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Cat-proofing a cat feeding machine

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Re: Cat-proofing a cat feeding machine

#151

Post by Alupis »

jevinskie wrote: post #86
bryondowd wrote: post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

For a cheap and simple hack solution, I would imagine you could just get one of those outlet timers. That's assuming the device uses wall power, defaults to locked when unpowered, and doesn't require any user input to resume function when power cycled. Just set it to power on at 7AM and either set it to power off at the time you usually refill it, or just manually switch it off when filling. Not as much fun as an IoT…

Great idea but unfortunately it is battery operated. I suppose a relay on Vcc might do the trick though!

> unfortunately it is battery operated

Seems short-sighted on the manufacturer's side. What happens if you go on vacation and the battery dies?

It should have a wall plug, and a battery to fallback on for when there's an outage.

Re: Cat-proofing a cat feeding machine

#152

Post by silencio »

matt_kantor wrote: post #146
silencio wrote: post #136

Earlier quoted context omitted.

How long is "eventually"? My cat is almost 5 years old. She is the type to overeat to obesity, probably because she was abandoned at ~1yr by her previous owner. For half her life my partner and I have been feeding her like clockwork 3 times a day, minus all of 2-3 weeks of vacations where our roommate took over. I have to exert a constant effort to maintain our bedroom door and the rubber that I lined on the jamb to…

Try an automatic feeder. I have the one mentioned in the article and didn't need to do any extra hardening to protect it from our two cats. Even though we kept a tight feeding schedule, our cats used to start meowing and pestering us an hour before dinner time. Now, they just sit quietly and stare at the automatic feeder until it dispenses their food.

That's our eventual plan! I haven't ordered one yet since all of them have reviews about cats being able to open them up plus I have to figure out how to transition to a dry food diet again. Mine will paw at the sealed container of bonito flakes we use as treats... I'm 110% counting on needing to harden a feeder.

Re: Cat-proofing a cat feeding machine

#153

Post by ianai »

lolc wrote: post #114

When people talk about how their pets are acting funny, I always wonder whether they realize that it's because of the boring habitat their pets have been put in. Asking them about it is delicate because it implies that their pet might be unhappy about its situation.

You must entertain your cat(s). I find it best to do so consciously for fear of what the cat will deem entertaining otherwise.

Re: Cat-proofing a cat feeding machine

#154

Post by Zachery »

Diederich wrote: post #149
civilian wrote: post #125

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Let me Dungeon Master this for you: You're trapped in a few rooms all day, every day. You don't know how to read. Your best friend is gone or asleep for 17 hours a day. You're a little bored, but you're also not very smart, so it's kind of okay. But you do have a lot of time on your paws. There's a weird contraption that feeds you twice a day. And you can see food still up there, on the conveyor belt. How would you l…

Well said. My wife and I personally think it's borderline inhumane to keep a dog by itself all day, since they are extremely social. While we usually don't keep solitary cats, I don't think it's that uncomfortable for cats to be alone, though per your DM interpretation, they will commonly get into things. Which they will do in groups too.

Some cats do much better when they have other animals or cat friends to socialize with. It depends on a number of factors, and much like human, not every cat is the same.

The amount of desired human attention sought from cats in our household has has decreased as the number of cats in the has increased. That's not to say they don't still want our attention, or that we don't give it to them. Having friends to keep busy seems to make the days go by easier.

Re: Cat-proofing a cat feeding machine

#155

Post by quanticle »

Coincoin wrote: post #138

Wait until you get children. Those bastards have the same brain as yours and tiny tiny hands. Preventing them from opening closets, garbage cans and cabinets is an arms race. You know you will eventually lose, the only thing you can do is slow them down.

Yes, but with kids, you can at least have the hope that they'll eventually learn to know better. With cats... not so much.

Re: Cat-proofing a cat feeding machine

#156

Post by jevinskie »

Alupis wrote: post #151
jevinskie wrote: post #86

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Great idea but unfortunately it is battery operated. I suppose a relay on Vcc might do the trick though!

> unfortunately it is battery operated Seems short-sighted on the manufacturer's side. What happens if you go on vacation and the battery dies? It should have a wall plug, and a battery to fallback on for when there's an outage.

The feeder only contains room for a day's worth of food, it doesn't have a "hopper" and isn't designed for unattended use. It's (unhacked) purpose is mostly for multiple pet households to prevent food theft or enforcing special diets.

Re: Cat-proofing a cat feeding machine

#157

Post by jevinskie »

derefr wrote: post #150
jevinskie wrote: post #4

I recently got a SureFeed RFID feeder. It can read your cat's microchip or an RFID collar tag. When an authorized kitty approaches, a flap raises and lets the cat eat. I got it to prevent other family pets from stealing my cat's food. It works well for that purpose and seems well designed. The feeder has clear side "walls" and the flap itself acts as a wall on the rear of the feeder, helping prevent food theft during…

If you're giving them an automated feeder, why not just let them eat (from it) at 4AM?

Because the feeder holds a single meal and is designed for access control (multiple pets) and not really automatic/timed feeding. A feeder with a sort of food hopper isn't too useful to me since I alternate dry/wet food for breakfast/dinner. A lockout timer would be though!

Re: Cat-proofing a cat feeding machine

#158

Post by dominotw »

nommm-nommm wrote: post #62
oniMaker wrote: post #38

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Unfortunately your common sense is in the minority of opinion here. HN is plagued by overeager engineers who endlessly discuss the how without addressing the much more important why . Why bother having a pet at all if you're not going to personally care for it?

Give me a break. The author was giving two meals a day and often got home late in the evenings. Only the evening meal was from a machine. Don't act like the cat is being abused. The author looks like she is providing the cat with a very nice life. "Whys?" It helps prevent tripping incidents when the cat knows its food time and is rubbing on your feet as you walk. It helps with anxiety associated with irregular feedin…

>The author was giving two meals a day and often got home late in the evenings.

"An automated feeder would save me one chore per day, and I wouldn’t have to worry about getting home late in the evenings."

You seem to have ignored "save me one chore per day" which is what my original comment was in response too. Occasional late meal is not a big deal at all, you don't need to go about inventing ridiculous machines for that.

Re: Cat-proofing a cat feeding machine

#159

Post by brazzledazzle »

jevinskie wrote: post #4

I recently got a SureFeed RFID feeder. It can read your cat's microchip or an RFID collar tag. When an authorized kitty approaches, a flap raises and lets the cat eat. I got it to prevent other family pets from stealing my cat's food. It works well for that purpose and seems well designed. The feeder has clear side "walls" and the flap itself acts as a wall on the rear of the feeder, helping prevent food theft during…

I know it sounds cruel and I didn't feel quite right doing it but this is why I walk around my cats like they're not there. After a couple close calls where I almost fell it seemed like it was worth a shot. I do slow down a bit so I carry/push them rather than kick when they're actually underfoot though. It only took a couple bonks to the nose and a time or two of being carried by my foot a few inches into the air to teach them not to do it anymore. And if you're concerned about affection they still rub against me when I'm standing still or sitting.

Re: Cat-proofing a cat feeding machine

#160

Post by bitwize »

derekp7 wrote: post #37
astral303 wrote: post #26

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Don't feed your cat until 7am no matter what. Ignore all foot rubs and meows. He'll eventually learn and give up. Operant conditioning. Watch out though for that extra-hard last ditch effort he will put out before giving up. Stay strong.

Cats have been known to modify their purring sounds, to include a sub-carrier that is remarkably similar to an infant crying. That in turn triggers an instinctive response in humans which cause them to subconsciously rise out of bed and apply food to the source of that sound. Source: a documentary on Netflix "The Lion in your Living room".

Cats have also been known to resort to terrorism, viz., climbing onto high shelves and systematically knocking fragile items to the floor until their demands are met.
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