Cruel or kind? My opinion on static correction collars.
"Would you electrocute your cat?" - "If you wear it to test it, I'll buy it." - "Cruel just doesn't explain it."
The static correction collar. You can see the two prongs that come out to make contact with the skin.
Just a few quotes I've read on various forums around the internet with regards to the use of wireless or wired fences. The reality though is completely different. First, let us start with an obvious comparison: keep your pet contained in a house, miserable or let it run free, get run over or stolen OR allow it full roaming of your garden and house whilst knowing its boundaries. The initial choice is very clear.
All inground or wireless cat fences come with a receiver (the static correction collar that the cat wears). A wire is run from the transmitter (located in the house) around the perimeter to define the boundaries, this wire is not an electric fence, it is simply an aerial that broadcasts a signal. The wire carries the signal which activates the receiver once it comes within close proximity.
When the receiver is activated, good quality systems repeatedly beep first. This warns your cat that if it gets any closer to the perimeter it will be shocked. The shock given is very mild. When you go outside on a hot summers day and touch your car, sometimes you will get a static shock, the shock from the receiver is roughly the same. I have tried it myself, before I could be convinced to use it on my cats and I would even go as far as saying it is less powerful than any static shock you would get from a car. The shock is really more of a surprise to the cat than a painful experience.
On a seperate note: Indoor transmitters are also available to stop your cat entering particular rooms or jumping on work surfaces etc. These broadcast the same signal as the perimeter wire but on protect a small area.