Do Coyote Rollers work?
The simple answer is YES Coyote Rollers work! They work when the animal must use their paws on top of the fence to pull themselves over the fence. They are a simple, and effective way to help with these common problems; dogs or cats getting out of your yard, or the threat of Coyotes getting in!
Coyote Rollers mount to the top of your fence. They require nothing more than proper installation on at least a 6ft or taller fence, need little to no maintenance, no electricity, they are attractive, and spin with only 2 ounces of pressure. (a lot of birds can't even sit on them)
Coyote Roller installation is easy enough for a homeowner to do it or you can hire a local handyman or fence company to install for you. (we do recommend professional installation on mason/concrete walls). There are coyote roller videos and downloadable installation guide to help with proper installation, and customer support is always available by phone as well!
When won't Coyote Rollers work?
We recommend a multifaceted approach to keeping your pets safe, due to the number of variables depending upon the situation. Here are a few considerations to help you plan your approach:
Coyote protection:
There is a lot that can be said about coyotes who are of course, a wild animal, and are very athletic and clever ones at that. Coyotes range in size depending on your part of the US, and have capability to scale up to a 14ft tall fence. Based on the research, it's at the 6ft high mark where a coyote would need to place their front feet on top of the fence to help them get over. (as opposed to just hoping over a shorter fence). This is why we recommend installation on at least a 6ft high fence, if you talk to me on the phone, you'll quickly hear me refuse to sell you Rollers if your fence is shorter than this.
Even with a 6ft fence - nothing is fail-able. There could be some reasons why a coyote could still get around a 6ft high fence with Rollers properly installed. This could be due to it being a "larger than average" coyote in size, ground conditions or items allowing some sort of boost to the coyote in getting over, climbing certain fence styles, digging under a fence, or even going thru a fence, are some of the things to consider, that would allow the coyote to bypass Rollers if so inclined.
Careful review of your yard, fence and surroundings are critical to your pets well being along with a plan for additional protection steps. The Rollers will work as designed as long as the animal must use them to help them get over.
Dog & Cat escape artists:
I have another article about dog and cat fence jumping motivations, so I won't go into that here. But similar observation and action, like for coyotes, is also needed with your approach to keeping your pets safely inside your yard.
Fence height, style/design and surroundings are important to study as a motivated pet will test any options it can find, especially if they have been successful in the past at "having fun on the other side". Even for pets, we recommend a 6ft high fence to install Rollers on. Chain Link fencing provides a great 'ladder' for agile pets to climb, trees or objects in yard can give a boost, broken/un-repaired fences, horizontal boards or similar attached to fence, digging, are all possibilities to consider that your pet may utilize and would need to be addressed in addition to installing Rollers.
Careful review of your yard, fence and surroundings are critical to your pets well being along with a plan for additional protection steps. The Rollers will work as designed as long as the animal must use them to help them get over.
What else should I do to protect my pets?
Even after considering and acting on the tips above, you may want to also consider, for coyotes: educate yourself more about coyotes, read up on what hazing is, how to be more coyote aware, how seasons affect their behaviour and more. Get to know the enemy and additional ways to help yourself and your pets.
For escaping pets, talk to a local trainer or behaviorist that can help direct you towards keeping your pet more satisfied staying at home. Consider temporary measures till a new fence can be built if needed, weigh the risks on just how important it really is to allow your kitty outside at all and/or provide more indoor stimulation.
