I am not sure if this is a question for animatronics or electronics. It seems like it should be a fairly simple project; however, I haven’t done a project like this on my own yet.
I need to turn an automatic cat feeder into one that only allows one cat to eat from it and locks when they are gone. They have feeders that open only when a rfid chip is near, but they are expensive and can be wedged open by my very smart food-motivated cat. She can use her paws almost like hands to open doors, etc. She has opened and/or found the feed button on most of the feeders I have tried. She is not able to open or press the button on the current feeders unless she knocks them over to pop the top off, so I have to secure them to the ground with museum putty. I am reluctant to change them even if the rfid feeders were not so expensive.
I have a plan to build a cover for the feeder, but I need it to close and lock as soon as the chip is removed, and unlock and open when the chip is close. I would say I have pretty basic skills. I can solder and have worked on circuit boards, but I have not created a project from scratch, and I don’t really know where to begin. Any help would be appreciated.
Oooh yeah, that is a challenge!
The chip on the collar is definitely the best, possibly only way to go with allowing access to specific felines, however it sounds like your issue lays more with the cat being a literal cat burglar and breaking into the existing feeders.
Hopefully the cover should solve that issue.
What about something like, having a sensor (ultrasonic perhaps, connected to a microcontroller and small water pump) that sense’s the proximity of an object (cat) and if it does not have the chip to allow access, then it squirts water at them?
Would be an adventurous project for sure, but if projects aren’t there to teach us new skills…
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There are cat doors that activate with an rfdi that attaches to the cat’s collar which sounds like most of what you are trying to accomplish. cheapest are about $55 which may be what you are trying to avoid; that cost. You haven’t mentioned your budget for the project but my first thought is, “why re-invent the wheel?”
Yes, I have looked at the cat doors. The issue I have with that is the cat that is being bullied out of her food has bad arthritis. The doors are thick as they are made for actual doors, and I am not sure she can maneuver around them. I could get one and take it apart, but I am concerned I would accidentally break it. I have a few I am watching on an auction site. I would rather take one of those apart if I can get it fairly cheap.