency.
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