ULPT How to Silence Neighbor’s Ultrasonic Cat Repellant
Posted by Serious-Program9381@reddit | UnethicalLifeProTips | View on Reddit | 57 comments
My neighbor and I have the same ultrasonic cat repellants https://a.co/d/0cYjlIZM on our small front yards. She recommended it and it seems to be working great so far! The problem is that her (1) repellant failed, and she replaced it with (2) repellants a few days ago. They have two modes, audible and silent to humans. The 2 new ones are on the audible setting which is 25 khz. I can hear them from my living room, going off for what feels like 24/7. I worked remotely yesterday and had a odd headache by noon. My toddler was home with me so I was worried for her as well. We spent the afternoon out at the park.
I asked my neighbor to turn them down to the lower setting but I don’t think she understood me tbh. Her initial response was “oh, where do you want me to put them then?” I explained it’s just a different setting but she never answered my text. They’re still on the audible setting as of right now.
Does anyone know how to cancel out the frequency? We have an HOA but I don’t want to get them involved unless necessary.
RandalPMcMurphyIV@reddit
Human hearing range ends at 20 khz. A 25 khz tone would be inaudible to 100% of humans.
TheIronSoldier2@reddit
It's not just a solid wall at 20kHz. It's approximately 20Hz to 20 kHz, but there are people that can hear higher than 20kHz. Though there are few adults that can.
Like OP is still mistaken, but so are you.
pyphais@reddit
Not sure why you got down voted, you're right most humans wouldn't be about to hear that. And to prove it, clicking on OP's link shows that the inaudible setting IS actually the 25kHz setting.
Serious-Program9381@reddit (OP)
Yea I might’ve gotten the two mixed up.
harbourhunter@reddit
lol go back to school
Monarc73@reddit
Do you know where they are physically? Just go over to them and switch them over yourself. (If she comes out, politely explain / show her what you are doing and why.)
Grant_Winner_Extra@reddit
I really thought you’d suggest urinating on them.
Monarc73@reddit
That was going to be 'plan B'.
joelaw9@reddit
That or just knock on the door with a haggard expression. Most people are reasonable but forget what they're doing easily.
Serious-Program9381@reddit (OP)
Maybe I will try to speak to her in person. TY
Abystract-ism@reddit
Yeah and offer to show her how to switch them to inaudible
ResponsibilityNo3654@reddit
This is the only way. Go talk to her. Seems obvious to me, that You could’ve already done that instead of coming on Reddit first.
Flux_My_Capacitor@reddit
But then OP wouldn’t get any Karma!
Ok-Koala-key@reddit
Don't let common sense derail your nefarious intent!
Serious-Program9381@reddit (OP)
Yes I can see them from my window. I thought about turning them down but she’d notice. I don’t want any issues. Idk what to do.
Monarc73@reddit
You're ALREADY having issues. The question is what KIND of issues you prefer.
Serious-Program9381@reddit (OP)
Very true
DuckyDoodleDandy@reddit
“Hi, excuse me. Your (thingies) are on the setting that humans can hear, and it gives me a headache. Can I switch them to the setting that only cats can hear?”
Serious-Program9381@reddit (OP)
Youre right, I gotta ask her just like this.
BoozeIsTherapyRight@reddit
So many problems in life could be solved just by talking to the person.
Crazy, I know. Walk over, tell her it's still giving you headaches, and ask to turn them down yourself or to show her how.
FreezedPeachNow@reddit
Just ask her again. If you both hate cats and bought car repellants together, you are probably friendly enough to have a conversation face to face
ANEN0ME@reddit
You're literally terrorizing all of the neighborhood cats and dogs, pets included, for what reason?! Stop blindly using mammal repellants outside!!!!! Idiot. There's better solutions
Serious-Program9381@reddit (OP)
Please share the better solutions because I haven’t found any yet. Even contacted the local aspca (and local services) and they said they couldn’t do anything about stray cats if they weren’t hurt.
ANEN0ME@reddit
What issues are the cats causing you? They wont take them here either because there are so many, but they dont seem to cause issue. When it comes to animals and wildlife, err on the side of caution, it is easy to unintentionally do collateral damage, and if that happens you will feel like shit. I speak from experience. The easiest and best solution is to eliminate their food sources, but if a neighbor is feeding them they will keep coming. I had a cat come to me before and started feeding her and caring for her before adopting her. Out of nowhere, a group of 5-6 cats started coming around like a gang, like with a leader and everything lol whole different vibe. I adopted the first cat and stopped putting food outside, and that group of cats never came again. The one i adopted was likely abandoned. That gang however was likely ferals. Also, if one of your neighbors' cats were to get out, said cat might not be able to come home again. You see what im getting at?
Serious-Program9381@reddit (OP)
They’re pooping on my yard and damaging my outdoor seating. Apparently there were two neighbors feeding them. I threw out some bowls with food weeks ago but they’re still around.
bowhunterb119@reddit
The real answer is talk to her but if you want to be unethical I suppose you could adopt a bunch of deaf cats and throw cat food on her lawn every day to convince her they don’t work.
Serious-Program9381@reddit (OP)
If she won’t turn them down I’ll have to do something like this
Grant_Winner_Extra@reddit
Oscilloscope. Speaker…
Tune your output to cancel out theirs.
vodiak@reddit
An oscilloscope is for visualizing a signal. A signal generator would be the tool to use here. (But it wouldn't work as a practical solution.)
Grant_Winner_Extra@reddit
you need the oscilloscope to tune the phase by a half cycle for the destructive interference
vodiak@reddit
The goal is to kill the noise, so it can just be done by ear once you have the frequency locked in. Although finding that exact frequency may be difficult since high frequencies are hard to compare audibly, so a scope might help there.
But it won't work. Wave interference is highly position dependent. So unless you can inject the signal to the same emitter that's causing the problem, the phase will need to be tuned to an exact location. The wavelength of 25kHz sound is about 14mm, which is much less than the distance between a person's ears. So unless their ears are an even multiple of the wavelength, tuning for one ear will mean that the other ear still gets the signal (possibly doubled by constructive interference). And even then, that's only if they're facing tangent to the source. I suppose that means there is an orientation they could stand in where both ears are in destructive interference nodes, but they would have to be very still.
You can test this at home. Play a constant tone through two speakers and move yourself around, listening for the different nodes. You can also switch the input polarity on one speaker to switch the constructive and destructive nodes.
Serious-Program9381@reddit (OP)
I googled this before coming on here but the issue is the repellant is sensor based. So it goes off randomly. I did have my baby’s sound machine in the living room yesterday and it helped quite a bit.
pandapower63@reddit
Try using your words. The words you make with your voice. If you don’t talk to other human beings …well …here’s your first chance. Get out there and try.
Serious-Program9381@reddit (OP)
Lol I speak to people just didn’t want to go to her entitled over this but thanks for the advice.
Youareaproperclown@reddit
If you don't want to talk to her then anonymously complain to the hoa
Serious-Program9381@reddit (OP)
I might have to, TY
Flux_My_Capacitor@reddit
Well this could backfire so that neither of you can have the devices and the cats come back.
All because you’re too afraid to talk to this woman.
Serious-Program9381@reddit (OP)
Not afraid just don’t want to be an entitled princess over this. I will be speaking to her soon tho, ty
PadmesBabyDaddy@reddit
Since this is ULPT I would say in the middle of the night go grab them and pry open her bedroom window and throw them in there while she sleeps.
But I guess you know how the cats feel now.
Serious-Program9381@reddit (OP)
LOL
albertyiphohomei@reddit
Get a lot of cats and let them loose onto her yard
Serious-Program9381@reddit (OP)
LOL
Flux_My_Capacitor@reddit
Just go knock on her damn door. This requires a face to face conversation and not a text conversation that could drag out forever. A face to face conversation could have the problem solved in 5 minutes but here you are jumping to ULPT because you’re too afraid to have a conversation.
Patient-Face-3179@reddit
I did read "text" and was genuinely "???". I don't get it, don't people talk anymore?
Serious-Program9381@reddit (OP)
Yes, people do talk still.
harbourhunter@reddit
she probably can’t hear the sound they make
I’m sure once you tell her, she’ll disable them
xsmp@reddit
Piss discs.
Latter_Inspector_711@reddit
had to scroll way to far for this one
xsmp@reddit
it's not glamourous but it's honest work.
Serious-Program9381@reddit (OP)
Lmao
Dasrule@reddit
Pellet gun
kevinh456@reddit
Just go turn them to the right setting when she's not home... she probably cannot hear it and won't notice the difference.
DuckyDoodleDandy@reddit
You need to share these with the OP that needs to keep stray cats out of their yard. I saw the post earlier today, so it’s recent.
Serious-Program9381@reddit (OP)
Will do!
Tyzorg@reddit
Send a pic with your text on where to change it......
JJHall_ID@reddit
If you're on speaking terms with her, it sounds like you should be able to have a conversation with her. Explain to her that you can hear them, and ask if you can walk over to her property where she has them located and fix them for her? Maybe explain that they work better on the other setting. I don't think this belongs in this sub. That would be different if it were a hostile neighbor, not just an ignorant one.
Serious-Program9381@reddit (OP)
She has been kind to me thus far. Sounds like I should just talk to her face to face. TY