Customer Reviews

PetSafe ScatMat Electronic Indoor Pet Training Mat 30-by-16-Inch, Medium

5 star:		(201)
4 star:		(49)
3 star:		(15)
2 star:		(13)
1 star:		(24)

 

 

Before I bought these scat mats, I read many reviews that either said the mat was inhumane (and some people refuse to use it) OR the mat was the most incredible invention ever. Below is my review and hopefully it will help someone else decide if it is a good idea to purchase the mat, or not.

First of all, I begin by saying, the mat works. There is no question about it. However how well it works, and where, and to what degree are all the variables that depend on YOU, the user as well as on the subject, your PET, cat or dog.

Tall/Smart Dog
I had a 40 lb bulldog (a temporary house guest) who was quite tall (even for bulldogs, because I think he is mixed) and the dog was able to jump over a scat mat I placed in a doorway. It was only the second time the bulldog encountered the mat, and he was smart enough to know what to do. He took one leap and was already in the other room (where the Christmas tree, which I was trying to protect, was located). Therefore in the case of taller dogs (especially the ones that know how to jump very well) you may need to set down two mats (one next to another) rather than just one mat, to increase the surface area of the mat - that way the dog will never try to jump it.

Smart but Short Legged and Lazy Dog
My own bulldog, who is also 40 lbs but short and stumpy and lazy, NEVER tries anything with the mat in the same doorway. (Please not when you place mat in doorway it needs to completely cover the entire entrance - if there is space for the dog to get through without stepping on the mat, he or she will try it). When the mat is in the door way, it doesn't matter if there is a steak on the other side of the mat, my short legged bulldog will not even bother to try to go on, or near it. So that mat is a GREAT alternative to pet gates, which are usually made very poorly anyways that you end up breaking it. Your home also looks so much better without an ugly pet gate as. The mat is simple, and sweet, and your dog will never touch it and you yourself will just have to step over it so it is great in doorways or right below the stairs, like when/if you don't want your dog to go upstairs). However make sure you tell guests right when they get in the house about the mat because someone will always step on it and while it won't hurt them, it might be a little embarrassing - I had a house guest who was so startled by the mat shock, he said a bad word very loud, and I had to contain myself from laughing.

Couch Hogging
My bulldog was also taking over our family room couch (and this guy is pretty spoiled, he has his own personal trainer and when her numerous suggestions didn't work), so we left mats on the couch and he never goes on the couch anymore. However keep in mind, the couch has to completely covered, because the dog will go on any areas large enough that was left uncovered on the couch . We have a large sectional and we use two large mats on each side. You also have to make sure that if the dog isn't allowed on the couch, he has another desirable place to rest his head (this is the interest of training, so that one day even without the mats, the dog will no longer go on the couch, and use his own bed).

Smart Small Dogs
My neighbor has a small tiny dog (mixed breed) and I sometimes babysit her, and this gave me insight on the use of scat mat on small dogs. It actually works better on them. With bulldogs, they have high threshold for pain, and it takes them a good 3/4 seconds to actually realize the scat mat for what it is. However for small dogs they will approach it, yelp from the surprise of shock and will never ever go near it. With bulldogs, they don't even make a sound after touching the mat so the high setting is recommended. However for small dogs, low or medium setting is fine. Plus you will not need the large size of the mat for small dogs, unless you want to make sure to cover a large surface area.

Puppies
The only reservations I have about the scat mat is its use on puppies. I just would not do it. It maybe too young for them to experience something alarming or surprising and it may impair their emotional development or trust towards you or your household so buyers if you want to train a puppy, consult a trainer and use treats and positive vs negative methods. DO NOT USE THIS DEVICE ON PUPPIES. I think this mat is more for matured dogs, whose ingrown habits you are trying to break. For instance, my bulldog took over the couch because my boyfriend kept letting him get on it and watch TV with him, and soon the entire couch was his and it got all smelly and gross so I used these mats to sort of wean him away from it, by preventing access, and giving him another comfortable place. Whenever the scat mat is not on the couch (temporarily, like when I have guests, my dog will still try to get on it but it's only been a few weeks so I think it will make some time. Puppies will always go on couches too for comfort but be strict about the couch issue (either they are allowed or they are not) while the puppy is young and it will solve the problem but it is necessary to use the scat mat for anything regarding training puppies - if you consult a certified trainer you can practically teach a puppy to do anything. When I say puppies, I am referring to a pet under 1 year of age or less. DO NOT USE SCAT MAT ESPECIALLY ON VERY YOUNG WEEK OLD PUPPIES I CANNOT ADVOCATE THIS UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES.

Cats
I looked after my best friend's cat and he was exposed to the scat mat. He took a few steps, got shocked and never even went downstairs ever again (where the mats are located in the house). However the cat is a rescue and he is very hostile and angry and has little confidence so I am not sure if the scat mat was what caused this extreme/over reaction or if the cat's personality contributed to it. I don't know much about cats, but this was the kind of cat that if you touched him, he will actually bite your hand. My dog also stays downstairs in the house so I don't know if it is because of the scat mats or dog that the cat refuses to venture to the first floor of the house. However I have heard that scat mats are great for kitchen counters when it comes to cats, who gets on them to access food, but I don't know enough about cats at all to tell you how they will do with scat mats. Whatever the case, you will have to know your cat or dog well enough to know if the scat mat will work or not.

Inhumane or Not?
After using and trying the mat out for some time, I also concluded that it is not inhumane (IF USED ON ADULT DOGS AND CATS), and here's why - people touch the device and say things like "it is too powerful, etc". but they forget that their animals are actually very highly intelligent. A dog or a car will only ever really feel a scat mat once or twice, and will NEVER go near it again. In my household, the ones that keep getting shocked are actually the humans because we leave it in the door ways, and on the couch and everyone forgets about it and either keep stepping on it, or sitting on it. So this device isn't an pain inflictor (maybe to yourself) but not to your animals - once they felt it they are over it, they will never go near it again. The pain is also psychology (almost tingly in fact and not physically harmful, I would know about this very well because I'll come downstairs all sleepy and sometimes forgets and stands on the mat for about a good 5/6 seconds). My friend told me about a lady whose standard Poodles were so tall they were getting food from kitchen counter tops it got so bad the owner had to put mouse traps on the counters - now THAT is what I call inhumane, and sheer desperation. I had to tell my friend to tell the lady about scat mats.

I recently bought two scat mats and I use it in a door way to prevent my dog from messing with the Christmas tree, and another one below a shelf (where my dog was getting DVDs off of and biting them into pieces). I had to switch these two mats around to go on the couch as well so today I am getting another two to use solely for couch so it can stay put there, and my dog learns the entire thing is off limits, all day everyday. However I anticipate many people (humans) including myself accidently experiencing the "shock" value of the mats in my household than my dog (who is obviously smarter than us) ever will.

I hope this review has been helpful to you, and again I would like to reiterate my point not to use the scat mat nor any other "devices" on young puppies - they can easily be trained with treats and repeating good habits and positive or negative reinforcements.

Hi, my name is Mike, and this is my first Amazon review.

Anyhoo, over the past 2 years or so, our cats have been wreaking (reeking?) havoc in our loverly domicile, peeing/spraying on the couch. First the cloth couch, which we had to replace. Then the brand new leather couch. Bad kitties. Bad.

We tried everything- covering the couch, moving food onto the couch, adding litter boxes and keeping them OCD clean, ineffective "cat repellant sprays". Eventually, we were covering the couch with a plastic fitted bedwetting sheet, and covering that with fresh sheets of tinfoil. This is no way for humans to live. Bad kitties. Bad.

Enter the scat mat, large size, and scat mat extention, also large sized. Open box. Unroll mat. Snap in electrical leads. Plug in battery. Power up. INSTANT GRATIFICATION.

Kitty number one (Aleister) got curious after about 10 minutes with the couch seemingly uncovered. Jumps on couch. Sniffs mat. (Is it going to work?) One step (Why isn't it working??). Two steps... zzzzzZAP!

I have never seen this cat jump so high, so fast (even when hunting the ubiqitous moths that flutter about). He hid under the bed for a whole day, and doesn't even THINK about getting anywhere near the couch. His sister Trixie is the same way... perhaps she tried her luck while we were sleeping or something, but she avoids the couch like the plauge as well. Good kitties! Good! No more cat pee on the couch! Yay!

Scat mat 2, kitties 0.

Thanks scat mat. 5 stars. A life saver!

My cat had me at wits end. He wanted to be on the counters all the time. I'd come home to find cat litter on the counter which is gross. Tried using the xmats which have plastic spikes on them (he got used to them and walked all over them). Then I decided he would not win the war and got one of these shock pads(the shock is mild depending on how you set it). All it took was one time jumping on this and he got the surprise of a lifetime. He stays clear now. The secret is to put it where the cat likes to jump to then once they learn to avoid that spot move it to the next place they choose to jump up to. I think they remember the spots to avoid (at least my cat did). This product is made of cheap materials but it works and thats what counts. I highly recommend to owners of stubborn cats.

I've owned a smaller scatmat for years, and can't say enough good things about it. For keeping our cats away from places they shouldn't be, it's 100% effective. When it came time to protect a larger area (our cats scrabble at our bedroom slider for hours on end - which is fine if you don't require sleep), I shelled out for this larger mat - but beware, the mat you will receive is not the one displayed in the photo or described in the product narrative. This (different) model is branded "petsafe" rather than "scatmat," and the controller is "paw shaped" rather than rectangular - although the shape of the controller makes no difference itself, this particular variety does NOT have a three-speed intensity control (as promised, and as does the original "scatmat"). This is important to me because the single setting offered in this model is quite a jolt - maybe not harmful, but more than I want to subject my little cats to, even once. I keep my original scatmat on the lowest setting, which is just fine. This "new" mat also seems to work erratically - after it discharges it won't discharge again for some time, usually minutes. The controller is also difficult to figure out and use (and yes, I read the manual), and is very non-intuitive. This is a far cry from the original easy-to-use scatmat with the rectangular controller and three-speed setting, and I'm puzzled why Amazon is not sending the item described in the photo and product description. I sent mine back (easy enough), and was lucky enough to find an original scatmat on another site - more expensive, but worth the price. And tonight I sleep.

Both my wife and I have been zapped by it on accident, when we forget it is somewhere and come across it. It's more of a psychological shock than an electric one, just scares the hades out of you if you're not expecting it. Im sure the cats feel the same way!

My husband and I purchased our first home last year - a 1908 fixer-upper that captured our hearts. We decided to choose design themes and furniture from the Art Deco and Machine Age eras. The perfect red leather couch came along, complete with two matching chairs and ottomans. The perfect look for the living room. Sleek, unique and RED.

Then enter kitty.

We are the proud parents of two very ornery Siamese cats, one seal point and one flame point. They are the loves of our lives, but oh how they love to test us. They KNOW they aren't to be on tables or countertops, and are to use scratching posts for their clawing. They're very smart. However, one of the ottomans in our new furniture set was just too tempting. Within 24 hours, we found claw marks up and down one edge of the ottomans, clearly the target of focused attack. We immediately started our desperate search to find an effective deterrent.

I started with cat lover/owner forums. Most of these focused on the sprays and oils that didn't work, and "just getting used to not having nice things if you want to have cats in your home". We knew this wasn't the answer, so our hopes soared when I read a pet owner talking about the "Scat Mat". We then focused our reading on this product by Contech, noting that it rendered high reviews and was safe to use. We ordered two.

They arrived within two days and we were quite excited to put them to use. We placed one on the couch and one over the ottoman that had been clawed. Being huge fans of all things 'new' entering the house, the cats were immediately interested. The female cat investigated the mat on the couch, stepped on it gingerly, got the static charge and took off running - never to set foot on any part of the red leather furniture - to date. The male Siamese was fascinated with the mat that was draped over the ottoman. He sat next to the ottoman, placed his paw on the mat to prepare to hop onto it - and gets zapped. He looks at the mat incredulously, as if to say "What the..?" Then does it again. Twice. He finally decides that the static shock isn't worth the trouble and he can't outsmart it. He leaves the room and sulks. Finally we found something that works!!

We rearranged the mats on the furniture over the coming week (one on a chair, the other on the couch - then one on an ottoman, and another on the back of a chair) to keep the kitties guessing. It has been the most effective indoor pet deterrent we have ever seen. The great thing about it is, once the pet learns the specific lesson (stay off the couch!) - it can be rolled up to be used another day with another application (stay off the desk/counter/vanity!). There are even long, narrow mats that can prevent the pet from wanting to enter a room (place on the floor across a doorway). The three intensity settings provide versatility and the battery usage is minimal. The static charge emitted is akin to a good 'zap' you may experience from a doornob after shuffling around in flannel PJs in the winter.

Humane, effective, portable, FANTASTIC!

We have 2 Airedale Terriers (55-lb dogs) and 2 cats. I originally bought a scat-mat as a deterrent to the cats, but it has since become a dog deterrent. One of our dogs has a tendency to knock over the gate to the kitchen and get into the trash while we're not at home. This is the only deterrent that has proven effective. It keeps her from being able to work on the gate long enough to get it down (as she'll keep getting shocked if she stands there).

I feel comfortable using the product, as I have been shocked by it many times myself (generally I step on it by accident in the middle of the night). Make no mistake, it hurts, and you don't want to have it happen, but it certainly isn't bad enough that I feel cruel using it.

This is my second scat mat, as the other one stopped working. Because of that, I'm a bit concerned about the durability, especially considering the cost. That said, however, the design of this model is a vast improvement over the last (no wires going to the battery that may become detached), so I am hopeful that this one will last longer. Either way, however, it has saved me enough hassle to be well worth the money.

We have a 140lb Bull Mastiff and we just moved into a brand new rent house and he stays outside and he immediately started clawing at the back glass door whenever he would see us inside. I did not want to have to buy a new back door when we moved out so I did some research and came across this product. The very first day I put it out by the back door, he went to claw on the door and he got the zap the mat produces and he jumped back and has never attempted to go to the back door again. I just turn the unit off and leave it sitting there so I guess he thinks it is still on because he will not get anywhere near it. My husband stepped on it to make sure that it would not really hurt our dog before we put it down and he said that it is not powerful but it does produce enough of a zap to make you want to re-think it. I would highly recommend this product it really worked for us.

My cats had been urinating on certain areas of my brand new carpet. Despite many cleaning efforts and all attempts at re-training the cats, this is the product that finally did the job! I use the power adapter and leave the mats turned on all the time. YEAH!

I have two domestic long-hair cats that love sleeping on the couch. One of my cats has a bladder problem, and my last couch lasted only a year and a half because of it! When I bought my new couch, I also bought the large Scat Mat to get some life out of my couch.

I was worried about the intensity of the shock of the Scat Mat, but I kept the mat set to the lowest intensity. My friends touched the mat just to ensure that it wasn't too intense - it startles the cats but obviously doesn't hurt them.

I only had to use the mat for a week before my cats had learned to stay away from the couch. In fact, they don't go near the couch at all. Even though the mat only covers the seat cushions, my cats don't even jump up on the back cushions or even scratch the arms!