Honestly I’m in the same boat, not totally sure if it actually cools or just moves air around. I’ve seen some people say it’s more like a fan without the hose, which makes me hesitate. Kinda feels like it might not drop the room temp much in a closed bedroom.
for me it actually worked pretty well, but more with moles than cats tbh. within its range I don’t see a single one anymore, so placement matters a lot. no idea about birds… and the LED at night is actually nice imo, seems to keep hedgehogs and even wild boars from getting too close and digging around