Do Alexa devices affect cats and dogs?

[emkay 10,193]

Our cat has been a little unwell recently….generally unsettled, slightly distressed. Our vet couldn’t find any obvious reason. My UK vet friend said that he had heard of similar cases with cats and dogs and there’s a suspicion that Alexa devices or similar may be affecting pets due to their frequency. Has anyone else experienced this with their pets? Or, could it be a very unlikely cause of pet distress? I’ve unplugged our Alexa and, our cat seems calmer….coincidence maybe?

[fraufruit 42,165]

I did a little searching and came across this Alexa Calm My Cat.

 

There are many options and also for dogs. Maybe you need to turn Alexa back on. 

 

Anyway, I thought it was interesting. We don't have a listening device in our house.

 

p.s. I didn't find anything about the frequency being stressful for pets.

[emkay 10,193]

18 minutes ago, fraufruit said:

I did a little searching and came across this Alexa Calm My Cat.

 

There are many options and also for dogs. Maybe you need to turn Alexa back on. 

 

Anyway, I thought it was interesting. We don't have a listening device in our house.

 

p.s. I didn't find anything about the frequency being stressful for pets.

I wonder if there’s a ‘Alexa Calm my Husband’?

 

My vet friend said the possible frequency of Alexa is a very new consideration for unexplained pet disturbance….not much on Google about this. Probably akin to Wi-Fi possibly affecting human brains .  
 

Who knows if it’s relevant, though since why husband bought an Alexa blob, our cat only sleeps in formerly never used places, at the furthest places away from it. Now it’s removed (good excuse to get rid of it!) she’s back to sleeping on her usual chair next to where it was. 
 

Who can know what animals sense?

[emkay 10,193]

36 minutes ago, fraufruit said:

I did a little searching and came across this Alexa Calm My Cat.

 

There are many options and also for dogs. Maybe you need to turn Alexa back on. 

 

Anyway, I thought it was interesting. We don't have a listening device in our house.

 

p.s. I didn't find anything about the frequency being stressful for pets.

I wonder if there’s a ‘Alexa Calm my Husband’?

 

My vet friend said the possible frequency of Alexa is a very new consideration for pet disturbance….not much on Google about this.  Probably akin to Wi-Fi possibly affecting human brains .  

[BethAnnBitt 2,953]

1 hour ago, emkay said:

Or, could it be a very unlikely cause of pet distress? I’ve unplugged our Alexa and, our cat seems calmer….coincidence maybe?

Read here, as it apparently does affect some cats and dogs.

https://amazon.developer.forums.answerhub.com/questions/71378/anyone-elses-dog-reacting-when-alexa-is-activated.html?page=3&pageSize=10&sort=oldest

[snowingagain 5,354]

13 hours ago, emkay said:

I wonder if there’s a ‘Alexa Calm my Husband’?

My vet friend said the possible frequency of Alexa is a very new consideration for pet disturbance….not much on Google about this.  Probably akin to Wi-Fi possibly affecting human brains .  

I know a few people who think they can feel with the WiFi is connected.  Said it stopped them sleeping.  I moved it so they could not see the light, and lied (bad person).  They slept fine.  

[emkay 10,193]

49 minutes ago, BethAnnBitt said:

Read here, as it apparently does affect some cats and dogs.

https://amazon.developer.forums.answerhub.com/questions/71378/anyone-elses-dog-reacting-when-alexa-is-activated.html?page=3&pageSize=10&sort=oldest

Very interesting. Seemingly, cats have better hearing than dogs so may well be more affected? Our cat has just eaten very peacefully for the first time in a couple of weeks…now Alexa is unplugged.  

[fraufruit 42,165]

Make sure your husband didn't just hide the Alexa. It could still be on if he is as evil as snowing. 

 

 

 

[emkay 10,193]

33 minutes ago, snowingagain said:

I know a few people who think they can feel with the WiFi is connected.  Said it stopped them sleeping.  I moved it so they could not see the light, and lied (bad person).  They slept fine.  

My daughter once got the notion that Wi-Fi might be affecting her so I really switched it off. The lack of Wi-Fi affected her far more . I generally switch off wifi etc at night. Can’t placebo a cat though!

[emkay 10,193]

My husband just came home and although he’s not all too aware of our cat’s change in behaviour, he noticed a change and asked what has made her better….playing, no longer nervous, eating well.  Alexa is now aus….forever! Of course he thinks this is just mad.

 

[snowingagain 5,354]

13 hours ago, emkay said:

My husband just came home and although he’s not all too aware of our cat’s change in behaviour, he noticed a change he asked what has made her better….playing, no longer nervous, eating well.  Alexa is now aus….forever! Of course he thinks this is just mad.

 

Well, if it is out of sight, experiment.  You and the cat (ha) must not know if it is on or off.   And he will have to stay away from you both so any subtle differences in his behaviour are not picked up by you or the cat. 

 

I know some pets, and indeed some people,  can be annoyed by buzzing and flickering LEDs.  

[fraufruit 42,165]

15 minutes ago, emkay said:

Of course he thinks this is just mad.

 

And some think it is mad to have a listening device in one's home.

 

So glad your kitty is better! They are such Houdini's at hiding what is ailing them.

[emkay 10,193]

1 hour ago, fraufruit said:

 

And some think it is mad to have a listening device in one's home.

I think so too. Glad our cat found a good reason for Alexa to go! My husband has another Alexa in his roof top snoring/man room…any AI is welcome to listen to that so long as I don’t have to!

[john g. 37,775]

3 hours ago, emkay said:

My daughter once got the notion that Wi-Fi might be affecting her so I really switched it off. The lack of Wi-Fi affected her far more . I generally switch off wifi etc at night. Can’t placebo a cat though!

Your last sentence has - guaranteed - never ever been written by anyone else in the history of the world!😂

 

[LeonG 14,810]

4 hours ago, snowingagain said:

I know a few people who think they can feel with the WiFi is connected.  Said it stopped them sleeping.  I moved it so they could not see the light, and lied (bad person).  They slept fine.  

 

I worked with a lady who was convinced that a cordless phone that wasn't even plugged in was sucking electro magnetic waves from the environment and giving her headaches. 

 

I have a neighbour who is convinced that her husband doesn't snore if she turns off the wifi and his smart phone.  Unfortunately he uses it as an alarm clock.

 

Also, you can turn off your wifi but not the neighbours.

[Krieg 15,027]

16 hours ago, fraufruit said:

And some think it is mad to have a listening device in one's home.

 

What's the difference with the smartphone we all carry everywhere?

 

13 hours ago, LeonG said:

 

I worked with a lady who was convinced that a cordless phone that wasn't even plugged in was sucking electro magnetic waves from the environment and giving her headaches. 

 

I have a neighbour who is convinced that her husband doesn't snore if she turns off the wifi and his smart phone.  Unfortunately he uses it as an alarm clock.

 

I have a colleague who insists we knows when the coffee was made with tap water or with bottled water.  We all roll our eyes when he starts with that.

 

13 hours ago, LeonG said:

Also, you can turn off your wifi but not the neighbours.

 

This.

[fraufruit 42,165]

57 minutes ago, Krieg said:

What's the difference with the smartphone we all carry everywhere?

 

I don't carry mine everywhere and keep it turned off when not in use.

[pappnase 2,625]

15 hours ago, john g. said:

Your last sentence has - guaranteed - never ever been written by anyone else in the history of the world!😂

 

Actually John there is quite a body of work in the placebo effect and pets. The thinking at the moment seems to be that of course it doesn't work directly, but that the effect on the carers can cause them to behave differently towards the pets and have a noticeable effect on the animal.

[kiplette 8,712]

On 06/03/2023, 21:28:41, LeonG said:

Also, you can turn off your wifi but not the neighbours.

 

Oh, that's brought back a little shiver from the past - one of yours took out a restraining notice against another which would have prevented her from using her own kitchen, if I remember rightly, and then maybe something about a fire deliberately set outside?

 

Those kind of neighbours by rights should come with an off-switch, for sure 

[clickety6 4,152]

. Other stories online say the animals react to the device when ti speaks or plays music. It sounds as if the Alexa may be emitting high frequency sounds, possibly via the speaker, that are too high for you to hear but not for a cat or dog.

There are some apps like this that are supposed to detect them  :https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.microcadsystems.serge.ultrasounddetector&hl=en&gl=US

 

We have two dogs and a dot and echo device and haven't had any issues.