I used cat5 because that's what my wiring guy wanted to use - but it was a little trickier to work with - the wires can break easily. I also doubled up pairs which again, isn't as easy to work with.
If I were doing it again, I'd use 22 or 24/4 stranded - much easier to work with. Also keep in mind on panel end, you're combining the power from several sensors into one, so stranded just twists together better. however, as mentioned above, you can make almost anything work.